Why I chose IVF as the best option to start a family
"After 10 months I had my first embryo transfer, but it was worth all the effort because it worked on the first try."
I had just turned 35 and was not sure at the time about the timing of starting a family. So I explored egg freezing as an option to buy myself a bit of time to start. However, during my initial scan I was quite surprised to find that my egg reserve was much lower than expected for my age, with only four follicles visible at the time.
After being presented with pros and cons around the egg freezing, my partner and I actually reconsidered our approach.
We decided to try for the baby immediately and we tried naturally for a few months, but with my low egg reserve and the thinner uterine lining, we didn't want to take unnecessary risks by trying for too long.
An NHS consultant that I spoke to at the time gave me only a 3% chance of conceiving naturally, compared to a 20% chance he gave me by IVF, which made the decision a bit easier for us. Unfortunately, in my area, NHS funded treatment is only offered to women under 35. I had just turned 35 when I was first scanned, which was quite frustrating.
''The Initial Consultation was quick, efficient and very informative. I left with a clear understanding of my options and next steps, which was great."
CREATE was recommended by the sister branch abc ivf . So after discovering that egg freezing wasn't an option as I kind of said, I did extensive research and I found that CREATE aligned the best with my values and needs. I've been doing acupuncture for quite a few months before starting treatment. Which convinced me to adopt a bit more of a holistic approach and
"The CREATE ethos which emphasizes being gentle on the body, resonated with me the most."
I wanted to focus on improving my overall health to increase my chances of conceiving and having a healthy pregnancy, and I definitely didn't want to exhaust myself with aggressive treatment.
I ended up having Mild IVF. I opted for the three-cycle package. I went through three rounds of freezing before planning an embryo transfer. Unfortunately, my uterine lining wasn't thick enough for a fresh transfer, which at the time was a bit disappointing. The efforts of thickening the lining didn't work, which was quite overwhelming and discouraging, especially after seeing other women having immediate success. At some point I was quite tempted to settle for kind of a less than ideal result and just to move forward, but my Doctor kept me quite motivated to be patient and he didn't allow me to compromise and instead suggested a new approach.
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"The team at Create were really great, everyone I interacted with, was helpful and friendly.''
I really appreciated the continuity of care being looked after by the same consultant and the same nurse through the process, which made a huge difference. They were patient with my endless questions and my Doctor took the time to tailor a plan specifically for me, which was really reassuring and helpful.
Pregnancy was pretty tough, but also incredibly beautiful. I struggled with sickness and fatigue, and then later on with pregnancy, hypertension. But feeling my baby kick every day was a constant reminder of a miracle that I had. It made all the challenges worth it.
"I would absolutely recommend CREATE Fertility to others for fertility treatment. I've already recommended to my friends."
Advice I would give to other women and couples who are thinking about having fertility treatment would be, to be prepared for the process to take time because it's likely to be one of the toughest things you'll ever go through.
It's a marathon, not a Sprint, so I would also say don't compare yourself to others.
Be patient and be kind to yourself. Focus on the small wins like, you know, reaching treatment milestones instead of over focusing on the end result. Because whether it works straight away or not, you can be proud of knowing you did your best.
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