What was included at Irega--all donor costs, medication once I was there (I had to get small stuff at the pharmacy in the hospital but it came to less than $10, like aspirin), a cell phone (I put more money on it as it's an inexpensive way to call the US or Canada), the transfer, my husband's deposit and analysis (not that he liked it!, he calls it the jerk off room, but he doesn't like it anywhere we have been--making love to a plastic cup), and follow up meds through the 2 week wait, and if all goes well (a BFP--big fat positive) for one week after. I had to cover meds before I got there. I started suddenly so did not have time to get a lupron shot which is $1500 in the states but $200-$300 from Canada on a mail order but not time to order from Canada as you need at least three weeks so I just started estradiol (generic estrace) three times a day, they cost $.60 a pill and my insurance covered so it was a $10 co-pay but out of pocket would have been about $20.

You do need to get your doctor to rewrite the prescriptions for you as the US and Canadian clinics will not take a Mexican prescription. I tried to keep in touch with my doctor throughout and she was great but my RE was NOT so it was wonderful that one person was willing to work with me. They retrieved 10 eggs (you are guaranteed 8), fertilized 8, 7 made it to three day embryo at quality 1, 2 or 3 (4 is poor, which was number 8). They did a three day transfer of the top quality four embryos (and gave me a photo of them which was really neat!), froze the remaining three (quality two and one of quality 3), gave me the analysis of: the eggs, the embryos with a break down of which were transferred/ which frozen, and of my husband's sperm. If this does not take (not wanting to jinx myself) we return and pay for meds prior to arrival, travel and stay and that is it.

Do I think they used my donor? Well, my husband thinks he saw her there in the waiting room when we arrived. He had really studied the photo and only told me later. I was so worried about my first appointment that I did not notice and he never pointed her out to me! He thought she looked five pounds heavier than in the photo (really, he said 5 pounds, men!) I had a great experience and the hospital was topnotch. Dra. Mayra was wonderful but she is shy about using English and more comfortable in Spanish. She has a translator present for complicated questions but she and I just chatted as I speak Spanish.

She was great when I had a meltdown when the male embryologist entered to hand over the embryos during the transfer and agreed if I have to return they will fly in the female embryologist from their clinic in Acapulco, which I will pay for but I am most willing. I just do not ever see male medical practitioners, a personal thing. My husband was not there (he flew home early for work) but he thought I was crazy as the reason for the male embryologist is he's the very best they have, but my husband does not understand my phobia.

Cost was $8350. I also chose to pay an additional $500 for the five weeks following the first twenty days or meds so I would not have to worry about switching brands or types in the states. Probably not a big deal but less of a stress for me. I had to pay a $2000 deposit to start the donor on her meds and then they almost forgot to make me pay at the end. I was waiting around and they were like don't you want to go rest and I was like, well yeah but I owe you almost $7000 (with the extra meds). It was kind of funny!

Tori Brown, the patient facilitator there, did say they have had several new donors (including one from FCC that I had originally been going to use who honestly looked like a twin), so I would email her also at toribrown.iregaivf@gmail.comYou will likely pay bank foreign transfer fees, it all came to about an extra $200 for me between what I paid for cash transfers for the cash I needed there, the exchange rate loss for the deposit, and the final payment fee. More on what I spent to fly and stay later.

Oh, it struck me as SUPER funny that in Cancun there are ATM machines that only give you US dollars, something I have never, ever seen before in Mexico. Here is one:

and here is the hallway to Dra. Mayra's office in the Irega clinic: