Deciding on a Clinic in Europe

Deciding on the right fertility clinic in Europe is an important decision. With so many available options, one might think that it's best to just go with the most affordable.  However, not all clinics are right for everyone and its important to do your homework before making a decision.  Some things to consider when selecting a fertility clinic in Europe include the following:

1) Does the clinic have experience treating people from abroad?  Some clinics will have consultants that will be able to translate and coordinate treatment and in some cases assist with travel arrangements. 

2) What are the country's fertility treatment laws? Some countries have particular requirements as to who they will treat and may not offer the particular treatment you seek.  

3) Consider the ease and feasibility of travel to the location where the clinic is located. Some clinics may not have a major airport nearby, therefore you may need to take a train or a bus to your destination. 

4) Research the clinic and see what others are saying about it. You can find out what others are saying on fertility discussion forums.  You can also contact the clinic directly to see if one of the doctors is available to answer any questions you may have about treatments, tests, medical procedures, etc.  Many clinics also provide online consultations with the treating physician to answer any questions you might have. 

5) For some. price is an important factor to consider, but it should not be the only reason guiding your decision. It's important to do your research. You want to factor in safety standards, pregnancy results, what will happen if there are any complications, etc., when selecting a clinic.  

6) If you have gathered enough data, have had an online consultation, have asked questions and have a good impression of the clinic, go with your gut and trust your instincts.  

We chose Reprofit in the Czech Republic for the following reasons:


1) When researching clinics throughout Europe, we found the most favorable reviews for Reprofit on several fertility discussion boards. We asked lots of questions and compiled as much information as possible about their experiences with the clinic. 

2) We were able to determine that the level of medical care in the Czech Republic was comparable to here in America.

3) Unlike America, embryo adoption in the Czech Republic is completely anonymous. Reprofit also does not use left over embryos from couples IVF cycles. The embryos are created using donated eggs and sperm from anonymous donors.  The donors go through a lengthy screening process and are under the age of 32. 

4) Reprofit has no waiting period.  This made arranging the procedure around my vacation time much easier.  

5) All of our appointments were scheduled through a third party consultant (Miracles Waiting), which made communicating with the clinic easier then contacting them directly.

6) Finally, going through Reprofit was more affordable, even after factoring in travel costs, then embryo adoption in America. We were able to save money on our second visit through a Shared Risk program Miracles Waiting has with the clinic.

Are you trying to find a fertility clinic in Europe?  Do you have any resources to share that have helped you decide on a clinic?

Our 3 Little Miracles with Embryo Donation

As I write this post, my two and half year old daughter is drawing a picture on the floor beside me while my one year old fraternal twins are watching TV in the living room.  I can't help but think back to three years ago when I started writing this blog and how much I dreamed of this day.  I remember planning our first embryo transfer in the Czech Republic and how nervous and excited I was at the same time.  I had spent so many years dreaming of having children with my husband, and had almost given up hope.  It took three embryo transfers to finally make our family complete. We now have a new set of challenges ahead of us, such as which Pre-school our children should attend and when to tell them the story of their conception. So many things to consider.

As for our children, all three of them are beautiful and brilliant!  Our two year old daughter Big A, has a feisty and spirited personality.  She loves to dance and run around the house.  We rarely find her sitting down.  She's very busy. She's also a happy and very intelligent toddler.  At two years of age she's already speaking in short sentences, and has amazing recall.  She's also a very sweet and loving and absolutely adores her two younger siblings.  

Our daughter, Big F, is the oldest twin.  She is feisty and spirited and quite frankly a "little wild." She's a very happy baby and rarely has anything to complain about. She enjoys the company of her younger brother and occasionally likes to tackle him whenever she can steal his pacifier.  She's also mommy's girl and prefers to fall asleep in my arms whenever possible and is quite the little snuggle bunny.  

Her fraternal twin brother, Big D, is the polar opposite of his twin sister.  He's quiet and observant and always seems to be thinking about something. However, he has an incredible sense of humor and is always laughing and giggling with his daddy. He loves to play with his older sister Big A. I enjoy watching him interact with his sisters. I can already tell he is very thoughtful and protective of them.  If he hears one of them crying he will get our attention. He's definitely an old sole in a little man's body.  

Our unorthodox and nontraditional way of starting a family may not be for everyone.  However, it worked for us and our children have brought so much joy to our lives. We are very happy. 

Are you considering embryo donation? Do you have any questions?   

Why we chose embryo donation in Europe vs. the United States

My husband and I did our research and decided that IVF in Europe was the most affordable and ultimately the best decision for us overall. 

There were several factors that lead up to our decision to seek embryo donation in Europe instead of the United States.

1. Anonymous embryo donors

Egg and sperm donation is anonymous by law in Spain and the Czech Republic.    

2. Healthy young donors
Donors have to be between the ages of 18 and 35 years old.

3. Donors go through a rigorous selection process
Both sperm and egg donors are screened for sexually transmitted diseases (hepatitis B,C, HIV, syphilis, chlamydia). Additionally, egg donors also go through genetic evaluations for Karyotyping, and CFTR (cystic fibrosis) mutations.

4) No Waiting Period
Typically, most of the clinics in the Czech Republic and Spain have shorter or no waiting periods than clinics in the US. This made arranging our procedure around my vacation time much easier. 

5. Western Europe Medical Care comparable to United States
The quality of medical care in Western Europe is comparable to medical care in the United States. The facilities were clean and modern and the technology was state of the art.  Additionally, a lot of their doctors are trained in the US then go back home to practice medicine.

6. IVF is cheaper in Europe than in the US
Even after factoring in a.) the cost of travel and b.) the fact that we had to make the trip twice because our first visit was not successful, we saved money by going to a fertility clinic in Europe. We were also able to save money on our second visit through a “Shared Risk” program with our clinic.

7. A "Shared Risk" program

Many fertility clinics throughout Europe and the United States have "Shared Risk" programs.  If a pregnancy is not achieved after the program, an agreed upon amount is refunded.  

8. English is the international language of business
And finally, do not be afraid of any language barriers. English has become the international language of business. You will find that most clinics throughout Europe will have several English speaking representatives to assist you.

Difference in ED Pregnancies - Singleton vs. Twins.

A friend asked me today if my twin pregnancy has been different from my singleton pregnancy with my daughter.  Since both pregnancies were the result of embryo donation, there have been some similarities and total differences.  Such as, after our daughter's embryo transfer, within 24 hours my hormones seemed to increase exponentially which caused me to experience intense morning sickness and severe migraines.  By the time I got home from the Czech Republic, I was in the throws of morning sickness which lasted for close to my entire first trimester. I was not surprised when I took the pregnancy test and it came back positive. 

With the twins, I felt no different after the embryo transfer.  The night after the transfer I did feel a pinch on my lower right side.  However, for weeks afterwards I felt no different.  I was totally shocked when I took the pregnancy test and it came back positive. For weeks I had convinced myself that the transfer was not successful and had my husband convinced as well.  We were even more surprised when at our six week ultrasound scan we were told that we were pregnant with twins. I had no nausea or headaches like with my daughter.  I actually felt amazing and full of energy.  So when we had our twelve week scan I was flabbergasted when we were told we were still pregnant with twins.  I was totally expecting a disappearing twin like with my daughter's pregnancy.

However, with the twin pregnancy, by my fourth month everything went downhill.  I was hit with severe morning sickness without warning.  One morning I was brushing my teeth as I got ready for work and the next thing I knew, I was throwing up non-stop.  The morning sickness lasted close to six weeks straight.  It was worse than during my pregnancy with my daughter.  Once I started throwing up, I couldn't stop.  I wasn't able to hold anything down for weeks. I lost weight. I wasn't able to take any medication to help relieve the nausea and vomiting because I couldn't hold it down.  It got so bad that I was finally sent to the emergency room where I had to get hooked up to an IV.  This actually happened twice over the course of six weeks.  Throwing up and unable to eat much, for weeks, had caused me to become dangerously dehydrated. I also had severe light sensitivity and terrible headaches/migraines that were so intense that I was unable to get any relief.  I was so miserable that I had difficulty going to the doctors office because of the fluorescent lighting or even outside. 

