“I am fully confident I am in good hands. It’s an exciting time.”
Searching for a fertility clinic that will cater to your needs can be tough. Some clinics have limitations when it comes to age, weight and sexual orientation - but not at Harley Street Fertility Clinic.
Today’s story is about Magda, a lovely 43-year-old woman who, after already visiting several less-accommodating clinics, is now starting her fertility journey with us.
Listen to Magda's story in the podcast below.
[audio mp3="https://hsfc.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Our-family-Magda.mp3"][/audio]
Finding HSFC
Magda and her partner had been trying to conceive for two years, but unfortunately had been unsuccessful. They decided to look into IVF, but an unexpected obstacle arose - Magda’s BMI. Many of the clinics they had researched refused treatment on the basis of her BMI.
Magda was not only looking for a fertility clinic that did not have these BMI restrictions, but also for one that would be accepting of her age. She wanted a supportive fertility clinic that would also give her the best possible chances of having a family. She came across HSFC after it was recommended by one of our partners, the Fertility Help Hub.
The ideal fertility clinic
Before finding Harley Street Fertility Clinic, Magda reached out to a few that didn’t quite fit. “The reason we decided to choose Harley Street Fertility Clinic? You look at the patients in a slightly different way. You look at the whole picture. My biggest challenge when embarking on an assisted fertility journey was that my BMI wasn’t under 35, so most of the clinics didn’t even want to consider having a consultation with me,” she says.
Magda admits she was conscious that “ time was of the essence”, and had decided to try to lose weight before her IVF. Although she lost a significant amount, she still hadn’t reached her goal BMI. “To reach BMI 35 I would have to wait even longer, which would work against us,” she says.
Taking the first steps
Magda and her partner decided to have the couples’ fertility check-up before starting any treatment. “We had a consultation with Dr Venkat - she was absolutely incredible! This was one of the reasons we decided to just go for it. We just don’t want to wait any longer.”
Although Magda and her partner had all the fertility check-ups done previously with the NHS, they wanted checks performed by HSFC. They did the scans and screenings, and after the second consultation, they decided to start the treatment.
The fertility check-up results
Magda tells us the results showed that her AMH was under 7 (on the lower side, but given her age, fairly normal). As Magda also suffers from Hashimoto hypothyroidism, an autoimmune disease of the thyroid, her medication was increased before the start of treatment.
Preparing her body for change
“I am very, very excited, but naturally I am also very nervous. I am fully confident I am in good hands. It’s an exciting time.”
At the moment, Magda is taking DHEA and melatonin, and her egg retrieval is scheduled for the beginning of September.
Our HSFC Family
Magda mentions our team: “[I had] a lovely nurse, Tanya, and a scan with a lovely male doctor. Everything happened very quickly, from the consultation through to starting the journey was less than 10 days. The front-of-house team are also super, super friendly”.
A message for others
Magda says she would give herself the following message: “Start the investigations! Just find out. If you are on a journey trying to become a parent and you are feeling in your gut that something is not quite right, start asking questions. Do your research, find out what else is available, don’t wait.”
About choosing a fertility clinic, she says: “Find the best clinic that suits you. There are lots of clinics out there, but how you are being treated and looked after will matter more than anything else.”
Magda is very active on Instagram, so we will all be following along as she completes her IVF journey and inspires others to get started. You can follow Magda @mags_reinvented.
