I need you help

[kattyh]

Hi, everybody. I want to ask your advice what to do further… I can’t become pregnant cause of serious kidney problems. We have already consulted several doctors and all of them advised us to apply for surrogacy. I’m a resident of the UK. According to the laws a surrogate mother has all rights for the child here. In order to get entire rights for our future baby, my husband and I have decided to find a surrogate mother for our baby somewhere abroad. Actually, we decided to go to Ukraine and ask a Ukrainian woman to help us. Several months ago, we were in Kiev and paid a visit to a Ukrainian clinic Biotexcom. This clinic has very affordable prices for their services. In addition, we liked the fact that intended parents have entire rights to the baby, and we can just buy the services of a surrogate mother. We decided to contact this clinic because we have found loads of favorable feedbacks about on various fertility forums. In addition, our close Ukrainian friends advised it to us. However, when we came to Ukraine and visited it for the first time, we were a little bit shocked. Firstly, this clinic turned to be a small private villa. It was so tiny and overcrowded, that we had to wait nearly 2 hours to consult the doctor. We saw large queues nearly everywhere. In addition, we met one couple from France there. They were getting their oocyte donation program there. The husband was annoyed very much, because he had to wait nearly an hour to pick up his sperm. Bad organization was seen everywhere: overcrowded clinic halls, unfriendly and busy staff, tired and very formal administrators. The doctor whom we met spoke with us very formally. We clearly understood that she treated us like dozens of other patients. Of course, we didn’t sign up a contract, and now we are thinking what to do further… I just want to ask your opinion about this clinic… Is there anybody here who has contacted it? What do you think about the clinic that can’t organize its work properly?

P.S. We have also visited another Ukrainian clinic. It was Nadia. The clinic looks rather presentable. We were met by a courteous administrator, polite manager and a very soothing doctor. We liked the way we were treated there. However, the clinic hall was nearly empty if compared with Biotexcom. Can we trust this clinic??? Or maybe it’s better to contact another clinic or maybe another country???

[bettythebest]

Hi, dear! Really sorry for you having such a bad experience with that clinic. Can I ask you why you’ve chosen them? I quite understand that it’s not easy to find a surrogate. This woman must be healthy and responsible at the same time. In addition, she must be ready to become a temporal mum for the who isn’t hers. It’s good that you’ve asked a clinic to find a surrogate for you. But as I see, you must find an appropriate clinic first…

[kattyh]

Hi, bettythe best. Thanks for your post. We did do a little homework before we chose them as our final destination. Firstly, we visited quite a lot of fertility forums. We found loads of feedbacks about this clinic there. Most of them were favorable ones. The clinic seems to be reputable one among European fertility couples. However, we weren’t ready to spend hours waiting in the queue…

[bettythebest]

I think you should check they way they’re going to choose an egg donor for you. It’s they key moment in choosing a reproductive clinic. You must be totally sure that they’re going to choose a healthy and young donor for you. It will be nice if this woman has a good heredity. Just check this and you’ll understand whether it’s worth to contact them or not. I would also check the way they treat the egg donors. This womwn really deserve the best from the best.

[kattyh]

I quite agree with you that egg donors deserve the best from the best. I wouldn’t deal with the clinic that uses poor young women to make money. Our program manager told us that all egg donors get a decent money compensation for their eggs. All their living, transportation, and medical expenses are paid by the clinic. However, the clinic has certain requirements for the egg donors. It should be young woman of 18-25 years old. She must be totally healthy. It means she will have to pass a rigorous medical checkup. She must be a mom of at least one healthy child. Her closest relatives (parents, grandparents, siblings, aunts, and uncles) shouldn’t have any hereditary diseases. Here are the requirements they have to the egg donors.

[thistle]

Hi, everybody. I’m also going to cycle soon. We’ve chosen one reputable UK clinic. KattyH, could tell me please how they are going to find a donor for you? I know it’s quite difficult to find two people who would resemble each other greatly. The clinic is going to give us only a short description of the woman who would donate her eggs to us. What about the clinic you’ve got interested in?

