The only regret – wish we’d done it sooner!

Fertility was never something we thought we’d struggle with. Like many couples, we dreamed of starting a family, assuming it would happen naturally. But month after month turned into years of waiting, hoping, and heartbreaking disappointment. Eventually, we found ourselves sitting in a fertility clinic, hearing the word that would come to define the next chapter of our lives: IVF.

Our journey with Herts & Essex started in January 2023 after we decided to take back control of our situation when we were told that our local NHS trust were unable to provide any funding for our treatment following 2 years of unsuccessfully being able to conceive.

From our very first consultation appointment with Keely, we knew we had chosen the right clinic for us. We never felt like we were in a “medical” environment and it was so lovely to feel that we were being treated as individuals and were always made to feel welcome by every member of staff.

Our treatment began with a surgical procedure to remove some cysts from my ovaries and also some unknown endometriosis. This was carried out by Doctor David and we were shocked how quickly he could get us booked in for this when we had been waiting 14 months with the NHS! The surgery was a success and we were told to continue trying naturally again for another year.

Unfortunately, a year later in July 2024, we still weren’t pregnant so we came back to Herts & Essex to begin our IVF journey. We couldn’t believe how quickly the process progressed once we’d had our screening tests.

IVF wasn’t a decision we took lightly. It meant facing our biggest fear, our finances, and the unknown. It meant countless injections, blood tests, scans and emotional ups and downs that no one can truly prepare you for, nor will anyone be able to fully understand unless they have been in that position themselves. It meant daring to hope again, even after so many setbacks.

The process was overwhelming at first. The very first injection was emotional for both of us. It all finally felt very real, we were really doing this! But once we got into a routine, we actually looked forward to 8 o’clock every evening as every injection would hopefully bring us one step closer to becoming parents.

The egg retrieval brought nerves. How many eggs would be collected? Would any fertilise and if so, would any of them make it to the blastocyst stage? We were beyond lucky to have collected 22 eggs of which 16 fertilised. The next 5 days waiting to see if any of our embryos had made it to blastocyst felt like an eternity. I can’t even put into words how it felt when the lab called and informed us that they had frozen 6 embryos for us! We knew we still had a long way to go but this is the most hopeful we had ever felt.

Due to collecting over 20 eggs, we had to wait a few months before we could transfer an embryo which initially felt like a set back however, this gave us time to recover both physically and mentally and prepare ourselves for the next stage.

In October 2024, Doctor Michael transferred one of our embryos. Then came the two-week wait, which felt like forever. Every twinge, every symptom—or lack thereof—made us question if this would actually work. And finally, the call from Tracey. Our blood results had confirmed a positive test. We were FINALLY pregnant.

Those words still bring tears to our eyes. IVF gave us a chance when we felt like giving up. And while the pregnancy came with its own set of fears, we trusted the process, my body and remained strong together.

Today, we hold in our arms the miracle we once only dreamed of. The journey was long and full of challenges, but it made us stronger and forever grateful. The only regret we have is wishing we’d done it sooner!

Starting the IVF process can feel extremely daunting but, for us, we looked at it as having everything to gain and nothing to lose. We didn’t want to live with the unknown anymore and if it wasn’t meant to be, at least we could say we tried everything.

To anyone in a similar position who may be reading this – trust your body, believe in the process and remain hopeful. It will all be worth it.

Thank you to everyone at Herts & Essex for helping us make our dream come true.