Every couple of years I check in with the website of my old IVF clinic, Sims IVF, Dublin, to see if their ‘success rates’ page has become any less meaningless over the years.
Alas, no: in 2018, they are still only publishing biochemical and clinical pregnancy rates. I would find this laughable if it weren’t so nefariously ill-explained by the nice man in the video, who optimistically describes a biochemical pregnancy as ‘a positive outcome’ (no caveats inserted).
Naughty Graham.
It means that very early pregnancy loss is one of the main markers of success for the clinic, with the slightly raised hope that subsequent treatment cycles may lead to clinical pregnancy (let’s not get carried away and mention flesh-and-blood human babies, though).
Ugh, the IVF industry. I feel so embarrassed that I was caught up in it, and simultaneously proud that I worked out my own chances of success and ran for the hills before handing more cash over. At 46, I have never once regretted walking away from that chaotic money pit. Let me tell you, there is life after the shit-storm of your late-30s! You’ll be alright if you act on your doubts and walk away. Trust your own research.
Here are some useful articles and papers to read if you are confused by IVF clinics’ ‘success rates’.
- Biochemical Pregnancy During Assisted Conception: A Little Bit Pregnant
- Five traps to be aware of when reading success rates on IVF clinic websites
- IVF clinics are advertising misleading success rates, study finds
Or just read 44-year-old childfree-by-choice Grace Dent’s piece:
Ah, the summer holidays – my annual reminder why I don’t want to have kids
I know I am lucky in that I started off ambivalent about babies: leaving the IVF circus was easy for me. But as I listen now to a 38-year-old friend, as ambivalent as I was, wondering if she should have a baby because she doesn’t want to “regret it at 50”, I increasingly admire those who absolutely know that they don’t want one – it takes balls. I don’t comment when my friend says “if nothing happens, we’ll just leave it”. I said that too.
I also admire those who absolutely know that they do want one – it’s a lot more confusing if you’re somewhere in the middle, being egged on by treacherously encouraging doctors who leave the important bits out, like Graham.
Wow.
I have never had a biochemical pregnancy that I’m aware of. There were times that I wondered if a delayed and/or especially painful period was an early miscarriage. But I avoided testing for the most part so I don’t know. I’d rather not know, all things considered.
I can see how a chemical pregnancy could be construed as hopeful but also all the ways it’s the opposite of hopeful.
IVF is not the cure for infertility. It didn’t work for us; we just got lucky something worked twice.
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Hi there, thanks so much for the comment. These clinics obviously know their actual birth rates but choose to keep them secret. They are effectively saying, “we think you’re lucky to get as far as a miscarriage: we can then assess you for more treatment that might possibly work”. I think they should be clear about that: they just choose to obfuscate because their live birth rates would look so low. But then people would be more prepared for disappointment, so I think honesty is by far the best policy….
Thanks for stopping by!
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Graham is awful! What about “take home baby”rates, Graham? At least that’s what my Dr. quoted me, and enabled me to makea more informed decision. Argh!!!
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They are deliberately misleading people. They are probably the biggest and most ‘advanced’ (by reputation) clinic in the country yet they can’t quote the only thing that matters – the take-home rates.
Thanks for dropping by Mali
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You share some really great perspectives here! Thanks for this.
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Cheers Alison
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I think my clinic would probably love that guy, as I remember that they only focused on getting pregnant and never talked about live birth rates…and in fact neither does the SART website that everybody refers to. I’m so nauseous when I think about my years of IVF, and agree that all the money in the world wouldn’t get me back into one of those clinics after the number of lies that I was told, and the way the doctor tried to guilt me after 9 embryos replaced in my wasteland of a uterus. Of course this doctor was the same fucker who wanted to pray with me after the first transfer. Literally hold hands and pray. it was a damn good thing I was hopped up on Valium and started giggling and offered him a firm handshake instead.
This topic reminded me of the blogs and forums where the god-awful acronym “PUPA” (pregnant until proven otherwise) is all over the place and makes me furious to read. An embryo transfer does not make one pregnant, but God forbid you actually call out those using that term… No matter how offensive it is for those who actually did get pregnant and then lost their baby.
I’m 44 now and still have not healed from my inability to be a mother. Just yesterday I fell apart in my husband’s arms from all the PTSD of infertility treatments and failed adoption efforts, and just the other day I turn down an invitation from our new neighbors to go to a party they were having with other neighbors as get this – even though we just bought five acres, two properties down there’s a family with ELEVEN children. Great .
