Great plans and hopes, but also fears and often disappointments. This is how the journey to a dreamed baby can look like. Before future parents reach a happy ending, they experience a few patience and determination tests. It was no different with Patricia and Ghislain, who first visited the Unica Clinic in 2016. Today, thanks to top IVF treatment and the Unica donor program, they are the parents of three beautiful children. How do they remember their fight with infertility, and what is their experience with foreign IVF treatment?
How long have you been trying for a baby?
"For the first time, it took us two years. I was studying to be a professional assistant for children, and I graduated in 2013-2014. My husband and I have been planning to have a baby for a long time. My gynaecologist then recommended a doctor at the centre of assisted reproduction. During the visit, they told me straight away that I can't have a child due to my age (43 years). They said it is too late to undergo treatment in this centre at my age. It was a huge shock for us. Two years later, in 2016, thanks to the UNICA clinic, our first child was born. And after four more years, thanks to the Unica clinic again, twins, a girl, and a boy were born to our family."
Have you tried treatment at other clinics? / Why did you choose Unica?
"In 2015, we went to Ukraine for a weekend to see how it works at the clinic, which offered us IVF treatment with donated eggs. Immediately after our arrival, they did an examination, and the treatment started right away. After returning to France, my husband and I had a strange feeling. Everything went too fast. They pressured us to return to the clinic. We decided to stop the treatment because they told us a few things that were not completely coherent during a few phone calls. So my husband and I started looking for another clinic. We spent several nights searching for clinics of reproductive medicine, we read various discussion forums, until one day, my husband came across two clinics in the Czech Republic. One of the clinics was Unica in Brno because, in 2016, the Prague clinic did not yet exist. We communicated with a lovely coordinator who listened to us, was planning consultation and informed us about all the tests that needed to be done."
How did you feel when you first visited our clinic?
"After all the examinations, we decided to come to Prague to be reassured about this clinic's professionalism. The medical team listened to us and answered all our questions. My husband then told me, "Honey, this is where we're going to have a baby."
What was it like for you to undergo treatment in another country?
"Even if the treatment takes place in a foreign country, it is all very simple. The clinic will email you the list of medications you need to take. All you have to do is go to your gynecologist, who will prescribe the prescription and pick it up at the pharmacy. There is no big difference in the composition of individual medications. Medicines in France are the same as in the Czech Republic, so no worries."
How did the selection of the donor go? What was the decisive factor for you?
"The selection was very simple for the donor because the clinic only has young donors in the database."
What was the feeling when you first heard the little heart beating?
"Wow, a huge emotion! I cried with happiness! A dream come true!"
What advice would you give to couples who are hesitant about undergoing IVF / IVF with donated eggs?
"One has to put everything into it and trust the experts. Our story speaks for itself!"