IVF in Germany

[Jane37]

Hello,
We currently live in Germany and would like to hear from anybody who has had IVF here. We have two questions: Does the health insurance pay for IVF? If not how much does it cost?
I'm British and we're currently trying to decide whether to have the treatment here or in the UK.
Thanks for your help.

[bekkie31]

Heya, I live in Fuerstenwalde Spree near Berlin.

In October 2006, my husband and I tried out first round of IVF. The German Krankenkasse pay 50% of the cost. If you are insured privately as opposed to "gesetzlich", I think it is as good as free. We are not insured privately so had to pay 50% of the cost - we just had a basic IVF, with no genetic tests and no freezing of embryos - so we paid around 1,500 euros. Obviously if you wish to freeze embryos it costs more - 500 euros more for that infact.

We attended a Kinderwunsch Klinik.

Me 31, DH 35
TTC for 6 years
Ectopic pregnancy in Feb 2005 - resulting in loss of left tube
October 2006 - 1st IVF - sadly resulted in a BFN
November 2006 - blessed with a natural BFP!!! Now almost 3 and a half months pregnant!!!!

[Jane37]

Hi Beckkie31,
Thanks for your reply and congratulations on your BFP. That gives me a lot of hope as I have a blocked left tube and until November also had a blocked right tube. We have been attending the Kinderwunsch Klinik and they have been monitoring ovulation for the last three months. Unbelievably every time I have ovulated on my left side!! This is the last month with an HCG shot before going for IVF. My husband is privately insured, I'm public so we'll see which one they consider and how they work that out!
I have read that they don't freeze embryos here just implant everything they fertilise whether good or bad. Not sure if that's right or wrong. It's difficult to find a website in English that gives information about IVF in Germany! Thanks for your help anyway. Take care of yourself and your new baby and congratulations again.

[bekkie31]

In the Kinderwunsch Klinik I attended in Berlin - freezing embryos was definately an option and I think one of the only Clinics doing gentic testing (as that is fairly new in germany ) . It has won several awards for some of the technology and methods for IVF it uses - it is fairly up to date with IVF procedures. You are correct - embryo selection is not allowed - so for example a Blastocyst transfer would be useless as they cannot select embryos - and basically anything goes back in - good or bad - but they will tell you what problems there were e.g if very few eggs fertilized or if your egg quality is poor. The reason we had IVF was because I lost my left tube through the ectopic and my right ovary was not ovulating!! Although we got a BFN from the IVF - the hormones that I was given through the IVF treatment kick-started my right ovary into action - hence how I got pregnant.

I have opnly found websites in german about IVF in Germany - which is ok if you can read German - luckily I can . Sometimes it is better to look at a german website in german as you know the info. is correct. let me know if you need any more help!

Bekki - and good luck!

[bekkie31]

Just an after thought...If you and your husband do not have german I could find a web-site and provide you with a translation?

[Jane37]

Thanks Bekki,
My husband is German and my German is ok although I'm not so great with all the medical words. I'm having to learn fast as my doctor here doesn't speak English!! I find it a bit frustrating at times as this is a difficult enough situation in your own language without all the translating as well
If you know of any websites in German that would be really helpful. Thanks.
We're a long way from Berlin - live just outside Stuttgart but so far I'm very impressed with all the care they are taking here. As far as I know so far all the ultrasounds and HCG shots are covered by the Krankenkasse so we've had our money's worth this year

[bekkie31]

My husband is German too and I am also from th UK originally! and it sounds like we are in the same boat - my doctor never spoke English either and the normal Frauenarzt that I am seeing now and who is helping me through the pregnancy does not speak English. Noone in the hospital (where I will give birth) speaks English. When I had my ectopic in 2005 and was rushed to hospital - noone spoke English!! It does take a bit of getting used to with all the medical terms.

I have some holiday as from Wednesday - so I will look for some good web-sites and post them here on Weds. In the meantime here is a german chatboard that I used as I went through my treatment - be brave and ask some questions - even with my broken german, I managed to ask some questions and they are all really nice and understand - it is good german practice too!!

http://www.wunschkinder.net/

The above link is to the homepage of the site. To join the chatroom go to "Liste der Foren" - you will see this from the homepage.

Actually I am just looking at it now - and it seems to have pretty much everything - on the homepage you will see a section called therapie and underneath this heading IVF - there is lots of info there about IVF in Germany. If I find more good sites I will forward them on.

Take care, Bekki

[Jane37]

Thanks for that Bekki,
I've had a quick look at the forum which is good as I have lots of questions!! It's a great site and it will be good for my German too . I've also started trying to find websites in German and have found other Kinderwunsch Klinik sites which is a start. It seems that we will have to pay half the cost for IVF as I have the problem. Private will only pay everything if that person has the problem and my husband is fine. Time to start saving!!
I am lucky that my normal Frauenarzt speaks English (but not when my husband comes with me). I'm quite happy to learn German but still like the security of speaking my own language when talking about medical things
Enjoy your holidays, J