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Ottawa Fertility Clinic BMI policy

Basically I am at a stand still because they do not treat anyone with a BMI over 38. They claim it is too high of a risk for the mother and fetus but they will not provide the actual risks and their corresponding percentages. The Ontario government now funds IVF and they did not put a BMI limit on it so I have a hard time understanding how the clinic can. I know my rights the only way they can refuse to treat me is if they admit incompetency or it is against their personal beliefs. Not sure which one this falls under but all the research I have done still shows very low risk for me at a BMI of 40. I am talking the serious stuff at less than 5% and and the treatable stuff at only 10% so I don't get how they can discriminate like this. Unfortunately there are no other clinics in the area and the closest that is still covered by my health insurance (OHIP) is in Toronto over 5 hours away by car. I have a choice now, either I get the referral to the local clinic which I know will make me lose weight before they will do ANYTHING which sucks but it is only about 25 pounds and I think I could do that but it might take me a year and I'm coming up on 30 and I'd like to be able to not be a senior when my children graduate high school or I can get a referral to 1 of 2 Toronto clinics which although they did not give me their precise BMI restrictions a fertility lawyer told me they are more likely to treat me as they have no set restriction and it is decided on an individual basis. I could crash diet lose 25 pounds get treated but I personally think this is more of a risk than just treating me now, I know how it works when I lose weight fast, I gain it back plus 50% more. Before TTC I lost 40 pounds, a combination of dieting, exercise, inflammatory bowel disease and going off of medication that caused me to gain all the weight in the first place, it did however take a year and a half just to lose that. I am seeing an endocrinologist in March and I am hoping to get on metformin as I likely have a metabolic disorder and insulin resistance as they literally have no idea why I cannot lose the weight. Come off the medication I should have lost way more than I did and all my labs come back normal, no hypothyroidism, no abnormal hormones, they thought they saw cysts on an ultrasound it turns out it was diverticuli and further imaging showed my woman parts are completely fine I am even ovulating normally however I am concerned about my short 11 day luteal phase but it is still in normal range. My husband is getting his health insurance this month and then we can test him but as of right now it could be him. Honestly he has issues with his junk, like ED and he is only 25, sometimes even pre-e. I mean they say there is a 40% chance it is either of us and a 20% chance it's both so maybe it's him. I could have blocked tubes but I don't know if the local clinic would even run that test because of my BMI. This discrimination is ridiculous and the fat stigma lets them get away with it, it's insane. I just really need some advice on which route to take, I am dedicated to weight loss but I cannot do it if my body wont let me even with a calorie deficit and it could take a long time but the other option is still not 100% they will treat me although there is a better chance than the local clinic but the 5 hour and 40 minute drive is going to be a problem especially with hubby working and me not being able to drive, I could fly it's not that expensive but add on the amount of times I will have to go it will add up. What would you do?


7 Replies • 8 years ago


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If I'm following correctly, your options that you have are:
1. Crash diet and lose 25 lbs to go to the clinic
2. Drive/fly to the clinic 5 hours away
3. Get a referral to another clinic

First of all, it is not recommended to "crash diet" before a pregnancy. Losing weight too quickly or in an "unhealthy" way can put your pregnancy at risk, and isn't good for you in general! You want to be your healthiest self, and you might be healthier at a bmi of 40 than if you crash dieted yourself down to a lower bmi, due to nutrition and other factors.

Second of all, driving/flying may seem like a reasonable option now, but will become difficult/near impossible once you are further along in your pregnancy. Think about having to take full days off of work for each appointment, for you and your DH. Also, if something happened and you needed to see your Dr. on short notice, it would be a huge hassle. Furthermore, what about when you go into labor? Or just have general concerns but still need to see a Dr? You won't be able to fly to the clinic at 9 months pregnant each week for your appointment, and it's going to be quite the uncomfortable drive. And once you go into labor, there's no way you're getting there in time.

I would strongly recommend trying to get a referral to a closer clinic. It would be so much easier, and better for you. Also, keep in mind, would you want to go to the kind of clinic that discriminates because of weight? Would you be ok with that clinic treating you just because you lost 25 lbs? If they don't treat you well now, what makes you think you would want them treating a 25 lb lighter version of you?

