Here is another one for you to explore from PVED.

My Czech Experience

By: Lesa Lewis*

After several years of treatment for secondary infertility, I began to research some lower-cost options. Having completed more than a dozen own-egg cycles with no success, my husband and I decided to move on to donor eggs. When one fresh and three frozen donor egg cycles left us with still no baby, we were feeling both desperate and broke. We knew we were not ready to give up our quest for another child, but at the same time, money was starting to become an issue. We had spent close to $40,000 on our fresh donor cycle in the U.S. using an outside egg donor agency and my friendly and reliable reproductive endocrinologist. We just did not feel like we were willing to spend that type of money a second time. So, I started doing some research.

With a few simple searches on Google, I was introduced to the world of medical tourism. Who knew there were so many choices? I dashed off emails and hoped for some replies. I did not have to wait long. Within 24 hours, I had loads of people offering to educate me on IVF clinics far away. We considered clinics in the Ukraine, the Czech Republic, Spain, Turkey, and South Africa. In the end we decided to concentrate on the clinics in the Czech Republic, feeling that they had the best combination of donors and high medical standards.

At that point, we had to decide if we were going to book a cycle with our clinic of choice on our own, or if we would use an outside agency to coordinate our donor egg cycle. While I felt I was capable of coordinating my own treatment even in another country, I decided that I liked the perks of using an outside agency. For starters, the agency was able to get me an earlier treatment date—something that mattered a lot to me. Also, the agency is based in the U.S., which made communications much easier. Plus, my husband felt safer sending money to a U.S.-based agency rather than to a clinic in another country where we had not yet actually met anyone.

I quickly decided that I had made the right choice in using an agency. I was assigned a U.S. coordinator who answered my many questions and literally walked me through the entire process. She was able to explain the details to me, to help me pick flights and hotels. and to keep me informed along the way.

The first big difference I found between U.S. treatment and treatment abroad was the types of donors available. Unlike in the U.S., where intended parents pour over donor profiles and see current and past photographs of potential donors, in the Czech Republic (and several other countries as well) donors are completely anonymous. This presents a problem for many women who would like to maintain control over selecting a donor. For me it was less of an issue, and it comes down to willingness to let go and trust the clinic I chose. I also had very few “deal breakers” when it came to what I was looking for in an egg donor. I wanted someone who was in good medical condition and shared my basic coloring. I sent the clinic photos of myself and listed my basic requirements in a donor. The clinic then emailed me with my potential donor’s stats and I was to approve her or not.

Had I not been satisfied with the donor the clinic selected, they would have offered me a second donor. I was only given minimal information on my donor, which included: age, height, weight, blood type, coloring, and brief medical information (including whether she was a first time donor or proven.

We also needed a sperm donor. The clinic handled this for us by asking again what we were looking for in a donor and sending me three possible anonymous sperm donors. Again, we were only told blood type, age, height, weight, and hair and eye color. I picked one and emailed my choice to the clinic.

With the ball rolling nicely in the Czech Republic, I set out to take care of things that still needed to be done at home before I traveled. My long-time reproductive endocrinologist (RE) was more than willing to do my pre-cycle monitoring and prescribe the needed medications. Having cycled many times, my test results were recent enough that I did not have to repeat anything for the Czech clinic. The doctor in the Czech Republic sent me a treatment protocol that I passed on to my local RE. Not much was required of my local RE after the meds arrived. The clinic wanted one ultrasound lining check a week before donor egg retrieval. If I had been using fresh sperm, the clinic would have done another ultrasound the day of donor egg retrieval. Fortunately, my lining was a nice 8.9 with a triple pattern, just right.

Traveling to the Czech Republic was much easier than I had expected. Since I live in a major west coast city, there were many flights to choose from. I made a connection in New York and was quickly on my way to Europe! After landing in Prague, we were greeted by our prearranged driver who delivered us to our hotel. We had decided to spend a few days in Prague sightseeing before our actual embryo transfer. This is the beauty of medical tourism: a trip to Europe AND an embryo transfer!

