Giving ourselves over to the process

Okay, we were ready to go with Phoenix ( haven’t signed on yet), but were committed to what we believed is the best service for us ;but doubts have been raised for all of us. All I can say is that if you have doubts with any provider - don't proceed, it's not worth the angst. There are 100's of providers to surrogacy in India, research until you find someone who you are completely happy with.

But at some point, you have to give yourself over to the process, but that is pretty hard to do if you have doubts. What might be right for us might not be right for you and yours.

I have been uncomfortable with some of the recent discussion, not the discussions themselves, but the personal attacks and innuendo “rumour has it…” on various people and curious about the focus on Dr. Shivani and her training in IVF and OBGYN. It’s good to ask questions, but it’s not something that I have seen discussed with other services before. Perhaps i wouldn't be quite so paranoid if the survey hadn't been flooded or perhaps it is a sign we are becoming more sophisticated or discerning in out choices?

After my research, I am happy with my choice of Phoenix. This doesn’t mean that it is right for you, but we are giving ourselves over to the process. I am confident with Dr. Shivani and her training in IVF and OBGYN. This has come from my research, from scouring the Internet. For what it's worth this is what i found, about Dr. Shivani during her time with Hammersmith:

http://www.fertilityfriends.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=53949.msg772071#msg772071
Reply
#207 on: 13/05/06,

I had another reaction to my antagonist
injection today using the drug that I used last cycle. Not as bad as
yesterday but I called the hospital anyway and spoke to Dr Shivani (she's
lovely) and she wants me to come in. I usually do my injections around 9am
so I'll make sure I can do my injection there so they can see the
reaction.

http://www.fertilityfriends.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=60337.msg826607#msg826607

Posted
on: 22/06/06, 15:34
No return phone call from Mr T but being little miss
impatient, I've rung again and spoken to Dr Shivani. She's explained to me
that they already had quite a few people starting stimming today so everyone who
had their query suppressed scan today is starting stimms on Monday so that there
aren't too many people have EC and ET on the same day.

And more recently confirmation of the partnership that exists between Hammersmith Hospital in London and Dr. Shivani & Phoenix:

Reply #7 on: 19/09/08, 13:45 »
Hi - we are going to go through ED in October
via Dr Shivani at the Phoenix Hospital in New Delhi. She co-manages
patients with Hammersmith hospital in London. They have together
treated 4 women with ED since April 08 and all have been successful.
Their overall success rates are 75% positive pregnancy, 55% take home baby
rate of which half
are multiple births. Jazzy B

First attempt at treatment in
India using DE abandoned due to follicular cysts
(November 2008)Second DE cycle in India (January 2009) BFP on 13 Feb 2009
with twins

I have also heard that Norwegians were happily using Phoenix and Dr. Shivani and this was confirmed at a Norwegian Fertility Blog (more recent posts)

http://forum.snartgravid.com/ (translated)

The clinic is not the largest, and the building does not look like the
latest from the outside, but inside it is very good. Everything is
naturally sterile, and all of needles and other disposable equipment be removed
from forselga plastic. And although it is obvious to most, it is
reassuring to see that they do. Our doctor called Dr. Shivani, and is a
young and very nice lady. After a short consultation and explanation of
how the next few days look like, so says Dr Shivani that there is another Norskt
couple here now for the surrogate, and wonder if we want to take the. . So after
some blood tests and the start of the treatment of his wife (a syringe), then we
meet this couple. De er veldig hyggelige, og vi kommer godt overens (fru Strert
i fra forumet her). They are very nice, and we get along well (Mrs. Strert in
the forum here). There is a huge advantage to have some other Norwegian
who has been here a few days, and not least it is nice.

21/07/2009

Ours was ok, and he seems good. We have five agreements we will sign: The
surrogate agreement, a payment plan, agreement that the surrogate mother should
not require parental rights, an agreement that the husband of surrogate mother
not to claim custody, and one that I do not remember the move. All our samples are in general good so far. My wife has been slightly higher blood pressure
than normal, so we have been told to be careful with the Indian food. Anyway, we will ask for little / no salt, since the Indian food is often very much salt. . His
wife has not been affected by hormone treatment so far. Until Thursday so she will start on part two of hormone treatment (the one who makes that produced many eggs), so we'll see if it goes as good as. We have incidentally boasts a lot of Dr Shivani. She is very clever, and takes good care of all the parties.

The clinic generally also seems very professional so far, and everyone we spoke
with said that this clinic is run on a very good and satisfactory manner. Owner and manager of the hospital is otherwise a doctor, and we feel it is reassuring (and that there is no money people on the top). The clinic is known also very high success
rates, but this I have not been studied so thoroughly, so I do not know how good
this clinic is in relation to others. The clinic is located in general in one of the nicest neighborhoods in the city and the hotel we are staying at is located about 100m from the clinic. Although this is one of the nicest neighborhoods in town, so the streets
are fairly tired, and the houses not the best, but it's a thousand times better
than the rest of Delhi to put it that way. Commonwealth Games holds her. However,
the city will be renovated to the degree to October 2010, the then Commonwealth
Games held here. So we expect to see major changes if we come back here

29/07/2009
Otherwise, a little more praise of Dr Shivani: My wife has little
fear of needles, so she was a little stressed out after the first time that a
nurse was putting a syringe . Next time then rang Dr Shivani to
us after the needle was inserted to see if it went smoothly. Only a small thing, but it shows that she cares.

So, i can confirm that she is an OBGYN ,and that Dr. Shivani had the honour of being a clinical research fellow at Hammersmith. This is not a trainee position , but rather a post graduate experience available to those who wish to specialise in a particular clinical area. As a rule, being a Clinical Research Fellow is a pretty prestigious gig – and as is evidenced by the forum emails from 2006, Hammersmith had no concerns with regards to Dr. Shivani seeing clients or entering into partnership with her in 2008. This was confirmed by an email from Hammersmith IVF in which I was told:

I can confirm that Dr Shivani Sachdev worked in our unit for 2 years as a
clinical research fellow. She was trained in IVF and is able to
independently
perform egg collections, embryo transfers and patient
consultations.
She was a hardworking effective member of the team and an
excellent clinical research fellow

So, research until you are satisfied, if you have doubts, don't proceed - don't take my word for it, look long and hard and use all your resources. We all compare and contrast, choosing a service is a culling process. At the end of it, you do become a bit 'biased', you need to, if you don't give yourself over to the process and have faith in your choices - well the angst would be simply heartbreaking.