Now with my daughter, by my fourth month of pregnancy I was on easy street.  I felt great.  I glowed! The only lingering issue I had was pregnancy hypertension which the doctors were essentially able to control until around  35 weeks.  By 37 weeks it had developed into pre-eclampsia and then I was induced.  My daughter was born three weeks early at 5lbs. 10 oz.  One of the happiest, joyous days of my life!  She's amazing in every way and is smart and funny and absolutely delightful:)

I have now been on leave for three months with my twin pregnancy.  I am on modified bed rest.  I am allowed to go from my bed, to the bathroom to my couch.  I am two centimeters dilated and 100% effaced.  My OB is worried that I may go into labor early due my uterus only being able to hold so much for so long.  Last week I had to be hospitalized because I was contracting, which they were able to stop with magnesium and steroids. Both babies are weighing at 30 weeks around 2.10 and 2.09 pounds.  I will admit that I am getting more uncomfortable as the weeks go by.  Getting off the couch takes motivation, rolling over while in bed has become an event and walking to the bathroom feels like a marathon. I'm ready for my babies to be here. Hopefully we will make it to the 35 or 36 week mark.  I'd like these little ones to cook for as long as possible. We will see what happens. 

We're back and Pregnant again via Embryo Donation at Reprofit!

Hello Everyone,

It's been a while since my last post.  Back in February we were not sure if we were going to be able to go through with our transfer due to a family emergency.  However, with some finagling we were able to make it work.  I knew I wanted it to be a quick trip. So I literally flew in and flew back out and was back home within three days.  It was definitely what you would call a whirlwind trip.  My husband stayed home with our daughter, so I made the trip alone this time.  The clinic was okay with this as long as I had signed documents from my husband and a copy of our marriage certificate.  Once I got to the clinic there were no issues.  Everything went very smoothly.

My flights had me flying into NY then into Frankfurt, Germany.  From Frankfurt, I flew into Vienna, Austria and took a Student Agency bus directly into Brno.  I found this route to be the easiest and safest option since I was traveling alone.  You can find the Student Agency bus stop right outside the Vienna airport exit. It's so easy to find and if you time your flight just right you can be in Brno within the hour.  In the past I have flown into Prague and Slovakia with my husband. However, in both Prague and Slovakia you have to either take a cab or public transportation to get to the bus stop.  I prefer going through Vienna because its easier and frankly I think it's safer overall if you are traveling alone. There is also an NH Hotel directly across the parking lot once you exit the airport where you can stay if you need to stay over night and catch your bus the next morning.

Once I was in Brno, I stayed at the Grand Hotel.  I love the proximity of the hotel to the bus and train stations.  While it is more expensive than some other hotels in the area, you can't beat the convenience of it's location.  I've stayed at two other hotels in the area during our travels, Hotel Cyro and the Hotel Europa, and found them to be very nice.  However, the locations of both hotels were off the beaten path and required a lot of walking or taxi cabs to get around. The Grand is centrally located in the heart of Brno.  You can walk to everything and its in a safe location if you are traveling alone.

The next day I was off to the clinic for my embryo transfer.  We decided to have two embryos transferred rather than one primarily to increase our odds.  We had two transferred previous on two separate occasions. Our first transfer was unsuccessful and our second transfer resulted in the birth of our daughter.  Since we knew this might be our last trip for a while we wanted to maximize our chances of pregnancy.

It worked, I am now 30 weeks pregnant with boy/girl twins!  We are very excited and a little nervous at the same time;)  Just last week I had to go to the hospital because of early contractions and dilation of my cervix.  Luckily, the doctors were able to stop everything in its tracks.  I am back home and on bedrest.  From what I've been told the risk of preterm labor is much higher with multiples than with a singleton.  There is a good chance that these babes will be coming early.  I'm hoping I hold on to them as long as possible!!!!

Please reach out with any questions regarding Reprofit, or embryo donation! I will also do my best to keep posting on a regular basis.  

Cancelled due to family emergency!

Hello everyone, unfortunately we had to cancel our donor embryo transfer for a family emergency. At this time we are not sure when we will be able to reschedule the transfer.  All of the airline miles we saved up will now be used to visit our sick family member.  We may have to wait until later in the year, since airfare will be going up as we get closer to Spring.  Not sure we can afford the cost of the transfer in addition to travel costs.  We will see....we will try and keep you updated as we have more information.  Until next time......

