Baby 2 · IVF

Cycle Flexibility & Switching Costs

What does it actually cost if we try cycle 1 at one clinic and want to switch?

Last updated: Apr 28, 2026 12:21 AM PT
The question: Adam raised the idea of doing cycle 1 at one clinic, evaluating, and switching if we don’t love them. Which clinics make that cheap, and which punish it? Answer depends entirely on PGT-A pricing model and whether any money is prepaid upfront.

What Actually Moves Between Clinics

Item Portable? Cost/Friction
Test results (DNA frag, karyotype, PANDA, records) Yes Trivial — email
Protocols, stim plan, meds prescriptions Yes Trivial
Frozen embryos Yes, with friction €500–1,500 shipping + import/export permits + chain-of-custody + small risk of damage
Prepaid package value (Repromeda PGT-A-for-8, multi-cycle deals) No Forfeited if you leave early
Doctor relationship & institutional knowledge of your case No Restart with new clinic
70% upfront deposits (Repromeda) Partial Refund tied to how far you got before stopping

Three PGT-A Pricing Models — Opposite Economics

Model Clinics Wins at… Loses at…
Per-embryo ReproGenesis (745 first + 405 each), Reprofit (600/embryo) Small batches (1–5 embryos) — pay only for what you test Large batches (8+ embryos) — costs add up fast
Flat per batch IVF Cube (€3,300 per batch, regardless of count) Large batches (6+ embryos) — amortizes well Small batches — €1,100/embryo at 3 embryos, brutal
Bundled prepaid up to 8 Repromeda (€2,292 prepaid in ICSI+PGT-A pkg) Large batches used over multiple cycles Single-cycle walk-away — unused capacity forfeited
Breakeven intuition: per-embryo pricing is cheaper up to ~5–6 embryos; flat/bundled pricing wins at 6+ embryos. Our 3-cycle banking plan targets ~8+ embryos total, so flat/bundled models mathematically win if we commit. They only lose if we walk after a small batch.

Walk-Away Scenarios (cycle 1 only, 3 embryos)

Scenario A — Test your cycle 1 embryos, then walk

You do cycle 1, get ~3 embryos, PGT-A test them at cycle-1 clinic, then walk. This is the most expensive walk-away strategy because flat/bundled clinics don’t get to amortize.

Clinic Base cycle PGT-A (3 embryos) Meds Cycle 1 total Overpay vs. ReproGenesis
★ReproGenesis 2,990 1,555 (745 + 405×2) 2,000 6,545 baseline
Reprofit 3,245 1,800 (600×3) 2,000 7,045 +500
★Repromeda 5,417 (ICSI+PGT-A pkg, PGT-A incl.) incl. 2,000 7,417 (~1,430 of prepaid capacity forfeited) +872
★IVF Cube 3,300 3,300 (flat fee for 3) 2,000 8,600 +2,055

IVF Cube is by far the most expensive because the flat €3,300 assumes amortization over 6+ embryos. At 3 embryos you’re paying €1,100 per test.

Scenario B — Don’t test cycle 1, freeze embryos, move to new clinic

Complete cycle 1 but skip PGT-A. Freeze embryos and later ship them to the next clinic or test at the old one from afar. This avoids wasteful flat/bundled PGT-A spend on a small batch.

Clinic Cycle 1 paid PGT-A loss if you walk + Shipping Effective cost
★Repromeda (interrupted before PGT-A) 2,250 (interrupted pkg, refund of ~3,167) Zero — refund issued 500–1,500 ~4,250–5,250
★ReproGenesis (no PGT-A pkg bought) 2,990 Zero — per-embryo, unused 500–1,500 ~4,990–5,990
Reprofit (a la carte) 3,245 Zero — per-embryo, unused 500–1,500 ~5,245–6,245
★IVF Cube (no PGT-A batch triggered) 3,300 Zero — batch fee opt-in, not triggered 500–1,500 ~5,300–6,300
Biggest surprise: if you can invoke Repromeda’s interrupted package clause (pay only €2,250 if you stop after fertilization without PGT-A), Repromeda is the cheapest cycle 1 of any clinic. But this requires declaring no-PGT-A intent before fertilization — not the default path Adéla described, which assumes you proceed through PGT-A.

Meds (~€2,000/cycle) apply to all four clinics equally and aren’t included above, since meds are typically purchased separately from the clinic.

Scenario C — Abandon cycle 1 embryos (no test, no ship)

Walk away completely. Leave frozen embryos at original clinic indefinitely (or consent to disposal). Dramatic but simple.

