Starting a family isn’t always as easy as we’re led to believe in grade 8 health class. Sometimes it takes years of heartbreak, visits to specialists, tests and medication. Sometimes it involves negative pregnancy tests, unwanted periods, and devastating ultrasounds.
Starting a family can be draining, lonely and painful, but it can also end in absolute magic – in the birth of a much-wanted baby (or two) and proof that not every journey toward parenthood is a straightforward one.
Below are 7 beautiful fertility and IVF stories that filled us with inspiration, hope and happiness. If you are looking for proof that miracles do happen every day, here it is.
1. Pub Chat Leads Two Mates on Beautiful Co-Parenting Journey
Dina and Patrick knew each other growing up but hadn’t seen one another for several years. Dina experienced two ectopic pregnancies in her 20s and had accepted that having children may not be in the cards for her.
Patrick had a terrible rope swing accident, leaving him in a coma and unable to move from the chest down. He was equipped with an electric wheelchair and told by doctors that he would most likely be unable to have children.
After reconnecting, Dina and Patrick met at the pub with mates and, through a pub chat, the two friends made a beautiful decision to have a baby together, to co-parent as friends. Dina underwent IVF and gave birth to their daughter – ‘the little companion we thought we would never have.’
2. 12 Rounds of IVF Delivers a Beautiful Boy
For 10 years Melissa Warpole saved photos of baby showers, nurseries and newborn announcements for inspiration, hoping she would one day be able to share her own. However, for ten years it did not happen.
Finally, on their 12th round of IVF, Melissa and her husband Matty were blessed with positive news. Melissa was pregnant! They welcomed their son, Kai Alan, on 15 April 2020.
3. Mum’s Striking Pregnancy Announcement
Lauren Walker shared an incredible photo of her IVF journey back in 2017, which immediately went viral. The USA mum touched on the hard reality of what pregnancy meant for her. She and her husband tried for 953 days before falling pregnant with twins via IVF.
As the mum notes, the couple’s baby-making journey included, “452 needles, 1,000’s of tears, 1 corrective surgery, 4 clomid/letrozole attempts, 2 IVF rounds, 3 failed transfers.”
4. The Story Behind This IVF Rainbow Baby Photo Will Hit You Straight in the Feels
Already a mum to Lochlon, born via IVF, Lesleigh longed to give Lochlon a sibling. It took two years, 500+ injections, vials, pill bottles and patches and two heartbreaking miscarriages, but, finally, Lesleigh was blessed with her double rainbow baby, Lennon Kemal.
Lesleigh wrote her son a beautiful letter and organised a rainbow-inspired photo shoot to tell his story.
This picture of you at the base of a colourful rainbow created from every single needle, vial of medication, patch, and pill bottle that we used in the past two years became that shot. It represents hours of injections, sticky residue from medicine patches, and pills carefully tracked.
What it doesn’t show are the countless doctor’s appointments, my bruised abdomen, our hopes lifted, our dreams crushed and many tears shed.
This one striking picture of you couldn’t possibly show it all. What is does show is that we never gave up. We never stopped fighting for you and battled at every turn, refusing to be knocked down for good.”
Read the rest of the letter here.
5. Just Months After Adopting 4 Children, Couple Blessed With Quadruplets
Maxine and Jake Young always wanted a large family. The couple, who married in 2016, was open to having their own children but also taking in children in need of a home, which is where their parenting journey began.
Five years ago, while trying for their own baby, they also went through the process and became foster parents. They took in four siblings, all under the age of five, while still trying to fall pregnant naturally.
For Maxine and Jake, getting pregnant was easy. Staying pregnant was difficult and Maxine went through several early miscarriages. The couple turned to IVF and then an IUI to help them conceive. They had their son, Henry in 2018. Then, just a year later, they found out they were expecting again, this time naturally.
And this time, with quadruplets.
Maxine and Jake now have nine children – four adopted siblings, Henry and their quadruplets. Just beautiful!
6. Woman Who Went Through Early Menopause at 23, Welcomes Twins Thanks to Her Sister
Amber Spears wanted nothing more than to be a mum. She and her fiancé Chris started to try for a baby but, after several months of negative pregnancy tests, it still hadn’t happened. After a trip to the doctors, Amber discovered the reason why – she was in early menopause.
The couple turned to IVF but were told Amber’s ovaries were not working. That’s when Amber’s younger sister, Taylor stepped in to donate her eggs. Taylor was just 24 when she started taking hormone injections in the morning and at night to stimulate her follicles. After one failed IVF attempt, Amber discovered she was pregnant… with twins.
Amber’s twins, Archie and Anneleise are now five and Taylor has her own child son, a little boy named Bobby.
Read their beautiful story here.
7. After 16 Years and 18 Miscarriages, Mum, 48, Welcomes Baby Boy
Louise Warneford was just shy of 50 when she became a mum. For over 16 years she and her husband, Mark, had been trying for a baby only for their baby dreams to be shattered around the 14-week gestation mark.
Louise was ready to give up when a doctor made a discovery that changed her world and saw her become a mum at 48 years old. Now she is sharing her inspiring story.
What to read next
- 10 Incredible Birth Stories From 10 Incredible Mums
- The Stories Behind 7 of the World’s Youngest Mothers and Where They are Now
- 10 Viral Stories That Are Worth Another Read
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