After over a decade of trying to start their family, Amanda and Alex came to Care Fertility Nottingham to begin IVF. Like so many others, their journey wasn’t simple - but it was theirs, and it led them to their son, Leo.
They’ve shared their story because they know how powerful it can be to hear from others who’ve gone through it too. At Care Fertility, we don’t just focus on the science - we focus on people. We’re here to make sure you feel seen, heard, and supported, every step of the way.
We began our IVF journey after more than a decade of trying to start our family without success. After 11 years of trying, we went to the GP to find out if there was a medical reason behind why we hadn’t been successful. After we both had our tests, it was confirmed there was no genetic reason why we hadn’t been able to conceive—our diagnosis was unexplained infertility. So, we made the decision to try IVF. As we were both in our mid-thirties, we knew we’d need to move quickly if we wanted to qualify for treatment through the NHS.
The first big hurdle
One of the criteria for NHS-funded IVF was that Amanda’s BMI had to be under 30. So, with that target in mind, Amanda spent nine months working with a personal trainer—and lost a massive six stone. With that fantastic achievement, we were accepted for treatment and referred to Care Fertility Nottingham in April 2023.
Starting treatment at Care Fertility
What followed was a whirlwind few months of hormone injections to grow as many eggs as possible. On egg collection day, 11 eggs were retrieved—and 5 of those fertilised successfully. However, Amanda had potential OHSS (Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome) so rather than start the new phase of treatment immediately, we were advised to freeze the embryos while Amanda recovered.
Our first embryo transfer
A couple of months later, we were back at Care Fertility Nottingham—scrubs and crocs on—ready for our first embryo transfer. The first of our embryos was implanted and then we had the two week wait to see if we were pregnant! 
When test day came, we were both wide awake at 3am, both excited and nervous in equal measure for the outcome. Unfortunately, it was not meant to be, and our first attempt failed. Disappointed, we gathered ourselves together and looked at another attempt.
Trying again
After a few months of recovering and losing the weight that Amanda had regained with the hormones, were ready to try again.
In early 2024, we returned to Care Fertility for our second embryo transfer. Unfortunately, that embryo didn’t survive the thawing process—so we moved onto our third.
Once again, we donned our scrubs and crocs, and our 2nd attempt began. But this time, Amanda felt different. And on test day, we were overjoyed to find a positive pregnancy test!
A rocky start to pregnancy
A few days later, as we were getting ready to share the news with our family, Amanda had a bleed.
We panicked. We contacted our Care Fertility team straight away, who advised us to continue with the medication and test again in a week. A week of worrying later, we tested again and were relieved to find it to be positive. Our little one was still holding on.
Welcoming Leo
In November 2024, our miracle baby Leo was born, at a healthy 9lbs 8oz.
Looking back—and ahead
Our IVF journey had many highs and lows, but we found the team at Care Fertility Nottingham were fantastic. We also found real comfort in watching Alex Jones: Making Babies—it helped us understand what to expect and took away some of the fear. We highly recommend it to anyone who is about to embark on their IVF journey.
After 11 years, we have finally achieved our dream of having a family, thanks to the skills of the team at Care Fertility Nottingham. We still have two embryos there, so in the future we may decide to expand our family, but for now we’re enjoying life as parents after such a long wait. Thank you, Care Fertility Nottingham! 
Alex and Amanda with Baby Leo on his first Christmas!
We’re so proud to have supported Amanda and Alex through the ups and downs of treatment. Their story is honest, emotional, and full of the kind of moments that remind us why we do what we do.
If you’re thinking about starting treatment or just want to talk things through, we’re here. Whatever your story looks like, we’ll walk with you every step of the way.
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