IVF in Suffolk: Bourn Hall baby born every 10 hours

“Reading the stories of other couples that had been in our situation really helped us come to the decision that IVF was for us,” Andrew explains.

The couple had met at Sixth Form College and married in September 2009. They had always wanted children and started trying straight away, but with no success.

The months that followed were hard for them as friends and family members announced their pregnancies. Andrew remembers: “We called this period the ‘dark days’ as it seemed everyone else except us could get pregnant.

“We’d moved into a bigger house in a nice neighbourhood in preparation to start our family, but it just wasn’t happening for us.”

They went to see their GP who referred them to their local hospital. Initial treatment revealed Nicola had a blocked Fallopian tube and their consultant referred them for NHS-funded IVF in Suffolk.

Fertility Awareness Events provide help

The couple choose Bourn Hall and attended a seminar to find out more information. It was here that the science of IVF was discussed with them, something Andrew found useful.

“Up until that point, I felt that the tests and the process we’d been through hadn’t been properly explained to us and we were a bit in the dark. We’d have really appreciated having more information so Bourn Hall’s decision to hold fertility awareness events is a great idea.”

At the fertility awareness event there is a series of short presentations explaining why some people find it difficult to get pregnant and what can be done to help them.

Bourn Hall’s specialist fertility nurses are on hand to provide one-to-one advice at pre-bookable mini-consultations. These confidential sessions allow people to discuss their own circumstances and get some specific help.

After attending an IVF seminar, Nicola and Andrew were reassured that fertility treatment was the right path for them. Now, 18 months on, they are proud parents to a gorgeous seven-month-old daughter Imogen.

Andrew remembers vividly the day she was born: “It was the start of the summer heatwave… it had poured with rain for months and when Imogen arrived the sun came out.”

Reflecting on his IVF journey, Andrew had some advice for couples: “In hindsight, I wish we’d gotten help earlier as the process does take some time, but now we have Imogen it’s all been worthwhile.

“2013 was an amazing year for us. We cannot praise the staff at Bourn Hall Clinic enough for their help in making her a reality… I don’t know what we’d do without her.”

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