If you're struggling to conceive and on the path to parenthood, looking to have a baby and are considering, planning or about to have fertility treatment like IVF, ICSI, Egg Donation, Sperm donation, Embryo donation treatment in Europe and in places like Spain, Greece and Czech Republic then you're in the right place.
I'm Emma Haslam and since the birth of our son in 2018, I have made it my mission to make fertility treatment more transparent, accessible, supported and affordable. I now help people around the world just like you to find a safe, best fit clinic and navigate fertility treatment in Europe. And since 2019 I have helped 100s of people around the world to make informed decisions that are right for them and to have fertility treatment in Europe and achieve their dreams of starting or expanding their families.
Feeling overwhelmed by fertility treatment and IVF or donor IVF in Europe
Planning and having fertility treatment anywhere, including your home country can feel really daunting, after all it is A LOT to deal with. However, when you are considering going abroad for fertility treatment, for a lot of people (including myself back) it feels all consuming, totally overwhelming and frankly terrifying. As is often the case with big life things that we haven’t done before and that have potential risks and benefits attached to the decision made on where to have your treatment. No pressure! Hmmm.
Because going abroad for fertility treatment like IVF or donor IVF in Europe can feel so overwhelming and not easy to understand how things work I have written a step by step list of what you need to do at each stage and in order. It will give you something to work through if you are at this point and if not you will have an overview to help you understand more and see that this is totally do-able and could be an option for you to consider as well.
Get a dedicated notebook, or a Your IVF abroad planner and journal to document your research and fertility treatment abroad journey, it will also give you hints and tips about having treatment abroad to help you as you go. You can journal your thoughts and feelings along the way and it will give you a place to reflect back following your fertility treatment.
Do your research and due diligence to find a destination and clinic that is safe and meets your needs. I have written other posts in more detail which you can check out for more information.
After finding your best fit safe fertility clinic abroad, agree what your treatment plan is, what type of treatment you are having for example ICSI, IVF own egg, IVF donor egg, IUI, Egg freezing, what your protocol looks like, costs for treatment and when you plan to get started.
Get your fertility medication organised. This is something many people including myself have found difficult and stressful when trying to make arrangements using an overseas prescription. IVF medication can also be really expensive and since Brexit there have been lots of medication shortages too. It can also take a lot of time and back and forth when things are out of stock, or when medications have a different name in your country, causing stress and paying more than your should for your medication. If you are struggling and would like an introduction to a fully registered specialist online pharmacist to get a no obligation quote, at a competitive price and with delivery options for most places worldwide then just click here for all the more details.
Step by Step Checklist
Check your passport has enough validity to cover the treatment period and your return home, and if a visa is required.
Work out how you are going to pay for your treatment and when payment is needed so you can make arrangements. Check out credit cards with preferential exchange rates in your country to make your money stretch further.
Book in any final tests needed for treatment either at home, or at the clinic and book your monitoring scans when instructed if you are not having these all done at the clinic.
Start packing - saves time later.
When you get the go ahead from the clinic after your final monitoring scan at home then book your flights, accommodation and transfers to and from the airport - consider a taxi, uber or public transport. Do you need a fridge in your accommodation for any refrigerated medication? If so you will also need a medical grade cool bag to transport it in safely.
Ask your IVF clinic for a letter to cover you travelling with your medication and take that and a copy of your prescription/s with you through airport security with your medication in your hand luggage. I suggest you keep your medication with you at all times in your hand luggage to help prevent you from losing it or risk anything delicate breaking.
When you get to your accommodation abroad make a dummy run to your fertility clinic abroad so that when you need to go for your first appointment you know where you are going. Consider using google maps to help if you are walking, or booking a taxi or uber. Public transport may also be a good option too.
Free Resources & More Step-By-Step Guides
To help you get started, I’ve created a free step-by-step guide to the process of having fertility treatment abroad. I hope you find it incredibly useful - it's exactly what I wished we had when we were in a similar position to you. You can get your Short guide to the process of having IVF abroad here and make sure to check your spam, junk, or promo folders if you don’t receive it within a few minutes.
I truly hope this free short guide helps you to understand the steps involved with having fertility treatment like IVF in Europe and what your next step might look like.
For more support check out my free resources below:
IVF ABROAD PODCAST
Just search Your IVF abroad on all your usual platforms like Apple and Spotify, or you can listen here
And if you need more personalized support to understand how having IVF abroad might work, so you can ask your questions to help you to decide whether it’s right for you then consider booking a 30 minute video PICK MY BRAIN call with me.
Comments