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22 May 2024

In our own words: embracing hope


22 May 2024
Updates

We feel like such an ordinary couple, we met mid 20’s and just followed the pattern all our friends were following. Marriage, a year overseas and home to buy our home – a small first home.

Then we began to save to have a child. It was fun trying for a child … for a while, but when nothing happened the fun went out of it. Finally we decided to go to our GP who was very nice and did some tests. Nothing showed so we were sent over to Hamilton Fertility Associates.

I remember that first time sitting in the waiting room feeling so scared as we watched all these people coming in to wait and see the doctor and others with labels walking through. We did not know then but we were going to get to know the labelled ones quite well. The wait took forever. I know doctors always give the person with them the time but we were about 30 minutes late and

by the time we went in were really tense.

The doctor said we fell in the group of ‘unexplained infertility’. That felt so bad, if you don’t know the problem how can you fix it? Well, it got worse – not only that, but we hadn’t been trying for long enough to qualify for public funding. Anyway we were to do some more tests and if that changed it the clinic would let us know. More day 2 blood tests, then day 21 – I was just a pincushion. Another trip to Hamilton for a semen analysis – at least that was not my turn.

And then a phone call from the doctor, the sperm had enough antibodies (like little caps) that it was going to be hard for us to get pregnant ourselves.

It changed our scoring, public funding, hurray, and we would get a letter telling us what next. Sometimes 2 weeks of waiting for a letter is forever. If we knew about waiting what we do now we would have relaxed but our lives seemed to be around the letterbox. The letter arrived and we could plan for an IVF cycle with the sperm injection.

Wonderful and of course we would be one of the lucky ones, we had had our share of bad luck.

It was really scary going to Hamilton to collect drugs and have counselling. Of course we didn’t need counselling except the nurses really gave us a push. Thank goodness as we did need to sit down and talk about it all and that was our chance. We learnt a lot that day from the nurses and counsellor and met others at the education group. I am not sure how many couples go to the clinic but there are always different people in the waiting room and it is only at the blood tests you see the same people.

Anyway I joined the group in our area. We meet each month, its mostly women in our group and we have a good gossip, sometimes we go for a walk or do something else. It’s always good for me to do this, as women need to talk about things. That cycle didn’t work, so we had to use our frozen embryos. We read the book and it said a low chance of getting pregnant with frozen embryos so we were not too hopeful. 1st Frozen, 2nd Frozen, last Frozen…

We got a positive test, surely now things would be okay. We were so excited we told the world! We really wished we hadn’t when two weeks later we began to bleed and miscarried. Our emotions were all over the place. On one hand we knew we could get pregnant, on the other we would have to go through it all again. AND it was almost a repeat. We had a lot of trips over to Hamilton, firstly for the IVF cycle, and then to have the fresh embryo put back, then a review and then a frozen cycle. We are pregnant again, from a frozen embryo and the difference this time is we have two embryos remaining still, just in case. I don’t think we will tell anyone this time until the 3 months is up, it’s too hard untelling them. We don’t plan or talk about it too much as even that feels scary. We do tick off every day and feel glad about another day without blood.

Maybe, just maybe...

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The Biological Clock

This tool indicates:

  • Natural conception per month if you have no fertility issues
  • IVF success rate at the same age
  • When to seek help after months of unsuccessful attempts

If you are concerned at any stage – we recommend booking a doctor appointment or a free nurse consultation. The sooner you make a plan the better your chances in the long term.

When to seek advice early

  • If you have polycystic ovaries, endometriosis, or have been through a cancer diagnosis; we recommend you get in touch quickly so we can talk you through all your options and give you the greatest possible chance of success.
  • If you’re a single woman considering motherhood in the future; it’s best to approach us early and consider egg freezing as this can be an option for you while you have a higher ovarian reserve and healthier eggs.
Set your age and the months you’ve been trying to conceive
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Your chance of having a baby per month for fertile couples
Your chance of having a baby per IVF cycle (if experiencing infertility)

Body Mass Index calculator

Being overweight or underweight can reduce fertility, so it is important to keep your body weight within the normal healthy range.

Body Mass Index (BMI) is an indication of your body weight and can be calculated by dividing weight by height. You should aim for a BMI of between 20 and 25, as this will optimise your chances of conception.

Woman’s BMI below 19

Even in these modern times, nature knows best. If a woman's BMI falls below 19, the body senses famine and ovulation is switched off to prevent the risk of having a baby with malnutrition. Excessive exercise can reduce body fat and increase muscle mass to a point where periods cease for the same reason. Risk of miscarriage is also increased in women with a low BMI.

Being underweight

If a woman's BMI falls below 19, the body senses famine and ovulation is switched off to prevent the risk of having a baby with malnutrition. Excessive exercise can reduce body fat and increase muscle mass to a point where periods cease for the same reason. Risk of miscarriage is also increased in women with a low BMI.

BMI’s greater than 30

This can reduce fertility by 50%. Pregnancy for women with a 30+ BMI is often associated with problems such as maternal diabetes, high blood pressure, big babies and increased risk of caesarean section.

Add your height and weight to calculate your BMI