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Hi EF….Wow I cannot believe that doctor wanted to pray with you after your transfer. He surely can’t have imagined that talking to God would enhance his credibility any: what a nut.
I’m sure the industry is well aware of how traumatised many of their patients are after they’ve been fleeced, spat out and left adrift – and yet the deception and fraud continues. Hugs to you x
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Aaaagh, Graham, you sound so pleasant and like you are “making sense” of the success rates, but you are just a positive PR machine! So frustrating. A biochemical pregnancy is not success. Having one, or a miscarriage, doesn’t necessarily mean “next time’s the charm.” That SOUNDS real good though when you’re a puddle of goo trying to figure out what to do after loss. I was told an ectopic meant I COULD get pregnant and it was encouraging. Then having my miscarriage was again seemed unfortunate, but hopeful. Huh, where’d my take home babies go?
I am so grateful to be on the other side of the advertising and misleading numbers, and while I still am quite sad it didn’t work out, I am so glad not to be pushing against an immoveable wall. I work there was more honesty so there could be peace sooner, less money literally down the drain.
Great post!
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Apologies for late reply Jess, I’ve been underground a bit…. “Pushing against an immoveable wall” is a brilliant way of putting it
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Wow. Graham’s delivery (no pun intended) is so absurd I can’t even seem to find words. Oh wait, here’s one – delusional. What the word lacks in imagination it makes up for with accuracy. I’m tempted to record a video rebuttal translating his veiled lack of acknowledgement of people’s trauma and losses. Love your sentence “let’s not get carried away and mention flesh and blood human babies though”.
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I’m surprised they get away with such misleading marketing – I’m sure in any other industry they’d be brought to task. Hopefully one day, soon
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Wow. Graham is……I’m not sure there’s really a word that covers it – delusional. What the description lacks in imagination it makes up for in accuracy I suppose. I wonder if he’s even privy to the loss and trauma entailed in experiencing a chemical pregnancy. I’m half tempted to record a video of my own, translating this one from delusion to realism. Loved your sentence “let’s not get carried away and mention flesh and blood human babies though.”
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Sorry I’m so late posting these. I was out of action for a couple of weeks there. Thanks so much for stopping by Sarah
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And I’m sorry I ended up pelting you with comments – I didn’t think the first few went through as I was met with a different comment mechanism from WP – turned out it was an issue of being signed in. I’m a bit more diligent following up with comments these days as it seems I can no longer get a comment to go through on blogspot – alas. It sounds like you got away, so that’s good!
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Ah thanks Sarah. I think I did duplicate the comments – I’ll check now. All the best, DS
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Hi Shores
Graham needs a good kick up the arse… having had a biochemical pregnancy, numerous miscarriages and ectopic pregnancies I think I’d be prepared to drop kick any ‘specialist’ so blithely mentioning them under the guise of pretence that his IVF clinic is excellent. How well I remember the days of grieving yet another loss but being told I was apparently ‘lucky’ I had got pregnant. Pfffft….
Incidentally, I had a nurse wanted to pray with me whilst I was having an embryo transfer… legs akimbo and unable to escape listening to her ranting on about god blessing me – I couldn’t wait to get away from her and I complained about it afterwards too (once safely home from the clinic) as I really didn’t need some nutjob hanging onto my hand whilst I was trying to relax and get through the process. Pfffft again….!
Hope you are well, interesting piece once again, thank you xx
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Hi Bamber, ugh I don’t know how I would’ve reacted if medical staff had tried to pray with me: what a bizarre experience that must have been. Yes it’s weird when you think about it, the whole concept of it being regarded as “lucky” for conceiving yet losing a baby. I understand how it can be an indicator of future success, but at 38,39,40 etc, it just so often isn’t – the percentage of future successes must be so low at that age window. It’s not just clinics but friends too – I was told it was ‘good’ that I’d had a m/c by three of mine. When I look back, that still annoys me a bit. Hope you’re doing well too Bamb x
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Thank you for highlighting this. It is disgusting what these clinics try to pass off as “Success”. I had a consultation with SIMS some years ago, and my partner and I likened it to being in a car showroom – it was bizarre.
We had an even worse experience in Beacon Care (Dublin). They continuously fudged their own success rates, eventually giving us the success rates for a sister clinic in the UK. AVOID.
We eventually had success (at a fraction of the price) through a clinic the Czech Republic.
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I had a quite surreal experience with SIMS – they present themselves as the cutting-edge choice in Ireland but seem to be shooting in the dark. Their deliberate fudging of success rates should be illegal, in my opinion. Thanks so much for the comment, and hooray for the Czech Republic – light years ahead, it seems
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