While in Prague, I was able to speak to the clinic and the doctor to get updates on my embryos and to confirm my day-five transfer. We stayed in Prague until the day before transfer and then took a very smooth bus ride into the city of Brno where the clinic is located. In Brno we met the local Czech coordinators who would take over the job of seeing that things went smoothly. The local coordinators provided tons of information as well as acting as chauffeurs and tour guides to and from the clinic for procedures. This was very comforting, as I did not have to worry about getting around the city or even communicating with the clinic staff. The clinic staff I dealt with did speak English—but this is not always the case so it is best to ask in advance.

The day of my transfer, the coordinator picked me up at my hotel and escorted me to the clinic. I had a sit-down with the doctor in his office to discuss my embryos and decide which ones we would transfer. We also discussed what to do with extra embryos. We agreed to freeze the remaining embryos, and then it was time for the transfer. I was introduced to the embryologist in the transfer room and was able to view my embryo on a large flat-screen monitor. The transfer was quick and easy, and I rested on the table for 15 minutes before returning to the hotel to rest. I stayed off my feet in the hotel for two days before heading back to Prague via private driver. Not wanting to over-do it, I elected to stay one night at an airport hotel before flying home the next morning.

My experience in the Czech Republic was amazing. My entire investment for this cycle was around $9,000 and that literally included everything. Travel expenses, meals, medications, IVF treatment and donor expenses are all included in that $9,000—quite a savings! Would I do it again? Yes! Do I suggest this to my friends? Absolutely. The only regret I have is not exploring medical tourism sooner.

*The opinions expressed here are the views of the writer and author and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of Parents Via Egg Donation or My IVF Alternative

Source: http://parentsviaeggdonation.org/myexperience.html

Gynecologist of Mrs. Brown found that her fallopian tubes are blocked beyond repair. So together with professor Robert Edwards offered to retrieve mature eggs from her ovaries via laparoscopy. Those were mixed with her partner’s sperm and created embryo was returned to her uterus 2 days later. Entire pregnancy was closely monitored and pregnancy was progressing normally. Louise was born July 25, 1978 via C-section. She weighed 2kg and 608 grams (4.4lbs). Four years later, the parents were successful with adding another daughter to the family via IVF again.

   Louise got married when she was twenty-six and two years later, she delivered son Cameron       (conceived naturally).

Since Louise’s birth thanks to this technique called in vitro fertilization, more than 5 million babies were born.

1^st test tube baby in the Czech Republic  (a boy) was born 4 years later thanks to Professor Ladislav Pilka, as we have reported in June.

our struggles to conceive but helped not only us to the two beautiful daughters Audrey  and Payton we have today but thousands of other couples from all over the world as well.

I am sure that our story of recurrent miscarriages, implantation failure and therefore unsuccessful IVF treatments, is one of many that can inspire others to try other options and not to give up. But I am very privileged  that we are asked by the Reprofit clinic to be their testimonial and media icon every time we visit the Czech Republic. I am proud to provide interviews for the TV and radio stations, news and other media.

During our current visit to the Czech Republic, we have been asked to participate in a very special media promotion. The father of ART methods and a pioneered of new methods in IVF treatments himself,  Prof. MUDr. Ladislav Pilka, DrSc., celebrated his 80th birthday. At the same time, it has been 30 years since the first „test tube baby“ was born in the Czech Republic thanks to this exceptional man,  Reprofit International also introduced their first year of For Fertility congress. So definitely a reason to celebrate!

Our girls love to pose for the cameras and had a great time during all the photo shoots, interviews and video recordings.  I was providing interviews about our story, challenges we have encountered, solutions that worked for us and, of course, I couldn’t have forgotten to praise all the couples going strong together on their journey to fertility.

Would you like to see what it was like?

Checkout these pictures and video from the Czech national TV broadcast.

Another benefit for me, and all of our patients, is the fact that I visit the clinic quite a bit to personally meet with the owners and the entire staff to discuss what new services are available for our patients to improve their success, tour the clinic and see all the improvements they are constantly working on, interview the doctors and have them personally answer questions of our patients. This journey was especially productive as Reprofit is introducing a lot of new features – some of them, they are the only ones IN THE WORLD to offer to patients. Very exciting! So please stay tuned for our video blog postings from our visit and watch one of the owners Dr. Stepan Machac, PhD and the manager of embryology and andrology laboratories Mgr. Vitek Hubinka talk about them and be the first ones to know the details.