Planning IVF Abroad for February

I finally made contact with our consultant from Reprofit in the Czech Repulic regarding our IVF procedure using donor embryos. She informed me that we will not lose the embryos we selected if we postpone because they are reserved through the end of February.  However, my monthly cycle started on the 30th of December, which would have me starting my cycle for February around the 28th of January.  If that should happen, my transfer would have to take place over the weekend of February 17th and 18th.  In the past, all of my past IVF procedures scheduled the frozen embryo transfers on the 19th day of my cycle.  I'm not sure if the 20th or the 21st days will work because I had to come in the day before the transfer for an ultrasound, then the next day the transfer. I will have to check with the clinic to determine if they can do the ultrasound on Friday the 16th or possibly Saturday the 17th.  Honestly, I'm not sure if I want to twist fate, since the 19th day was successful for our last transfer. Not that I'm superstitious or anything;) 

Now here I am again wondering if I will need to postpone our embryo transfer for another month.  There are things you can do to hold off your cycle.  However, I'm not sure I want to risk it or if I can now.  I used birth control for our last transfer to control when it started.  I also ended up using an herbal remedy to start my cycle on the exact day we needed it to start for scheduling.  We lucked out and everything worked out well.  I'm worried for this time around because we are using airline miles for this trip to the Czech Republic.  I'm not sure how easy it is to reschedule my ticket if the timing is off and we have to postpone. We would also like to save as many miles as possible in case we need to make the trip again. I may have to use more miles for the trip if I have to go in March. 

There are other medical options that can be used to hold off your cycle for an IVF procedure. Although, it is recommended that you plan ahead of time for this. Unfortunately, I missed the window of opportunity for this.  These options have also never worked out for me because I have not been able to find a doctor to prescribe the medications needed here in the US.  Since we are doing our IVF abroad, the prescriptions written by the foreign doctor have not been considered verifiable her in the US.  Albeit, I would have had to go through Reprofit's pharmacy and have them send me the medications.  Frankly, my husband the attorney has never been too keen on this idea so I have never done it.  Up til now I have been able to plan our transfers around my regular cycles.  However, I did have help from our consultant with Miracles Waiting, Paloma. Something to keep in mind if you are considering IVF abroad, going through the clinic vs. a private service such as Miracles Waiting or My IVF Alternative.

It's frustrating to think that I may have to postpone again.  If my cycle can hold off for one day everything will be fine!  Or if it wants to start a couple of days early, that would be great as well. So I will be crossing my fingers.  If we have to postpone, then there's also the fact that our donor embryo's are only reserved until the end of February.  While my husband and I understand that we may have to go with a different set of donor embryos, we feel connected to these  and would like to hold on to them. We will see what happens.

As for now, I will schedule my flights as if everything will go as planned.  Wishful thinking at this point is better than negative thinking, right?  I may hold off on the hotel reservations though, because its harder to cancel or reschedule the hotel arrangements.  There's always a big risk in losing your money. I can hold off and hopefully still find some good rates as we get closer to the date. 

Please feel free to email me with any questions you may have about IVF abroad, Reprofit or Embryo Donation or if you are looking for a cycle buddy. My email address is  WeTravelledforIVF@gmail.com. Until next time....

More Information about Reprofit International in Czech Republic!

I recently stumbled upon a few Reprofit videos on YouTube.com. For those of you who are researching IVF clinics abroad and are still making a decision, I thought you might find them informative.  The video's were actually created by MyIVFAlternative.com a consultant service that appears to have a direct link with Reprofit.  If you are not sure if you want to work directly with the clinic and would like someone to coordinate services and help with travel arrangements, then they are good a choice.  They have a very informative website and also provide several testimonials. While I did not go through My IVF Alternative, I have seen many very favorable reviews on several IVF discussion boards about their services.

The first video is of Dr. Mark Koudelka, he is the head physician of the Reprofit clinic.  He actually performed our first frozen embryo transfer (FET) back in February 2013.  He was very nice and spoke perfect english. He was also very professional.

