Waiting for a heartbeat to know the long wait was over

Lucy was just 16 when she met her future husband Andrew, and after a number of years together the Cambridge couple decided to get married. They were keen to start a family immediately.

Lucy explains: “We were trying for a baby for over two years and I was getting quite worried and anxious about it.  Everyone around us was getting pregnant easily which made it more upsetting.

“We didn’t know if one or both of us had a fertility problem and that was worrying.

Unexplained infertility

“Eventually we went to our GP who referred us to the hospital for tests. The tests didn’t reveal the reason why we were having problems getting pregnant but as we had been trying without success for some time they referred us for IVF.

“We chose Bourn Hall Clinic because it was local and also for its outstanding reputation for its IVF success.

“We met with the consultant and he went through all the details. We then back for a lesson on how to use the medication, which I would be injecting myself for just over a month.”

Fertility drugs to stimulate ovaries

Lucy’s agreed treatment plan involved her taking fertility drugs to stimulate her ovaries to produce a number of eggs and to prepare her womb to receive the embryos.

Regular scans and blood tests were conducted during this time to monitor her closely to assess her response to the medication and decide when to proceed with egg collection.

Lucy produced seven eggs, which were put together with Andrew’s sperm on the day of egg collection. Five eggs fertilised successfully and these were matured for five days. Three good quality embryos made it to the blastocyst stage when there is the greatest chance of a successful pregnancy.

“I wanted to see the heart beating”

One of the three resulting embryos was transferred to Lucy’s womb, the other two frozen for a further cycle if required, and then the couple had an anxious wait to see if Lucy was pregnant.

Lucy explains: “It was a nerve wracking wait, after a few weeks I had a positive pregnancy test but I still did not feel confident. I wanted to see the heart beating.

“We went for a check-up at Bourn Hall at seven and half weeks. On seeing the heart beating and being told that everything was alright was a huge relief. The rest of my pregnancy went without any particular complications.”

“Delighted to have Zachary” 

Baby Zachary was born two weeks over due on the 22^nd September 2014.

Lucy says: “We are absolutely delighted to have Zachary. It has been a long journey from start to finish but worth it.

“If we do need to have any more IVF we would certainly go back to Bourn Hall and we have two frozen embryos still at Bourn Hall in case we should need them in the future.

“IVF is not an easy process but Bourn Hall made it bearable. Everyone was so kind and friendly and the clinic didn’t feel clinical so you felt more relaxed.”

Encouraging others to speak up

Andrew concludes: “We would urge anyone who is experiencing problems conceiving not to be afraid to speak up and seek help. We were apprehensive at first and the process seemed daunting but in the end it was definitely worth it.

“Without Bourn Hall we wouldn’t have Zachary and we are so grateful to their staff for all their hard work and expertise.”

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