Being part of a family run business holds great responsibility, just as it does in the corporate world. I would like to think that we never become complacent about what we (particularly Ruth) does, so it is always nice to be reminded by the people that matter most that they rate our services as highly as they do. No company should take their customers or their employees for granted and we will continue in our own small way to meet the high expectations we constantly strive to achieve and deliver for our patients.

Merry Christmas everyone!

My experience of having DEIVF abroad arranged through Ruth Pellow (Fertility nurse) collaborating with Iakentro clinic.

My journey began in 2012 when I was 45 years old, and was advised to go straight to the DEIVF route in view of my age.  I had my first attempt with a London clinic where an altruistic ED was found and I started on medications. My first endometrium lining scan showed a polyp, which was removed in January 2013, and had a fresh embryo transferred ( 2 perfect text book blastocytes) in March 2013. It didn’t result in a pregnancy; my lining was 7.3mm on the day of the embryo transfer despite taking very high dose of oestrogen.  The London clinic then wanted me to go straight into a FET, but I refused, and decided I need to do my own research into why my lining was thin etc.

During this research I came across Ruth’s website:  http://ivftreatmentabroad.com/.  I contacted Ruth via email and she responded very promptly.    During my first telephone consultation with Ruth I felt very reassured by the extent of her knowledge, professionalism and sensitivity in this area.

I arranged to meet Ruth in person soon after the telephone consultation and combined this with a week’s vacation in Athens, Greece in October 2013.  After the face to face consultation and a tour around the clinic, my mind was made up.  Ruth has made me feel so at ease that most of my worries and doubts about doing IVF abroad were gone.

I contacted Ruth November 2013 to start the ball rolling for DEIVF cycle abroad.  A donor was matched very quickly, within 3 weeks.  I went with freezing all cycle due to the time and my thin lining issues.   Ruth took all the stress away for me by arranging everything, including where to go for blood tests, lining scans and pharmacy for prescriptions.  I felt more relaxed doing the IVF abroad than in UK.

I started the Iakentro medication regime in February 2014, but encountered problems in getting the lining thick enough for embryo transfer, and had two cycles cancelled consecutively.  On the third month of trying, Ruth and the Iakentro team adjusted my drug protocol and added Tamoxifen and a uterine GCSF wash.  My lining on the day of embryo transfer was 8.1mm.  It was a success – I got my first bfp in May 2014. Unfortunately I miscarried at 21 weeks gestation because of my cervical incompetence that precipitated by urinary tract infection.   I felt much supported throughout the whole IVF process and during my miscarriage. Ruth advised me to wait six months before trying again, which I did.  I got myself healthier and had a Transabdominal cerclage (TAC) placed by  Mr NW in London  Jan 2015. I followed the same drug protocol with the added endometrial scratch and intralipid infusions. My lining before embryo transfer was 8.9mm.  I returned to Iakentro  6 weeks after my TAC surgery for the frozen embryo transfer.   This time it was very successful.  My baby boy was born in October 2015 by CSection; full term, little small, but healthy.

Had I known about Ruth and the Iakentro team when I started out I would not had to have wasted over a year doing IVF.  I cannot speak highly enough of Ruth and the Iakentro team in their work and their help and support in my emotionally and financially taxing journey to become a mother.  I felt well, at ease and was in great hands all the way through.  I will be back to Ruth to pick up the remaining embryos soon in 2016.

Kim, UK.