If I'm reading correctly, this is what my advice would be. If I misread something feel free to correct me, and good luck!!

8 years ago


They arrange monitoring in my home town and set up an OB to deliver here with the non local clinics. The only local clinic is the one that has already treated me poorly because of weight and the ones 5 hours away are the next closest. I do not work so as long as I can get there I can go alone and my SO can keep working. They also work in conjunction with local ultrasound clinics etc so most things can be done from my home town. I agree crash dieting to fit their BMI policy is more risky than treating me now unfortunately they have their rules and will do no treatments for me until I lose the weight. If I do it healthily I'm looking at 8 to 10 months before getting pregnant and I'll be 27 at that point and that is just pushing it in my opinion. I can set up a phone consultation in 2 weeks for one of the clinics who said they'd allow me to decide on my treatment plan by giving me all the options. I think I might do it. Now the one getting me in in 2 weeks is smaller and it's a 50$ fee but the big fertility clinic has a 150$ consult fee, if I go in person it is free and covered by insurance for both clinics but travel cost is likely more than 50$ but probably around the 150$ mark. I might do a consult to vet the clinic before I get the referrals, they basically bring in my GP and a an OB team locally to handle most things and they get the info on their end and advise. I will have to get the consult to know how exactly it works but I think I might do it. 50$ isn't bad, the clinic I found from others who went there and loved it. So to break it down my options are;

1 Go to local clinic, crash diet 25 pounds or lose 25 pounds over 10 months, likely be treated poorly regardless of weight loss, probably will only look at the weight before looking at any other issue
2 Go to a clinic in Toronto, have to commute regularly, will get the help I need, will set up a support team to handle things here but will go for actual fertility treatment in Toronto

I will probably do the consult get more info and make a decision but if the clinics in Toronto are going to be more helpful and kind I will likely choose to do that. It really sucks but 5 hours away is the closest alternative clinic in my province. Ottawa Fertility Clinic owns every clinic in my city and their policy is universal.


8 years ago • Post starter


I see. I would definitely agree with you about the consultation then. Would you only have to go for fertility treatments then? And once you would become pregnant, all care would be local? If that's the case, I would definitely go with that option!

8 years ago


I think that is how they will do it, it wont be bad for hormonal treatments it's the IUI and IFV that we will have to be able to be at the doctors office daily for a few weeks and that could be costly but that is probably at least a year away because I want to try everything else before using my 1 time funded IVF cycle and I would want to lose weight for it to increase my success chance regardless so I could potentially transfer to the local clinic for those. I just want to start with finding out what the problem is, I suspect LPD because my luteal phase is short at only 11 days and I have also tested negative for PCOS. If I can have hormonal supplementation I think that will likely solve the problem but it might not even be me it could be my hubby. I could have blocked tubes too so I want that checked. Either way starting with a phone consult is probably the best way to do it, it's only 50$ and I have heard great things about this clinic. I sent them off an email to see if they want to do it before or after I get my MRIs in March. I really hope I can get some one who will actually help us. Thanks so much for talking to me about this. Hubby is sick of hearing about it! lol


8 years ago • Post starter


There is a clinic in Kingston at KGH with Dr Reid, but he will refer to Ottawa for IVF.

Also Dr stephanie Palermo has a great deal of infertility experience as she worked at KGH with Dr Reid.

8 years ago


Oh yeah? I didn't find anything online. Do you have a link or contact info? Having to go to Ottawa for IVF will be a problem as they have a very strict BMI policy so I would NEVER be able to get it done in Ottawa but I want to try everything else first and OFC wont do anything until I lose weight and closer options for hormonal treatment at my current BMI would be an option I'd consider but we would have to go to Toronto for IVF regardless.


8 years ago • Post starter


Never mind he is literally part of the Ottawa Fertility Clinic and they are the ones I am trying to get away from as their policy is universal. Bunch of bias discriminatory ass clowns. *grumble grumble* I am salty about this.


8 years ago • Post starter


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