The second video is Dr. Stephen Machac. I interacted with Dr. Machac via email for both of our embryo transfers, our first in February and the second in October 2014. He was responsible for evaluating my medical files and creating my treatment protocol prior to the transfer. He is the head physician responsible for all clients coming to the clinic for treatment.  We never met face to face.  However, what limited communications we had with him were very pleasant and professional.

The last video is a fun video that includes the entire Reprofit Team. I actually recognize several of the nurses and staff in the video from our time at Reprofit. 

If you are in the process of researching IVF clinics abroad and are not finding much information online, I highly suggest checking out YouTube.com.  I found all of the videos above as well as several others and a few patient testimonials.

Good luck with your IVF abroad research and please feel free to contact me via email at WeTravelledforIVF@gmail.com if you have any questions about travelling for abroad for IVF, embryo donation or would just like to chat.

Postponing IVF Embryo Donation Procedure to February

I wrote another post about a week ago.  Unfortunately, I accidentally deleted everything I wrote over the course of a week and had to start over.  I was so frustrated that it's taken me a little while to muster up the nerve to type it all over again.  So, I apologize for the delay in posting.

A few weeks ago I posted about how we were contemplating postponing the embryo  transfer to February. After a lot of  thought, we decided to postpone the procedure.  I have not received a response to my email from our Reprofit consultant. I completely forgot that the clinic closes over the holidays.  I'm sending another email today to see if I get a response.  If I don't get a response, I will try calling the clinic sometime next week or the week after.

The consultant mentioned in a previous email that they would hold the embryo's until the first of February. I am hoping that when I make contact with the clinic, that a couple of weeks will not matter.  We would hate to lose these embryo's due to our inability to make everything happen in January.

As for getting ready for the procedure, I have already started eating healthier.  Although, it has been difficult over the holiday season.  I will let you know how I do tonight for Christmas Eve dinner and over the weekend with all of the holiday events we have scheduled.  As I've mentioned in previous posts I have a terrible sweet tooth, and the holidays are a difficult time for me to try and avoid them since they are EVERYWHERE;)

I have also managed to get back into my regular exercise routine.  I've only been able to manage three miles four nights a week.  However, anything at this point is better than nothing.  It's good to exercise and get the blood flowing.  My OB told me while pregnant with my daughter that exercise improves circulation.  The more blood circulating throughout the body, the greater my chances are for embryo implantation!  And we want that:):)

As far as travel arrangements are concerned, I have managed to save up enough miles for two round trip tickets to Europe.  Our plan is for me to travel by myself this time around. If this transfer is unsuccessful, we will have the ability to try again without "breaking the bank".  I'm hoping I'll be able to use my miles to fly directly into Prague, and then use a Student Agency bus to travel into Brno.  If I'm not able to fly into Prague, I will also try flying directly into Vienna then taking a Student Agency bus from there.  Not sure what I can get for miles, so we will see.

Flying into Dublin is the most inexpensive option.  However, to fly into Brno requires that I fly into Dublin, then into England and then into Brno.  Three flights is a lot considering I will be trying to squeeze all of this travel into four or five days. I actually would not mind the 3 hour bus ride from Prague into Brno, or the 1 hour bus ride from Vienna into Brno....over multiple flights.  I would be able to use the time to catch up on sleep and just relax before the procedure. 

I'm planning on making my travel arrangements within the next week, so I will break out my itinerary for you and will let you know what I end up doing. 

Not Sure if I'm Ready for January

The last month has been absolutely crazy! We recently moved into a new house.  We started the move over the Thanksgiving holiday and are still moving stuff out of our old house.  It's taking significantly longer than I thought it would.  Unfortunately, living in chaos has prevented me from doing so many things I wanted to do before the embryo transfer in January. I'm not eating as healthy as I would like because my kitchen is a complete disaster.  I haven't had a the ability to exercise because my treadmill and elliptical are blocked by too many boxes.  I think it is going to take at least another week to get our house together before I can get back into my routine. Having a baby in the house hasn't helped speed things up either;)

I'm beginning to think we may need to postpone our donor embryo transfer another month.  Maybe reschedule for later February.  I'm not sure how this will go over with Reprofit.  My counselor indicated in her last email that the embryos were reserved until the first week of February.  I'm not sure if I will lose them if I postpone.  I'm sure there will be other donor embryo's that meet our criteria.  Although, I feel connected to them already and I'm not sure I want to lose them.  However, I feel so overwhelmed that I'm not sure I'm mentally ready for everything to happen next month.  And, I still have to get through the Christmas and New Year's craziness...ugh.  I haven't even started my Christmas shopping. 

