Annabel's Story

We could not recommend abc ivf enough!

Me and my husband first started looking into IVF after I had been given multiple conflicting diagnoses of polycystic ovary syndrome, potential endometriosis and dysmenorrhea with no definitive answer. I had also been on a lot of medication due to my epilepsy. My husband, Paul has an auto-immune disease which meant he has been on a variety of treatments and medications which had affected his sperm count.

We did some research and initially came across a different IVF company and booked a consultation with them, where they quoted us £12,000 for one round of IVF. This was all the money we had, and if it didn’t work first time, we would be out of options. So, we went away to think about it and do some more research. This is when we came across abc ivf.

At first, we thought it was too good to be true. It was so affordable that we assumed we would probably be told that our medical background was too complicated, and they would not be able to accept us. But we went along for a consultation anyway.

As soon as we walked through the door at abc Harley Street, we instantly felt like we were among friends. This was a stark contrast to the clinical setting of the previous IVF company, where there was no personality and we just felt like another number.

The initial consultation was really helpful. I explained to Alison, the Nurse, that I may have polycystic ovaries and I wasn’t sure how this would affect our chances of success. She looked at my ovaries in the ultrasound scan and told me that it actually looks like I have multicystic ovaries, not polycystic. We then discussed my husbands low sperm count, and she explained that ICSI would be our best option and explained what this would entail.

We were given a personalised treatment plan, which included lower doses of medication so that I didn’t overstimulate. At first, along with many other women I’ve spoken to, I found the thought of the daily injections quite daunting. But they really are nothing to worry about. The need and want to have a baby just takes over, and when it comes to it, it's just a step towards helping you have your baby. 

Unfortunately, our first round didn’t work. So, the second time round, they checked my husband's sperm count again, and it had decreased slightly, so they recommended that we either consider freezing his sperm or any extra embryos that were retrieved. They also revised my medication doses based on their observations during my first round.

To our huge delight, our second round was successful, and we now have a beautiful baby boy and 3 other blastocysts that have been frozen! I had a few complications during my pregnancy, but I was looked after extremely well and my local hospital kept a very close eye on me, arranging additional scans to ensure my safety.

I have been really open about the IVF journey on my social media @not_any_old_mum and have had lots of women contact me to ask me about my experience with abc and my response is that I could not recommend them enough. I felt so supported throughout my whole journey and someone was always there to answer any questions or give me advise. We will definitely return when we decide to use our frozen blastocysts in the future.

Annabel & Paul x