First Czech quintuplets were born on Sunday morning, June 2, 2013 in Prague’s Institute for the Care of Mother and Child. – 4 boys and 1 girl.

The delivery via C-section took a little over an hour, however the total time spent taking the babies out of the mother’s uterus took only 5 minutes, thanks to a perfect coordination of the medical team.

The fact that security and identification was a top priority is also the fact that each child had a predetermined color identification in order they were delivered. The doctors and nurses assigned to care for each child were color coordinated to match the child’s color as well (pretty neat, isn’t it?). This color coordination will be maintained until the babies are released home.

How did the top Czech maternity hospital prepare for the delivery of the first Czech quintuplets? According to the hospital’s director, the staff did everything to be prepared for any possible complications. All shifts were doubled, including specialists at the operating room. Also laboratories and services were on standby for possible transfusions. Sunday delivery was chosen because that is usually a slow time and all forces could focus on this very special delivery.

Do you wonder what the chances are for a natural pregnancy of quintuplets? According to the statistics it is 1 in 48 million. There are only 795 quintuplets living in the world and out of this total 134 were conceived naturally.

The 23-year-old mother of the first Czech quintuplets already has one boy. It is also worth mentioning that this couple comes from a town with the most naturally conceived twins and also the youngest naturally conceived quadruplets. Pretty fertile town, if you asked me! ;o)

Dear Fertility Warriors, have you considered Czech Republic for your Donor Egg IVF Abroad treatment? Not only can we offer young, tested and very fertile egg donors but we can further enhance your treatment with IVF vacations in the Czech Republic and Central Europe.

Please don’t hesitate explore our website for more details or contact Magdalena Cogbill for specific information via email: mag@myivfalternative.com

I still remember very clearly what it was like for me to be desperately trying everything possible and impossible to get pregnant and listening to media blasting everywhere about Mother’s Day. I felt so ashamed and like the biggest looser out there. Was I not trying enough, was I not good enough to be a Mom?! Every woman that has a child is automatically a mother (whether they wanted to be moms or not) and that’s the person all the ads were aimed towards. But what about us, couples from all around the world, struggling, hurting, aching and willing to do anything to be called just that. Well, my fellow fertility strugglers our there, this post is for you. I would like to take this opportunity and recognize your efforts, struggles and emotions you put into trying to become Mothers. Please know that you are doing all the best you can! If you think that you would like to try something different, get a second opinion or put a new spin on things, please don’t hesitate to contact us for a no obligation second opinion.

In the mean time, while you are celebrating your own Mother-to-be Day, try to stay as positive as possible about your efforts to be a mom soon. Ask your friends and family to recognize your efforts and ask for Desperately-working-hard-to-be Mother’s Day gifts. Something that shows off your efforts proudly! I got my Fertility Warrior shirt in 2009 and I still proudly wear it when ever I can. Maybe this website will give you some inspiration: www.fertilityheart.com

I have just posted my theory on our Facebook page – why it might be taking our little angels to find their way to us. It might put a smile on your face and cheer you up – after all, laughter IS the best medicine!

Happy SOON TO BE MOTHER’S DAY to all of my Fertility Warriors around the world!

Welcome!

We have finally joined the “blogging” crowd. But just like everything else with My IVF we have taken a different approach. We would
like to make sure that you have complete understanding of the IVF treatment process. Whether it is IVF with donor egg, donor sperm or IVF treatment using your own eggs or donor embryos; we want to make sure you know everything you need to know. Therefore, we at My IVF Alternative, will be providing not only written details and explanations but taking it up by another notch, we’ll be providing as many videos as we possibly can to provide you with a better understanding of an IVF treatment abroad. Please make sure to visit our Video page for more informative videos about IVF treatment in Czech with My IVF Alternative.
Let us know what you think. If you have any recommendations for videos, please do let us know and we’ll do our best to produce the IVF video blog for you. Send your comments or recommendations to:
mag@myivfalternative.com