Fertility support
A message for ‘quietly determined’ women on a fertility journey
In 1978 Lesley Brown gave birth to Louise, the world’s first test-tube baby – and became the first person to celebrate Mother’s Day with an IVF baby.
Diagnosed with endometriosis at 14, Leanne’s chances of a baby seemed slim
“I was diagnosed with endometriosis when I was 14 and had had numerous procedures over the years to remove the tissue and calm things down a bit but it kept growing back,” she says. “Then when I was 18 I was hospitalised with an ectopic pregnancy and had to have one of my fallopian tubes removed.”
“Periods so painful I used to pass out” – International Women’s Day highlights endometriosis
As a teenager, Megan used to have such painful periods she would pass out. But she didn’t know this wasn’t normal and being on the pill eased the pain. It was only when the couple started trying for a baby that she was told it could be endometriosis, a common cause of infertility.
I felt excluded from the ‘mummy club’
Mothers’ Day can be a painful reminder for many women of the things they are missing, which for Lina included friendship. “I felt there was a ‘Mummy Club’ that I was excluded from,” says Lina now aged 38. ‘All of my friends from school and university were already on their first, second and third child. As much as I had tried to keep up the relationships, I was just ‘not there’, we just couldn’t find points of interest to talk about.”
AMH – a simple way to check ovulation and your egg reserve
Fertility declines more rapidly for women over the age of 35. The AMH blood test provides a simple way to check ovulation and egg reserve.
If you are not eligible for NHS IVF treatment don’t wait for advice
Are you are struggling to get pregnant, worried about NHS waiting times and want some advice about next steps? To be eligible for one cycle of NHS funded IVF in Cambridgeshire, you will need to be referred by a hospital consultant, but for the many people not eligible for funding it makes no sense to wait a year for fertility testing.
Two mums both had IVF – twins now and embryos in the freezer!
Both Amelia and her partner Helen wanted to carry a pregnancy; after a few failed attempts at IUI, they both had IVF treatment within a year.
Mid and South Essex removes postcode lottery for NHS IVF funding
The postcode lottery for NHS IVF funding has been removed from Essex following a decision by the Mid and South Essex Integrated Care Board (ICB). Everyone that meets the criteria will, from 1 April 2023, be eligible for two full cycles of IVF (one fresh and one frozen embryo transfer).
How to show the love on Valentine’s Day without the sugar rush
This Valentine’s Day show your other half some love and you will also activate a cascade of feel-good hormones that can influence your wellbeing, writes Angela Attwood, Bourn Hall’s Fertility Nutritionist in this guest blog.
Is your donor conceived child turning 18 this year?
2023 will see 18 year olds, conceived through donated sperm, able for the first time to request identifying details of their donor.
Find out how can we help you
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Patient reviews you can trust
Genuine experiences from real patients. See why so many trust us with their fertility care.
“We went to an open evening at Bourn Hall Wickford and came away feeling really positive about the place. The staff were really friendly and the presentation was clear about the statistics regarding success rates and live birth rates; their data was very transparent. We came away feeling like we would really be looked after.”
Katy and Leigh are parents to Charlie after IVF
Patient 2023
“We chose to make an appointment at Bourn Hall Wickford because of the favourable reviews. When we got there and met the staff they were just so lovely, making us feel welcome and explaining to us what tests would need to be done and what our options were; we just thought ‘yes, let’s get the ball rolling!”
Jess and Fran are mums to Nathan after IVF with donor sperm
Patient 2023