Clinic Cost sunk Storage implications
Repromeda (interrupted) 2,250 First year storage incl. €125/yr after
Repromeda (fully paid) 5,417 + meds PGT-A entirely forfeited (€2,292 lost)
ReproGenesis 2,990 + meds Cryo +1yr incl. €225/yr after
IVF Cube 3,300 + meds Cryo +1yr incl. Ask about annual renewal
Reprofit 3,245 + meds Cryo +€440, €205/yr after

Frozen Embryo Portability — The Real Friction

Practical takeaway: moving frozen embryos isn’t scary, but it isn’t free either. Budget €750 shipping + a few days of paperwork if you switch mid-banking.

Non-PGT-A Commitment Mechanisms

Clinic Commitment mechanism Forfeit if walk after cycle 1
Repromeda 70% deposit upfront + prepaid PGT-A for 8 bundled into cycle 1 price. Multi-cycle discount asked to financial director (not yet quoted). Depends on interrupt timing. Worst case: full €2,292 PGT-A portion (if PGT-A triggered). Best case: €0 (interrupted before fertilization or before PGT-A).
IVF Cube Structural: flat PGT-A batch fee only pays off at 6+ embryos. No upfront prepayment; no multi-cycle discount (confirmed). €0 prepaid forfeit. But if you test a small batch, you overpaid ~€2,000 vs. per-embryo alternatives.
ReproGenesis None by default. Hana was asked for a 3-cycle package quote Apr 15 (awaiting response). If she offers a bundled deal, commitment cost appears. €0 on current a-la-carte pricing.
Reprofit None on standard pricing (confirmed by Dr. Kamil: no multi-cycle discount). Separate: Redia IVF multi-cycle refund guarantee exists as a standalone product partnered with the clinic — heavy commitment if entered. €0 on standard pricing.

Summary — Cost-to-Walk After Cycle 1

Clinic Test cycle 1 (3 emb) + walk No test, keep embryos + walk Flexibility rating
★ReproGenesis 6,545 ~4,990 Highest — per-embryo pricing, no prepayment
Reprofit 7,045 ~5,245 High — same logic as ReproGenesis, slightly pricier
★Repromeda 7,417 ~4,250 (if interrupted) Bimodal — cheapest if you interrupt properly, expensive if you fully commit
★IVF Cube 8,600 ~5,300 Lowest — flat PGT-A fee punishes small-batch testing

Bottom Line & Tactical Recommendations

If you’re already committed to 3-cycle banking: Repromeda and IVF Cube win on total PGT-A cost via flat/bundled pricing. Their “inflexibility” is also why they’re cheaper if you follow through.
If you want genuine flexibility to switch after cycle 1: ReproGenesis is the cleanest option. Per-embryo PGT-A pricing means no prepayment, no forfeit, no “overpay because small batch” penalty. Reprofit is the same model, €500 pricier.
Repromeda’s interrupted-package clause is underappreciated: if you explicitly plan to bank at Repromeda without triggering PGT-A in cycle 1 (freeze embryos, continue cumulative cycles, only test at the end), cycle 1 can drop to €2,250 — cheaper than any other clinic’s base cycle. This is actually the model Adéla recommended (bank across cycles, then batch-test). The flexibility appears if you stop at that point instead of continuing.

Practical moves

  1. Ask Repromeda to confirm the interrupted-package path — specifically, “If we pay 70% deposit, complete retrieval + fertilization, freeze embryos, but choose not to trigger PGT-A in cycle 1, what’s our net cost?” If the answer is €2,250, Repromeda is both our most committed AND most flexible option depending on what we do.
  2. Ask ReproGenesis if the 3-cycle package quote (pending) is binding — if Hana sends a multi-cycle deal that requires commitment, that shifts ReproGenesis from “highest flexibility” into the committed tier.
  3. Don’t start at IVF Cube if there’s any doubt. Their flat fee only makes sense if you’re fully committed to banking multiple cycles there. If you start there and change your mind, the economics break badly.
  4. Ship-cost awareness: if we do end up moving embryos, budget ~€750 for shipping. Probably worth verifying receiving-clinic acceptance in advance so we don’t ship then find out they won’t accept.

Assumptions: cycle 1 produces ~3 tested embryos (reasonable for our profile). Meds budgeted at €2,000/cycle not itemized above since they’re typically purchased outside the clinic package.

Repromeda interrupted-package pricing: €1,459 (after OPU no fertilization) / €2,250 (after OPU + fertilization, no PGT-A). Source: IVF ICSI aj.pdf.

Frozen embryo shipping cost estimates from market rates for clinical cryo-couriers. Specific quote required before committing to a move.

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