New digital IVF support tool launched amid growing pressure on uk fertility services
A new digital IVF support tool to prevent women from navigating injections and complex medical schedules alone has been launched by pregnancy and postpartum wellbeing support app Carea
With more than 100,000 fertility treatment cycles taking place in UK clinics last year, a fertility specialist says the rise in demand means care is becoming ‘increasingly impersonal’ with women struggling to get the support they need
The new feature gives women going through fertility treatment and egg freezing access to step-by-step medication videos and a comprehensive medication tracker with reminders and progress updates, as well as expert-led articles and podcasts
Women navigating the challenges of fertility treatments and egg freezing will finally get the personalised support they desperately need, thanks to a new digital IVF support tool designed to close a widening gap in care between clinic appointments.
While IVF is framed as a highly monitored medical journey, much of the responsibility falls to women once they leave the clinic. From administering injections and managing complex medication schedules, to navigating the emotional strain, patients are largely left to handle the process alone - often without consistent one-to-one support from a single doctor or nurse or someone readily available to answer urgent questions or clarify instructions.
Carea, a pregnancy and postnatal wellbeing app, is bridging this gap with the launch of its new Trying to Conceive: IVF/IUI Mode, to support the tens of thousands of women undergoing complex fertility treatment, amid growing concern over inconsistent clinic continuity and limited day-to-day guidance[1][2].
It has been shaped by direct feedback from women undergoing fertility treatment. Some shared that they were managing up to six medications a day, often requiring careful mixing, while balancing work and everyday life, highlighting the significant logistical burden and mental load carried between clinic appointments.
The new mode provides structured, day-to-day support throughout IVF, IUI or egg freezing cycles.
Women can input their personalised treatment plan into a comprehensive medication tracker, which helps them stay organised and on schedule. Step-by-step video guides demonstrate how to administer each medication, while built-in reminders require users to tick off doses once taken, reducing the risk of missed injections.
A visual progress bar also tracks their journey, helping to maintain motivation during what can be an emotionally and physically demanding time.
Alongside practical tools, users can access expert-led articles, podcasts and IVF-specific affirmations, equipping them with trusted information and reassurance at every stage of their fertility journey.
Why this matters now
Access to fertility treatment in the UK has become increasingly limited and unequal. NHS-funded IVF cycles now account for just 27% of all treatments, and nearly 70% of local authorities fund only one cycle for women under 40 who have been trying to conceive for two years. As a result, the majority of women now pursue fertility treatment privately, often at significant personal cost, with a single IVF cycle typically costing several thousand pounds, excluding medication and additional procedures.
At the same time, demand for fertility support continues to rise. More women are choosing to have children later in life and around one in seven couples in the UK experience difficulties conceiving. Yet while clinical treatment has advanced, structured emotional and practical support between appointments remains limited, leaving many women to navigate complex medication protocols and the psychological toll on their own.
“It’s the tool I wish I had when I was going through IVF myself,” said Anastasia Shubareva-Epshtein, founder and CEO of Carea. “It can be an incredibly isolating and challenging journey. There are countless questions that come up every day, from practical concerns about medication and timing to the constant ‘what ifs’ that weigh on your mind.
“Appointments are often weeks apart, yet the treatment itself is happening daily at home. Having a trusted, reliable place to turn to for clear guidance and reassurance would have made a world of difference during such an intense and uncertain time.”
Dr Anil Gudi, a leading fertility specialist, founder of Fertility Plus, and medical advisor at Carea, has supported the development of the app’s new Trying to Conceive mode after seeing firsthand the struggles women face with fertility treatments. He said: “Many of the patients I see say that, prior to coming to my clinic, they had not experienced continuity of care with the same doctor during their treatment. Sadly, IVF care in the UK is becoming increasingly impersonal.”
The Trying to Conceive: IVF/IUI mode joins Carea’s growing suite of features, including its pregnancy and postpartum mode, supporting mothers through fertility, pregnancy and beyond. Carea also plans to launch a “Healing After Loss Mode” to support women who have experienced failed IVF cycles or miscarriages, which will be added to the app in the near future.
The new IVF/IUI feature, designed to support women throughout their fertility journeys, is now available free of charge within the Carea app. The app can be downloaded via the App Store and Google Play, and existing users can access the feature by updating to the latest version.
About Carea
Carea is a UK-based maternal wellbeing platform founded by a mother who experienced miscarriage, IVF, and the realities of postpartum recovery firsthand.
Created to put mothers - not just babies - at the heart of care, Carea combines expert guidance, emotional wellbeing tools and daily trackers to support women through every stage of pregnancy and postpartum.
Its mission is to make compassionate, trigger-free antenatal and maternal care accessible to all. The Carea app has already been downloaded 10,000 times since its launch in April 2025.