What is prolactin and how does it affect IVF?
Prolactin is a hormone that originates in your pituitary gland. It functions in virtually every cell in your body. Pregnant women and nursing mothers produce high levels of prolactin. Why? Because it’s instrumental in creating breast milk.
What is FSH (follicle stimulating hormone)?
FSH, or follicle stimulating hormone, is the engine room of your reproductive system. It’s also the hormone that couples trying to conceive worry about the most. Fertility patients routinely approach the FSH test with trepidation. Fuelled by horror stories and misinformation online, many of us have been led to believe that our future pregnancy […]
What is TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone)?
TSH, short for thyroid stimulating hormone, is vital for regulating your metabolism. That’s the process of changing the food you eat into well-managed energy distribution. TSH also plays a significant role in reproduction and pregnancy health: there may be a higher risk of miscarriage and other pregnancy problems when levels of the hormone are off-the-scale. […]
What is LH (luteinising hormone)?
LH, or luteinising hormone, plays an important role in reproductive health. For couples finding it hard to conceive or maintain a pregnancy, the amount of LH in the blood is relevant. If you’re considering IVF, an LH test is a must.
Which IVF due date calculator is the best?
Use our IVF Due Date Calculator here Click here for the calculator IVF due date calculators are, by definition, happy creatures. Often used by couples after a successful IVF cycle, they estimate your due date based on two days only you and your clinic know: your egg-retrieval day and/or your embryo-transfer day. Try our very […]
10 IVF Questions Every Patient Should Ask Before Starting Treatment
Choosing a fertility clinic can feel overwhelming. Before starting treatment, it’s important to understand how IVF works, how much it costs, what your chances of success are and whether there are alternatives available. Whether you’re considering treatment in the UK or abroad, these are the ten questions every IVF patient should ask. 1. What Is […]
IVF on the NHS? You’re better off abroad
Getting IVF on the NHS is tougher than ever. This blog is a regular critic of the poor provision of IVF services on the NHS. Over 60% of IVF applications are refused by the NHS. So patients pay over the odds for rip-off private treatment. We’re now seeing fees of £8,000 and upwards for a […]
Blastocysts: 10 things IVF patients should know
Blastocysts have an image problem – and not just because they sound like a bad day at NASA. Should IVF patients transfer one or more? Is it a good idea to culture embryos for five days, not three? Are multiple births more or less likely? Here’s our round-up of the top 10 things you need […]
IVF overseas: why European clinics lead the way
IVF treatment abroad continues to make sense for many UK couples. There are two reasons why: lower cost and better care. We’ve long criticised the provision of IVF in the UK. The cost of IVF continues to rise in the UK, and it’s risen more after Brexit. If no-deal happens, expect even higher UK […]
NHS IVF Funding Refused? Why Many Couples Choose IVF Abroad
Having your IVF abroad isn’t just about better treatment and lower prices. It’s because the NHS won’t treat you. Across the country, patients are routinely being denied IVF treatment for spurious financial and medical reasons. The IVF postcode lottery puts local GP commissioning groups in charge. Often flouting NICE guidelines, most look for excuses to […]