I truly feel that my overall state of mind will have a lot to do with a successful embryo transfer.  Before my last transfer I promised myself that I would relax and have fun.  I deliberately planned take in some sightseeing and make the trip a well deserved vacation.  We had a great time and I was in very good spirits when the procedure took place.  My husband was in a good place as well.  I believe that all of this helped lead us to a successful transfer.  I'd hate to take a chance and risk an unsuccessful procedure. 

I will sleep on it, but I've also sent an email to the consultant to gauge her thoughts on the matter.  Once I hear back from her I will let you know what I have decided to do. 

Transfer One Donor Embryo or Two?

As we approach January, my husband and I have begun to question whether we should transfer one donor embryo or two.  Although we definitely increase our chances of implantation by transferring two embryos, we also run a greater risk of developing complications during a possible twin pregnancy.  Although he thinks it is ultimately my decision, my husband feels it might be best to just go with the single embryo transfer. If it does not work, we could take a second trip to Reprofit to try again.  But cost is certainly a factor for us...just as it is for most who are considering IVF.


I like the idea of having twins. The idea of instant family sounds enticing.  However, my husband has a very good point...a healthy pregnancy and baby should be the ultimate goal.  Although, we transferred two embryos during our last frozen embryo transfer (FET) and only one survived.  By transferring only one we decrease our chances of a successful FET,  and increase our costs.  It's a difficult decision to make.

The experts agree with my husband that transferring one embryo is safest.  The Practice Committee of the American Society of Reproduction, however, published an article indicating that the older the patient the less risk of multiples. They actually recommend transferring more than one embryo in older patients.  Since I'm now in my 40's, based on this research I increase my chances of success by transferring two. The Practice Committee also recommends transferring embryos at the Blastocyst (day 5) stage in older patients. The one caveat to this is that we will be using donor embryos from young donors.  Thereby, increasing our chances based on the viability of the embryos.

My gut tells me to transfer two. I think I'm going to go with my gut.  Should I change my mind, I'll be sure to let you know! 

If anyone reading has been faced with the same decision, and have advice or a story to share, please feel free to send me an email at WeTravelledforIVF@gmail.com.  I would love to hear from others points of view.

Is My Body Ready for a Frozen Embryo Transfer?

Now that we've started planning for our next trip to Reprofit for a second donor embryo transfer, my focus has turned to getting healthier and in better shape. For our last trip I had lost a significant amount of weight and had begun exercising regularly.  I wholeheartedly believe that this contributed to our successful frozen embryo transfer (FET).  However, once we found out I was pregnant and started having complications, I was no longer able to work out as frequently. I also had a difficult time eating healthy due to terrible morning sickness and weird food cravings. I'm hoping our second time around, things will be different by developing more healthy patterns!!!

My first goal, is to implement a regular exercise routine long before the FET in January. If our FET is successful, I want to ensure that I'm at least walking on a regular basis. Currently, I've been walking on the treadmill and using my elliptical around two to three days a week. This might be wishful thinking, but I'd like to increase this to at least four to five days a week.  Albeit it has been difficult to establish a regular routine now that I am back to working full-time with the baby. When I get home all I want to do is spend time with my daughter. By the time she's in bed and we've had dinner, it's around 8 or 9 o'clock.  Now that I wake up around 5AM with the baby, finding the time to work out has not been easy. I end up sacrificing sleep or time spent with my daughter to exercise these days. 

My second goal is to continue eating healthier. I am determined to either avoid Gestational Diabetes, or at least control it with a healthy diet if the transfer is successful.  I have already started eating more vegetables and lean meats.  I also do my best to avoid pasta and breads since the carbohydrates do not help my blood sugar levels. But let me tell ya, it is going to be difficult to give up my creamy cups of coffee in the morning.  My doctor actually advised when I was pregnant to not go cold turkey because it can cause caffeine withdrawal.  So, instead of giving up coffee completely, I plan to cut back on the cream and drop to one cup a day instead of my regular two to three cups.  Although, it is not going to be easy with a baby that wakes up at 5 AM everyday. Hopefully, I can cut down on my sweets intake as well!:) I will definitely keep you updated on my progress:)

Some other things I may be considering before the transfer is to include a daily aspirin in my ritual, as well as a multivitamin.  I did this prior to my daughter's transfer and want to make sure I do the same things, since it all turned out to be successful.

