We offer a range of treatments. Depending on where you live, these might be available on the NHS or you can self-fund your treatment. Further details of individual treatments are below.
Ovulation induction
This is used for women who ovulate infrequently or not at all (anovulation). This is most common in women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) or other hormone-related problems.
The most frequently-used drug is chlomiphene citrate tablets. These are taken from days two to six of your cycle and the dose can vary from 50mg to 150mg daily. This treatment is combined with regular ultrasound scans to monitor follicular development. It is very important to monitor how you respond to the drug so the dosage can be adjusted if you over respond or under respond. This therapy is typically given for around three months but can be used for up to six.
Some women might require an injection of HCG to make them ovulate. Some women might be given alternative drugs in the form of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH0 to stimulate egg production. These are gonadotropins and are generally used for IVF but can be helpful in some cases when given in low and small increments.
The drugs are used in conjunction with timed intercourse.
In vitro fertilisation (IVF)
This treatment involves stimulating a woman’s ovaries to produce more follicles than normal. Once these are mature, the eggs are collected in a procedure carried out at Croydon University Hospital.
The eggs are then taken in an incubator box to the London’s Women’s Clinic in London, where they are put together with the partner’s sperm in a culture dish in the laboratory to fertilise them.
Once fertilisation has been achieved, the London’s Women clinic will arrange for the embryos to be transferred into the women’s body at their clinic around three to five days later.
Embryos that are not transferred at this time can be cryopreserved and stored.
Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) treatment
ICSI is performed for men who have low sperm counts, reduced sperm movement (motility) or increased number with an abnormal size of shape (morphology).
The treatment involves injecting a single sperm into the centre of each egg in order to try to achieve fertilisation.
Frozen embryo replacement treatment
Frozen embryo transfer cycles are offered to those who have already been through treatment and have stored embryos at the London Women’s Clinic.
The treatment can be offered as either a ‘natural’ unstimulated cycle or with hormone support.
Once the womb lining (endometrium) is prepared and thickened, one or two embryos can be thawed and replaced into the uterus in order to try to achieve a pregnancy.
Fertility preservation
For women who have been diagnosed with cancer and are still within childbearing age, this can be offered to help preserve your fertility options at a later date. It can be in the form of freezing eggs or freezing embryos.
