Time off work for IVF treatments

Mrsbrady

Just wondering what people are saying at work regarding time off for treatments/investigations, etc for IVF. We're attending CFC and dont live Cork. This means taking a full day off work when we need to attend the Centre.

Yesterday we got a call to attend tomorrow for my husband to have his TESA so i had to ring my boss (at home on a Sunday ) to give him notice that i needed tomorrow off. I didnt want to ask him today for tomorrow, just wanted to give him as much warning as i had. The roll i'm in requires an external cover for days that i take off or holidays. I just told him I had a cancellation for a check up that i'd been waiting for a while for. He's definitely not the type i'd confide in about this, i wouldnt trust him to keep our secret.

Thanks as always for any advice!

Neyite

I discussed it with my GP (who is awesome!) when she referred me to the clinic - I didnt want hand in certs from a fertility clinic, as our payroll person is the biggest gossip on the planet. My GP offered to give me vague gynae certs from her surgery to cover my absences for treatment even though she had no direct association with them.

I'm pretty sure that clinics have came up against this before and probably issue certs from the individulal consultant (who could be associated with any number of hospitals & clinics) rather than the fertility clinic, its worth a phone call to find out.

Luckily our clinic opened at 8am and we were able to schedule nearly all our visits then so I was nearly always at my desk at 9 as it was very close to work, but then we only had about 10 appointments, I'd imagine IVF requires a lot more.

Custard Cream

Hi Mrs Brady
I hope you don't mind me asking but is IVF very expensive? We have been TTC for about two years and have had one miscarraige in that time. I'm nearly 35 and my hubby has a low sperm count so if it doesn't happen soon we are thinking of going down that route. Thanks a mil.

lala75

I was completely honest and open with my boss and told him exactly why I needed the time off. He was very understanding.
Custard Cream - IVF is VERY expensive unfortunately. If you look at the clinics sites you will get an idea of the cost of an IVF cycle. However you will also have to factor in extra costs such as blood tests, extra proceedures etc. You could also look into going abroad for an IVF cycle. You can PM me if you feel like chatting about it.

Neyite

Custard, a friend had her IVF with ISCI which has a better success rate for low sperm count. She had a few rounds in Ireland and went for a consult in Spain. She knows her stuff about ISCI because she has done several of them and she was really impressed with the advanced medical knowledge and techniques that they used there, that they dont here.

In my clinic IVF is about 4500 per go, and ISCI adds about another 1000 on top of that.

There was a thread on here were someone posted all the price lists for all the clinics, I'll see if I can find it.

Edit: found it

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=74006987

Custard Cream

Neyite wrote: »

Custard, a friend had her IVF with ISCI which has a better success rate for low sperm count. She had a few rounds in Ireland and went for a consult in Spain. She knows her stuff about ISCI because she has done several of them and she was really impressed with the advanced medical knowledge and techniques that they used there, that they dont here.

In my clinic IVF is about 4500 per go, and ISCI adds about another 1000 on top of that.

There was a thread on here were someone posted all the price lists for all the clinics, I'll see if I can find it.

Edit: found it

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=74006987

Thanks a million for that. Expensive stuff. I better start saving the pennies.

HanoriaC

Custard Cream wrote: »

Hi Mrs Brady
I hope you don't mind me asking but is IVF very expensive? We have been TTC for about two years and have had one miscarraige in that time. I'm nearly 35 and my hubby has a low sperm count so if it doesn't happen soon we are thinking of going down that route. Thanks a mil.

Hi my hubbie and i are in our early 30's and have had our first IVF in Jan. We attended Galway Fertility Unit who are great. It cost 4,800 in total for all scans. all injections are extra and you should get the drug payments card which u only pay 132 a month no matter what drugs you get. one injection i was on cost 300 alone. so Drugs Payment Card is badly needed. All scans and appointments are included. You can claim back this on your tax 20% in your final year accounts with PAYE system. Unfortunately i'm after having a miscarriage at 9 weeks so there is no guarantee it will go the full 41 weeks but looking on the bright side we got pregnant and that is something that i have to cling on to at the moment.

HanoriaC

i work in the public sector and need external cover for work. but to be honest when doing IVF ya gotta think of yourself and not stress out about noisy busy bodies cos they have no more to be doing. I did IVF in Jan and i was in and out and then gone for a week while having Egg Collection and putting back in. I have an understanding boss and at 9 weeks i had just told her and then i had miscarriage. so from now on i'm number one and don't mind work or external stressors. u ur partner and those eggs are all that matters. Keep the faith we will all be mammy's by next mother's day hopefully!

Mrsbrady

thanks for all the replies, we've been having a tough time of it like everyone going through this, it's never easy. bad week last week, confirmed that Hubby cant have kids so we've to take time to consider doner now or maybe adopting

next step is counselling with the clinic and then we'll see...

HanoriaC

Mrsbrady wrote: »

thanks for all the replies, we've been having a tough time of it like everyone going through this, it's never easy. bad week last week, confirmed that Hubby cant have kids so we've to take time to consider doner now or maybe adopting

next step is counselling with the clinic and then we'll see...

that is so sad but one thing is ya can never give up hope or the dream of having ur tiny tot in ur arms someday. u have to have hope. but remember ye are a team and have to stick together. it is a hard time and does test even the strongest of marriages. and what's terrible is so many take it all for granted. don't worry some time we will all be having sleepless nights and up to our eyes in bottles nappies in Capol! keep smiling and don't for get a session of boards is good cheap therapy sometimes