Advice | Guides, Developments & Fertility Tips

The City of London & East London Fertility Clinics

Leaving the shops, bars and stylish streets of Marylebone behind, if you head towards the City of London there is a cluster of fertility clinics on the East side of town. These clinics make an ideal locations for those requiring IVF and working in the City of London or travelling into London from the East side of London. Around the corner from London Bridge Station is the long-established Guys & St Thomas’s Hospital Assisted Conception Unit. Yacoub Khalaf and his team at Guys are well known for their expertise in Pre-implantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD) both in the UK and across Europe. PGD is a specific type of IVF treatment that helps people with an increased risk of having a child with certain genetic conditions. Over 1000 babies have been born from successful PGD treatment at Guys. The Shard is one of London’s more breath taking landmarks. Inside the Shard are hotels, restaurants, bars and a rather convenient IVF satellite clinic. The Lister Fe…

Fertility Treatment Abroad

Taking the decision to self-fund fertility treatment is a big step but making the decision to travel abroad takes careful planning and preparation. It has been a frustrating past year for those wishing to travel abroad to Europe and further afield for IVF treatments. The attraction of travelling abroad for treatment is that the costs are lower and the availability of treatments, such as egg donation, can be easier to access. The Coronavirus pandemic has severely restricted foreign travel and many people have been paralysed by the changeable travel and quarantine rules. Traditionally the popular European destinations for fertility treatment are Spain, Greece, the Czech Republic and Cyprus. As travel restrictions look set to continue through the summer and into the Autumn, many seeking treatment abroad may have their plans curtailed. The current restrictions have been a real barrier to patients travelling as the UK government currently advises against all but essential trav…

Central London Fertility Clinics At A Glance

This is the first in a series of articles looking at fertility clinics in London. Our focus is to help connect you to the best fertility clinics in Central London. The Marylebone area traditionally has several of the UK’s top fertility clinics with some of the highest success rates and top doctors in the speciality. Despite this there are a number of clinics to choose from, which can make the prospect daunting. London is so well connected with transport links that means getting into and around the city can be really easy. A number of people living in London, the South-East and the home counties commute or work in Central London, which can make getting to appointments convenient. As a result of the coronavirus pandemic many more people are working remotely and from home, so travelling to essential medical appointments around London is now even easier. London has around 30 fertility clinics and some have been established for many years. In the central ar…

Covid-19 Vaccination, Fertility and Pregnancy

By: Dr. Ed Coats As the Covid-19 pandemic grumbles on into its second year so much has changed. There have been more than 100,000 coronavirus associated deaths and we are in yet another national lockdown. The UK has led the way in the development and approval of Covid-19 vaccines and over 10 million people have received their first dose. It has been a challenging 12 months though for patients needing fertility treatments and for clinics trying to work through the crisis. Due to the wider pressures on the NHS from Covid-19, several IVF clinics located on NHS sites have had to temporarily close their doors to patients, who have had to pause their treatments. We all hope the option of vaccination will help steer things back towards normal. There are currently three different Covid-19 vaccines approved for use in the UK by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). The first to be approved was the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in December. The first woman in…

12 Tips to Optimise your Fertility over The Festive Season

2020 has been a long and fatiguing year with multiple National lockdowns due to Covid-19. Fertility patients have endured an incredibly stressful year as their plans have been turned upside down with fertility clinic closures. This climate has added uncertainty to an already difficult journey. It has been a tragic year for those who have lost family and friends but a difficult year for those trying to start a family or endured pregnancy loss alone and isolated. Our new modern ways of working and socialising though means our lifestyles will probably never feel the same again. Fertility clinics have adapted wonderfully well in most cases to help keep patients plans alive. Finally as a vaccine is now on the horizon, we find ourselves hurtling into the season of excesses, merriment and trying to plan 2021. Total Fertility want to help you a spring into the New Year feeling energised, optimistic and ready to plan the next steps of your fertility journey. Today is the 12th day …

Jennifer Saunders calls attention to ‘chronically underfunded’ women’s health research

