10 Red Flags (And Green Flags) To Look Out For When Choosing Your IVF Clinic
Insights from my first failed cycle and what I now pay attention to
I chose my first IVF clinic on blind faith.
I panicked when I received my AMH test and went straight to the clinic recommended by a friend, doing little to no research.
Hopefully - you won’t do the same!
I since realised that her path was a little different. She opted for donor egg and sperm. But I’m targeting own eggs and donor sperm.
Since my first failed IVF cycle in July 2024 (ended in three “abnormal” PGT-A tested embryos) I’ve shopped around a lot, considering more clinics in Spain, and other European countries.
After a lot of deliberating, I’ve selected a clinic in Athens, Greece.
Another spin of the fertility roulette.
I recently had an experience with a Greek clinic that I want to highlight because it was far more positive than most others I’ve approached.
They had carefully considered my file, by which I mean - checked through all my previous scans and test results. They had reviewed all the questions I sent in advance, and carefully responded to each one during our consultation. Their comms are consistently speedy and friendly.
This is New Life clinic in Greece.
(I am not getting any commission, just recounting my experience.)
Both doctors in my consult - the lead embryologist and the doctor - are female. Any surprise that I was being closely listened to?!
What the service at New Life might look like once you’re a paid up client - I don’t know. Join their Facebook group for insights from their patients.
Doing your research is important because these clinics are first and foremost, businesses. Therefore the consultations are essentially the ‘sales pitch’ with the clinic looking to ‘win’ your money.
Once you're paid up - it's hard to discern if the positive, friendly sales spiel will continue.
(I have not moved forward with New Life because another Greek clinic offered the use of human growth hormone, which I favoured.)
I share my experience because there were plenty of green flags in my exchanges with New Life. It was encouraging to feel seen and heard, which given the thousands you're paying, would surely be standard practice.
But sadly, it's really not.
Let’s be honest - it’s a sales process.
The experience when the clinic is trying to make the sale - that’s get your money (!) - can be quite different to the experience you get once you’ve paid.
Much like scammy coaching programmes - the slick marketing spiel to get you to part with your money may not reflect the service you’ll eventually receive. And once you’ve paid, there is usually no opportunity for a refund.
Logically you might think that, since you’re paying thousands, you’ll receive a good level of patient care - and a positive service overall.
Wrong.
In fertility world, the cost does not guarantee the level of patient care.
When buying a car or a kitchen, more money generally means better. The same doesn't always follow with assisted reproduction.
This is why carefully selecting your fertility clinic is so critical.
Particularly for solo women funding this alone, and you might need 3+ cycles (the reality of IVF in your 40s).
Also, depending on the kind of person you are, you may value an empathic clinic with measures in place to support solo women.
Do not underestimate these needs. They are valid and acceptable.
I learned this the hard way at my first clinic in Spain. I experienced terrible admin processes from the outset and never felt any connection with my doctor. But I failed to listen to my intuition or interpret the disorganisation as a red flag.
Among many issues I encountered (and these are not the worst ones):
Given poor or contradictory information throughout;
I was ticking boxes on forms that had been overlooked right up to the day of the egg collection;
Given a consent form to sign before my (first ever) sedation (while I’m alone in a foreign country) entirely in Spanish (I’m not fluent)
…and so on.
If these things wouldn’t have bothered you, then perhaps my clinic was the perfect one for you!
I hope you’ll choose better than i did.
Here’s my flags to look for, to make your journey a little easier.
Consider whether you’re seeing red flags or green flags, with every part of the service you receive during your initial interactions with each clinic.
How long does it take them to respond to your emails? Do they have a policy on response times? Are their responses full and clear?
How do they support solo women? Are there WhatsApp groups and in-country support if you are flying abroad for treatment alone?
Do you feel welcomed, or does it feel as though you’re booking in your car for an MoT or making a hairdressing appointment (not even joking!)?
Are they reading your requests for information correctly, or sending you cookie cutter emails talking about your husband and how to manage sperm, when you’ve clearly mentioned you’re solo?
Are their success statistics full, clear and referenced ie. have they been approved by a regulatory body (or could they be fabricated?)
Are the doctors gated, or do you have direct access? If you do, are doctors responsive and providing complete answers?
If a clinic is suggesting expensive add-ons for you to consider, to be “thorough” (because you’re older) such as PGT-A or Ovarian PRP, can they explain exactly why you need them, based on your current health picture and medical history?
In your consultation with the doctor (especially if you're paying for it) can they give you a clear idea of your protocol, and explain their reasoning? If not, why not? Either they’re scrutinising your data and putting in the work to explain how they will treat you, or they’re not.
Is there access to a patient group so you can speak to other women using this clinic? (Note that some clinics have a Facebook group - but some women are paid or given treatment discounts in exchange for positive recommendations, so some feedback may not be impartial).
Don't underestimate this one - how do you feel when you’re interacting with clinic staff?
In the early stage of consulting with a clinic, no question is a bad one. Nor should there be any limit on what you ask.
If the doctor or clinic isn’t taking the time to respond to you (and in a timely manner) then why would you trust them with your body, your money, and your dreams?
Baby making vs kitchen designing
An IVF cycle might cost from £5-10K - similar to a kitchen.
When designing your perfect kitchen, there could be some back and forth with plans, for several weeks if needed. Discussions by phone. Meeting in person or via Zoom. Eventually, you agree on the final design.
There would be a sense of collaboration, of working together, of partnership, to achieve your desired outcome. A service and goods exchanged for your cash.
Why should baby-making be any different? Especially when it’s probably one of the biggest decisions you’ll ever make? And yet in my experiences, protocols can be rushed, given little thought or explanation. Patient coordinators can be scatty and insensitive. Every turn can feel like a money-grab.
Asking the right questions upfront might help you avoid such a clinic.
I hope you select the absolutely best clinic for you, one that will be kind, patient empathic and supportive throughout your path to parenthood.
And in particular, supportive of you as a brave and powerful solo woman, who needs to minimise stress, in what is already a very stressful process.
What questions would you add to this? Let me know!
Sarah x
Related read: Have I Just Struck Gold? After 8 Months Searching, A Fertility Doctor Has Finally Uttered The Magic Words
NEW: Resources page on Solo Fertility 40s with my favourite webinars, articles, forums and podcasts.
BUY ME A SMOOTHIE Each story takes 4-6 hours to write. I do this alongside my day job. I’m powered by berry smoothies! If you find my stories useful, you are welcome to show your appreciation by gifting a smoothie.
Sarah x
