After reading the latest copy of F-IVF, I felt compelled to write to share with you our experiences of IVF. I hope our story will give some hope to those currently undergoing treatments.
At the beginning of 2000, we decided that I should come off the pill in order that we might start a family. In our naivety, we had assumed that it would be as simple as that!
After being as regular as clockwork whilst on the pill, my cycle deteriorated completely. I would often go a full 60 days between bleeds. It soon became obvious that the home ovulation tests were something of a waste of time, effort and money! After about eighteen months of trying we started the process of seeking help.
Paul was tested and came back with full marks. I on the other hand was told that I have slightly Polycystic Ovaries. This, coupled with my erratic periods meant that our best course of action would be for me to take Clomid. In April of 2003, after just one course of the drug, I became pregnant. Much to our delight, we finally had a daughter - Mathilda Camille Elizabeth on December 20, 2003.
Following Tilly’s birth, we were assured that just because we had had some difficulty in conceiving the first time, this was not an indication of things to come. Subsequent conceptions would be possible without intervention. We started trying for a sibling as soon as we could! No joy. Because I breastfed for a full year, my periods did not return until late 2004. Once again, they were erratic. I started again on the Clomid and foolishly thought that because it had
worked first time before, the same would happen again - it didn’t. I took a total of six courses of Clomid before admitting defeat.
In September of 2005, I underwent day surgery - a Laparoscopy, Hysteroscopy and just because they could (!!), Ovarian Drilling (does it have to sound so scary!!) Ovarian Drilling, they told me, would stimulate my ovaries into spontaneous ovulation - sounded quite messy to me!!
The results of these tests showed that I was suffering from 'classic unexplained infertility'. Oh goody! That felt as clear as mud, especially as we had already had one pregnancy resulting in our beautiful (now) two year old.
Three months later, when despite my ovaries being drilled, I had not become pregnant, I was told that they only thing left to do was IVF. This seemed quite unreal and scary.
We attended an open evening in February 2006, where IVF, its process, its successes and failures were spelt out. Both Paul and I felt excited by the prospect, but also a little fraudulent. We knew that unlike most of the couples there that evening, we were lucky. We already had a child. We never really knew if it was ok to want more in this way. That said it was exactly that fact that kept us sane over the following months. We were both adamant that our quest for more children would not become the ‘be all and end all’. We never wanted it to be detrimental to Mathilda and our relationship with her.
And so our IVF adventure began. I can’t say it was an enjoyable experience, but to be fair, it wasn’t awful. The interventions are intrusive, but for us they were simply a necessary evil! Even after discovering that Paul’s sperm had become 'a little lazy' and that ICSI would need to be utilised, we managed to take it in our stride quite well I think. Maybe the fact that we just allowed ourselves to get swept up in the process, we didn’t dwell too long on any part of it.
At the end of June 2006, whilst camping in Devon, we waited the longest five minutes in history for the results of the pregnancy test. Negative. The only way to describe how I felt was - arrghh! I wanted to have a tantrum, shout that it wasn’t fair. But I knew there was not point, it wouldn’t get me anywhere. We went out to lunch and I had a large glass of wine - my first in over six months!
The following week, the clinic explained our options to us. We agreed that we would try again with our frozen embryos in a few months time, but that in the meantime we would just try and put it behind us.
I had had a period two days after the negative test result and as usual, by the beginning of August I was still waiting for another. I decided to do a pregnancy test. I hadn’t gone out specially to buy one, it was simply that I had an unused one in the draw left over from every time my irregular periods were irregular!
For pretty much the first time ever, I didn’t even vaguely think that it might come up positive. You know how you try to convince yourself each time you do the test that it probably wont be positive, but you’re still totally gutted when it isn’t! I was really only using the test just to eliminate all possibility so I could move on. I didn’t even tell Paul I was going to do it.
So there I was, confidentially believing that it would be negative, just like all the other ones, when low and behold, a blue line came up! Not just a feint one either. But a strong blue line. It took my breath away. I literally sat there and said "No ****ing way!!!"
I showed Paul, who promptly told me that he wasn’t surprised, as I had been swooning a few weeks earlier!! I remember that. It had been extremely hot at the beginning of July. I genuinely had thought that’s all it was.
We contacted the clinic. They congratulated us and assured us that this pregnancy was all our own doing, nothing to do with IVF. Hoorah! It really didn’t matter how it had happened - it was just brilliant that it had!!
Oh my word! What a roller coaster! One minute we’re not, and then we are! All a bit bonkers really!
We booked in for the 12-week Nuchal scan. A few days before this I did say to Paul that I thought maybe we were having twins as I just felt further on / bigger than I was last time at this stage. Mr Impy took one look at our scan image and declared in no uncertain terms that, "…this is a 16-week foetus, not 12 weeks!" "IVF", both Paul and I said in unison!
The only explanation the clinic could offer was that I must have been carrying twins and only one survived. The false negative result must have picked up on the non-viable one. The 'period' I experienced, was my body ridding itself of this.
So there it was, we were finally pregnant again and the IVF had worked. How amazing!
In spite of a couple of complications along the way, two weeks premature on February 18th 2007, a happy and healthy Florence Jessie Alice arrived weighing in at a respectable 6lbs 11oz. Blossom, as she has become known, is now almost five months old and is an absolute joy. Her big sister loves her very much and is very proud of her.
It’s now seven years on from when we first came off the pill. Despite the convoluted route, we know that we are some of the lucky ones. We have two beautiful daughters who wouldn’t be here today without the help of the Oxford Fertility Clinic. For this, we are truly grateful.
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