[kattyh]

Hi, thistle. Nice to meet you, hun! Before visiting the clinic for the first time, we sent them a short description of the woman who would suit us as an egg donor. Our program manager told us that they would use a special software to find an appropriate candidate from their donors database. If we sign up a contract with them, we’ll be able to see the donor’s 3D photo. Egg donation is done on an anonymous basis in Ukraine. It means neither we nor the baby conceived with the help of a donor egg won’t be able to meet the donor and know her name or any information about her.

[bettythebest]

Ok, it’s great that the clinic will give you an opportunity to see the donor’s 3D photo. At least, you will be able to find a woman who resembles you in some way. Hun, will they charge any additional fees for this service. As far as I know, some reproductive clinics do this. I have a close friend who cycled is Spain. They liked the clinic and the fertility specialists who worked there. The result was also awesome (she conceived and gave birth to a baby), but they had to pay a huge sum of money. Mostly, because their doctor asked them to do various tests.

[kattyh]

I don’t think they would charge any additional fees or ask us to do any extra tests. You may find the list of tests they require on their official website. We did these tests and nothing more. Moreover, the patients are offered to sign up a contract. According to the contract, the clinic charges only a fixed sum. It may be divided into several installments depending on the package you choose. The payments may be made either in cash or via a bank transfer.

[bettythebest]

Sounds not bad, hun! I agree that paying a fixed is quite handy. I have one more question to you: will you use fresh or frozen eggs for your ED program. As far as I know, fresh eggs are more effective than frozen ones. However, as far as I know, frozen eggs are also ok. I have a close friend who used them for ED program. She conceived after the second attempt.

[kattyh]

We plan to use fresh eggs. When we sign up a contract with the clinic, the fertility specialist will study my menstrual cycle. They would determine the date when we should visit the clinic for the embryos transfer. Up to this time, I’ll have to take hormone medicines. When we’ll visit the clinic for the second time, my hubby’s sperm will be picked up. It will be used to fertilize the donor’s eggs. Then three embryos will be transferred into my uterus. I’ll have to take hormone medicines to support my possible pregnancy. The first pregnancy test should be done in two weeks. If the result is positive, the hormone medicines should be taken up to the twelfth week of pregnancy.

[loreley]

Hi, KattyH. In your last post you’ve described a procedure of egg donation. I should say that is quite standard process, and it’s usually done in the same way in any fertility clinic. I think it’s great that they offer you fresh eggs. They give better results to conceive. I’m also looking for a fertility clinic now. Could you tell me about the tests they require for their ED program?

[kattyh]

Hi, loreley! Nice to meet you, hun! I think the list of the health tests required for ED IVF is quite standard. I’ve visited the websites of several fertility clinics, and they put the lists of tests they require there. The same does Biotexcom. You may visit their official website and check the list of the tests required for this procedure there.
P.S. I did several blood tests, ultrasound checks and hormone tests. My DH did a sperm test.

[loreley]

Kattyh, thanks for your answer. I visited my RE the other days. She gave me the list of tests we have to do. I’ve already done some blood tests. My hubby is going to do his sperm test soon. You’ve written in your initial test that Biotexcom is a Ukrainian fertility clinic. Aren’t you afraid to visit Ukraine? The country is at war now. Is it safe to go there?

[kattyh]

We also thought about it, dear. However, when we visited Ukraine, the things turned to be quite different. Firstly, we were impressed greatly by the beauty of the city. Kiev seems to be so modern and old at the same time. It’s a very cheap city. We were able to have a lunch in a very expensive Ukrainian restaurant, and we didn’t pay much for it. It was really cool. We didn’t have to look for an apartment as the clinic provided us with a comfortable accommodation not far from the city center. When we came to Ukraine, we were met at the airport by the driver. He took us to the clinic every time we needed to see the fertility specialist. It was really very handy. You won’t believe, but they supplied us with free meals. Our program manager was our interpreter. She helped us to communicate with the clinic’s staff. When we had free time, they organized a short tour around Kiev. It was really very exciting. If we didn’t have to visit the clinic, I would think that we were tourists who were on a trip.