Which Melbourne IVF clinic and FS helped you?

[numa]

Hi lovely pregnant ladies (and gents!)

I am just wondering (if you are in Melbourne) which IVF clinic you were at when you got your BFP. Also which FS you were/are seeing...

I'm sure they are 'six of one half a dozen the other', but would love to hear some feedback. I am just starting the AC journey but have been TTC for what feels like a loooong time!

[odette]

MIVF
use them and only heard rave reviews from others
i see Dr Mc Bain
he is a sweety and i have had success with him
HTH
good luck on your journey
odette

[numa]

Hi Odette

Thanks for the reply! I may have worded the question ambiguously - I've realised people may think I mean Melbourne IVF (MIVF) only...when I mean IVF clinic in Melbourne. Oh well.

Your reply was much appreciated

[farmgirl77]

Hi numa,
While still waiting for our BFP, my DH and I are also at MIVF, and are really happy with our FS (Julie Whitehead), and the service in general from MIVF (inc reception staff, nurses etc).

We went to MIVF based on good feedback from two other couples who got their BFP through MIVF. Of these friends, one couple were seeing Kate Stern, and the other Mc Bain. Both raved off their doctors and had no complaintes at all.

Good luck with your choice and journey.

FG

[Janie71]

Hi Numa,

I am about to start with MIVF at the Freemasons. I have been seeing Dr McBain for the past 7 or 8 months getting OI. I really like him. He is very factual, but also has a great compassionate side to him.

I have met so far with the nurses and the accounts department at MIVF and they were all very easy to get along with. Having our compulsory counselling appointment next week.

Good luck with deciding on your clinic.

Janie xxx

[numa]

Thanks for your replies Farmgirl and Janie . I noticed it seems we are all just starting IVF this year - hoping our dreams come true!

I have read lots of great posts about MIVF. I am currently at Monash in Richmond. I'm not unhappy with them, I was just interested in seeing if there was any trend in terms of getting pregnant. Just one of those silly thoughts you distract yourself with during the waiting game.... I had read some not so positive posts about Monash, especially my (female) FS (!!) and started to wonder if I was at the right place. But I have since looked at the statistics from the Infertility Treatment Authority annual reports on clinics and success rates etc, and that put my mind at rest.

I noticed you did ICSI Farmgirl - we will be doing that next because only one out of 10 eggs fertilised in our first round, and that little one stopped growing properly so we had no transfer in the end. How did you ICSI cycle go?

[farmgirl77]

Hi Numa,

Glad that you are feeling good about your decision - I think it is really hard to know if you are at the right clinic or not. I recently had a chat to a woman who was about to start IVF at a clinic close to where I live, and she was questioning why I was going to Melb which is 3 hrs away rather than the local clinic. Although I am really happy at MIVF, it did make me question if I was doing the right thing with the travel etc - but after thinking about it I figured that we are in the right spot!

Re our ICSI cycle. I was a bit disappointed in the results - we got 12 eggs of which 5 fertilised. At the time I was really upset (and in the LTTC area you will prob find a post I did at the time seeing if this was 'normal'). I spoke with our FS, who said that the results was good, as even though we used ICSI, DH's sperm was still pretty poor so we were never going to get great results. For me I had built up a picture in my head that using ICSI would get a 100% fert rate (unrealistic I know), but of couse that is not going to happen, it is actually just a tool to get something above a 0% fert rate, which is prob what would have happened if we had not used it! The 5 embies are/were good quality and 4 froze well. The fith we used for a fresh transfer with a BFN . We are currenty using embie number 4 in a FET, and will know in just over a week how we went.

Good luck on your journey.
FG

[shazld]

We have been with MIVF for 5 yrs. Have been with Jim Tsaltas for the 4yrs, changes to Fleur Carttrall and just got a BFP on her frist cycle with us. This was our 11th transfer.

Shazz.

[numa]

Hi Farmgirl, good luck with your TWW! I think 5 is actually not a bad number in terms of embies. I'd be happy with that this round! Just out of interest, do they thaw one or two at a time?

Shazl - congrats on your BFP!! And thanks for your feedback

[farmgirl77]

Hi Numa,
Due to our age, and that this was only our second transfer, we were only going to transfer one embie. As such, they only thawed one.

Good luck
FG

[Princess_Fiona_01]

Hi Numa,

DH & I did our cycles with Monash IVF in Richmond, and have no complaints at all.FOund all the staff we came into contact with an absolute pleasure to deal with. And,cannot rave enough about how fantastic my nurse / patient co-ordinator was.

Our Fs,however does not work for Monash -he runs his own stand alone practice, but works in association with MOnash.We saw him for all fertility tests etc and activation forms for Monash IVF.

Have never had any complaints with either of them and would recommend them to the whole world!

Cheers... Fi

[numa]

Thanks for your reply Princess Fiona. I agree with you in that I have found all the staff great and especially my nurse.

Glad to see you have had success and wishing you all the best with your little bubba!

[Lucia]

HI,

I have been at MIVF for 18mths now and I see Dr Hale. He has been my doctor for over 10 years and he is just wonderful. I have had some of the others doctors for FET and I must admit that I had a bad experience when Dr McBain did my second FET. So it is good to read that he does get good reviews.

But I find them very professional and I have no complaints at all. The nurses are all lovely.

[Baby Bliss]

I was with MIVF and saw Dr Penny Foster, cannot speak highly enough of her (as an aside, shes actually Dr McBains wife, I also saw him once on a PH and he was lovely). I also liked MIVF staff, some lovely nurses there.