And last but not least, I have scheduled some appointments with my GP and OBGYN to confirm that my body is ready for another pregnancy!

I will keep you posted on my progress.  If you are preparing for a trip to Reprofit or a another fertility clinic in Brno, and would like a cycle buddy....please leave me a comment and I will get back to you!

Back to Brno for a sibling!

My husband and I have decided to start planning for a sibling for our daughter! I'm not getting any younger and I'm determined for my daughter to have a brother or sister.   However, we've decided that I may be making this IVF abroad trip alone.  Since it took two IVF procedures last time before we had a successful transfer, we would like to try and save money in case we have to go back.  By going alone, I only need to buy one airplane ticket. I also save on food and travel expenses since I do not plan to do any sightseeing.  Essentially, we plan on this being a quick in and out trip. 

For this donor embryo transfer we made arrangements directly through Reprofit International in the Czech Republic, instead of using an outside consultant. It was much easier then we thought it would be.  We went directly to the Reprofit website and found their list of contacts. The clinic has flags next to each consultant's name indicating the languages they speak.  I clicked on the "Send an Email" link under the name of one their English speaking contacts.  A window appeared on my screen.  I typed in our message explaining our intentions and hit SEND.  The message was a couple of sentences explaining that we were seeking an embryo transfer with the clinic. Within an hour we had a response in my Inbox.  

The first email I received included a brief message from the fertility clinic about the IVF donor embryo services they provide including an attachment.  In the document was a list of questions for us to answer regarding our physical characteristics, each question specific to our hair and eye coloring, blood types and education.  In the notes section, we were able to describe our donor embryo preferences. We sent the document back to Reprofit. A day later the clinic sent along their offer for donor embryo's available.  From the options provided we made our selection and sent an email back with our decision. It was that easy..I have no idea what I was scared of the last two times we did this.

In the following email exchange we made arrangements for when the IVF donor embryo procedure will take place.  We have decided to wait until January.  The clinic says that they will hold on to the embryo's for us until then.  Our contact also included the IVF stimulation protocol information in the email.  I will follow this protocol as we get closer to the IVF procedure.  

Essentially, an IVF donor embryo protocol includes instructions for when to start taking the hormones necessary to stimulate your uterus for the frozen embryo transfer. Both Estrogen and Progesterone will prepare my uterine lining for embryo implantation.  I must follow the instructions to the letter to make sure the IVF procedure can take place.  If I miss anything, the frozen embryo transfer may have to be cancelled.  So it is very important that I follow the directions exactly as they have been explained.  

So at this point, I've started the process!  I have reserved our embryo's for the transfer which is scheduled to take place late  January.  Now I need to make my flight reservations, arrange my hotel stay and get my body ready for the transfer.  Easier said than done.  However, we are very excited and plan to document EVERYTHING!!!  

If you are in the process of making arrangements for IVF or your thinking about embryo donation, and need some suggestions or someone just to talk to, please feel free to leave me a comment and I will get back to you! You can send your emails to WetravelledforIVf@gmail.com...until next time!

How to get to Brno!

I realize that for some traveling to another country for IVF may seem outrageous. Not knowing the language or where to stay that is safe and affordable, can be overwhelming to think about if your not a seasoned traveler. I think being a Flight Attendant for five years helped alleviate any fears for me traveling overseas.  I was already acquainted with navigating different countries where English was not the spoken language. So I thought I'd pass along some tips I learned along the way for those who may be considering traveling to Europe,  or the Czech Republic for IVF:

LANGUAGE 

English has become the language of business throughout Europe.  It is very common to find someone within the Travel and Tourism industry who speaks English, such as waiters, taxi drivers, store patrons, and hotel staff.  You will not have trouble finding someone who speaks the language. 