Jennifer Saunders warned BBC Radio 4 listeners today that women’s health research is “chronically underfunded” as she delivered her first Charity Appeal on the station. On Sunday 29th November, the comedian said that "reproductive health doesn’t always receive the attention or investment it deserves” as she expressed her support for Wellbeing of Women, a charity that invests in women’s health research. Telling the story of Amy, whose ovarian cancer tumour was the size of a mango by the time it was detected when she was just 36, Jennifer explained that the lack of priority given to women’s health research means that women are suffering in silence. “Women play such an incredibly important part in our society; we make up more than half of our population, after all,” she said. “Yet many women’s health issues are often overlooked.” She explained that Amy’s cancer is particularly difficult to treat as it has become resistant to chemotherapy, a common occurrence with ovari…

Jheni Osman on “Fertility Education”

Jheni Osman is a science journalist, author and presenter. She is adept at making tricky science topics understandable and entertaining to non-experts. She is the former editor of the award winning science and technology magazine “BBC Science Focus’. She is also a former Great Britain Tennis player who played at Junior Wimbledon. Jheni’s personal experiences of infertility led her to write the book “Conceivable” teaching patients everything they need to know about fertility and IVF. Jheni is passionate about raising awareness around Fertility Education. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nFRmZPEOoq8 Follow Jheni on her website & on Twitter

Male Fertility MOT

Men considering their fertility might also be wondering where to begin. More than 40% of the problems that cause infertility are related to male factors. Around 1 in 20 men will struggle to conceive yet public awareness of this is not high. Self-examination The first place to start is self-examination, which is an important part of understanding your own fertility. All men should be aware of their bodies and be able to identify problems early. Each testicle should be examined separately rolling it gently between the thumb and forefinger. The surface to the testicle will feel smooth and should not have any lumps or bumps or tenderness. Familiarise yourself with your own anatomy and the structures of the epididymis and the spermatic cord. Always ask a specialist if you are uncertain or if you notice any unusual lumps or bumps. Testicular size is an important marker of normal function. However, most men will not have anything to compare their testicular si…

Steve Parry on ‘Male Fertility’

Steve Parry is British Swimmer and Olympian who won Bronze in the 200m Butterfly at Olympic Games in Athens 2004. Steve is a dad and friend of Total Fertility and wants to raise awareness of the importance of Male Fertility and Testicular cancer. He shares his very personal story of surviving testicular cancer and his fears around fertility. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6Zo1hloqdw

When IVF Doesn’t Work

When IVF fails it is devastating. Fertility treatments offers hope to many, so to engage physically and emotionally with such a demanding and expensive treatment can leave you feeling very empty when it doesn’t work. The reality of fertility treatments is that they don’t have a 100% guarantee of success. It is often not fully appreciated that the majority of IVF cycles will not work. About two-thirds of fertility treatment cycles fail. Obviously this statement is a huge generalisation and some patients will have higher chances of success than others. If you are embarking on fertility treatment for the first time, or have had an unsuccessful cycle already, how should you prepare for the day when treatment doesn’t work? The inevitable sadness that comes when a cycle fails is normal. The best advice is not to panic but to begin to talk constructively to someone about how you are feeling and agree on the next steps. If you are going through treatment with a partner it may …

Mental Health and Life after Fertility Treatment

By Kelly Da Silva - The Dovecote: Childless Support Organisation After spending years trying to conceive, undergoing various rounds of fertility treatment, I know only too well that realising that you are never going to have children is absolutely heart-breaking - and has a significant impact on one’s mental health. Loss, grief, anxiety, sadness and feeling like a failure are just some of the feelings associated with unsuccessful treatment. For me, and many whose childlessness has not been a choice, the prospect of facing life without children was initially all-consuming, challenging and utterly devastating. Therefore, faced with the prospect of having to live a ‘life without children’… being able to live a happy, fulfilling and purposeful life can seem like an impossible task. From challenging your identity, wondering what to do with your life now treatment has finished, dealing with social exclusion to healing the deep sadness which lies within your heart and soul; …

Kelly Da Silva on ‘Coping with Fertility Treatment’

Kelly Da Silva is a Fertility Support Expert and founder of The Dovecote: Childless Support Organisation. Inspired by her own personal experience of infertility, miscarriages and involuntary childlessness of over a decade, Kelly now supports people at any stage of their fertility journey and beyond. Sharing knowledge, strategies, research and tools gained through her own personal journey, Kelly offers a range of support helping others dealing with the challenges of childlessness. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-iuIdGSiJMY For more information on The Dovecote: Childless Support Organisation, visit: Facebook Twitter Instagram - Kelly Da Silva Instagram - Dovecote Org