HOTELS 

The Internet has a plethora of resources and suggestions for places to stay throughout Europe for travelers.  Some of the sites I used when planning our trips to Prague and Brno:

• The New York Times - Travel section is a great resource for learning where to stay, eat, things to do, the best neighborhoods, and excursions for those interested in going off the beaten path.  
• TripAdvisor - This is a great site for everything! They have a great Brno section for those traveling to Reprofit. The site is very informative and can help you find your way around your destination. 
• Venere.com, RyanAirHotels.com, and Booking.com - I usually stick with these three sites when searching for the most affordable hotels. I have found some great deals using these sites.

AIRFARE

Traveling to Europe can get expensive, if you follow some of these tips, it can be quite affordable:

• The best time to travel to Europe on the cheap is during the winter months (January - March).  Spring and Summer is the tourist season and flights and hotel stays are more expensive during this time. If you are looking for an affordable time to travel, I would stick with anytime after January and before June. 
• The best days of the week to search for airfare are Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Typically, people are more likely to plan their trips toward the end of the week or over the weekend.  So looking for airfare earlier in the week tends to offer more affordable fares.
• Certain countries are cheaper to fly into than others:

Ireland (Dublin)

Denmark (Copenhagen)

Luxembourg

Denmark (Amsterdam)

Spain (Madrid)

Turkey (Istanbul)

Poland (Warsaw)

*We have always been able to find the more affordable flights flying into Dublin than any other country in Europe.  However, some of the other countries listed can also be more economical than the biggies like London, Paris and Rome.

OneTravel.com, Kayak.com and Priceline.com - I have used all three sites to find airfare to Europe.  OneTravel has been my goto site for most of my travel overseas.  However, Priceline and Kayak have had some great fares as well.  For one trip I used Priceline's "Name Your Fare" feature and found a great rate to Dublin. If your okay with the worst seats on the aircraft which are usually toward the back of the plane, they're not that bad.  All three travel sites have been useful at various times throughout our travels. 

Europe's low cost airlines are the way to go when flying from within Europe from country to country.  These airlines are considerably cheaper than flying one of the larger airlines and can be more economical than rail.  The most popular airlines:

Ryan Air

Easy Jet

Aer Lingus

Wizz Air

SkyScanner.com is a site we've used to find fares on Europe's low cost carriers.

We have also had a lot of success going directly to each airlines website.

GETTING TO BRNO

These airlines have affordable direct flights into BRNO:

Ryan Air - No direct flights from Dublin. You have to fly into England then onto Brno.

Easy Jet - Direct flights from England

Wizz Air - Direct flights from England

You can also fly into Prague and then take a Student Agency bus or the train into Brno. The bus will drop you off right in the middle of downtown Brno, across the street from The Grand Hotel. You can also find a taxi cab that can take you anywhere in Brno within the same station. 

*We used Student Agency buses exclusively to travel within the Czech Republic.  They were great!  You have an entertainment system in each seat to help pass the time, as well as free wifi.  All I can say is, we had plenty to keep us entertained and the trip went by rather quickly. We highly recommend Student Agency.  They are very economical way of traveling throughout Europe. 

Hotels in Brno where we have stayed: 

Hotel Europa - This is a very nice budget hotel with several restaurants nearby.  The rooms are small, but the hotel is well maintained, in a nice neighborhood and there is wifi in the lobby. It is also close to the center of Brno and is a cheap taxi ride from Reprofit.

The Grand Hotel - Directly across the street from the train/bus/taxi cab station.  It is centrally located and a very quick taxi ride to the clinic.  You can also take public transportation if you want to save money.  However, the hotel is more expensive then the others listed.  You actually can save money by staying at a more economical hotel and then take taxis. We never spent more then $5.00 per taxi ride.

Hotel Cyro - A nice modern hotel with several restaurants nearby. A free breakfast is also provided downtown stairs every morning.  This hotel is also a quick taxi cab or train ride away from Reprofit.

*If you are planning a trip to Brno and would like some suggestions, I highly recommend all of the resources mentioned above.  If you are still in need of some help with planning your trip, please leave a comment and I would be happy to help you.  We have become very familiar with Prague, Brno and the surrounding areas. We wish you the best of luck in your travels!