Hannah's Journey to Baby Mae

At Care Fertility, we know that the path to parenthood isn’t always straightforward. For many, it’s a journey filled with ups and downs, moments of hope, and times of heartbreak. But through it all, we’re here to support you. Every story is unique, and today, we’re sharing Hannah’s journey – a story of love, faith, and trusting the process:

My husband and I met while touring Europe in a music group – he played the saxophone, and I sang in the choir. I had always known I wanted to become a mum, and from the moment we got together, we knew we wanted a family. After a few years of marriage, we started trying for a baby. But as the months passed with no positive test, I began to worry something wasn’t right. Months turned into years, and there was still no baby.  

I will never be able to fully describe the heartbreak of seeing another negative test each month, it became unbearable. Watching others around us announce pregnancies while we were struggling was incredibly painful. Every baby photo, every announcement – it was a reminder of what we dreamed of and yet were still waiting for.  

Infertility took its toll on my mental health. Every time we had another negative test I felt like it was my fault – I must not have been eating healthily enough, hadn’t exercised, or I wasn’t taking the right supplements. I started to research everything, trying to do as much as I could to increase our chances.  

Eventually, we decided to get tested. We discovered my husband had male factor infertility. Through my research I had found that we could choose to be referred to Care Fertility instead of the NHS hospital nearby. We were surprised to find that our GP wasn’t aware of this. I also knew someone who had been through treatment at Care Fertility Sheffield and spoke so highly of their experience.  

When we had our first appointment at Care Fertility we had some more tests, and I was diagnosed with low AMH, meaning my egg reserve was lower than expected for my age. From our very first appointment, I felt reassured. The team was kind, professional, and incredibly knowledgeable. For the first time in years, I could stop trying to control every little detail and trust the experts. That was a huge relief. 

We started IVF with ICSI, and I'll never forget feeling excited when the big box of medication came in the post. It might sound weird, but it meant that the waiting was over and something was finally happening. Music helped us cope throughout the process—it’s how we met, and it became a way to express everything we were feeling. Our faith also gave us strength, helping us hold onto hope even on the hardest days. My husband was amazing throughout the whole process. He cooked for me every evening; we would go for a drive together when I couldn’t sleep, and he was always there for me to talk to.

"I also had counselling, which I’d recommend to anyone going through fertility treatment—it helped me process everything and feel less alone."

Unfortunately, due to my low AMH, we did not get many eggs during retrieval. We were very lucky that after our first cycle resulted in two day-5 blastocysts. I was nervous about the procedures, but the staff at Care Fertility made everything so much easier. During my egg retrieval, a staff member sat beside me, talking me through it all, just to make sure I was okay. It made such a difference. 

I had my first transfer soon after and I was so hopeful that it would work. But when the test was negative, we were devastated. We transferred our second embryo, hoping for a different outcome, but that failed too. Having to start over after so much effort and emotion was crushing. I felt like I was losing hope, but the team at Care Fertility never did. Their optimism kept me going when I struggled to find my own. 

Our second cycle was even harder. We retrieved fewer eggs, and on the day we were meant to have our embryo transfer, we received heartbreaking news—none of our embryos had made it to day five, and the cycle was cancelled. I was absolutely devastated. To come so far, only to have no embryos to transfer, was crushing. But we wanted a child so badly that we kept going. The team at Care Fertility stayed hopeful, and that hope became my anchor in the hardest moments. 

We decided to try one last cycle. This time, our consultant suggested changes to our protocol and really listened to our concerns. I appreciated that the treatment options were explained to us with evidence-based information, including research on the pros and cons of different approaches. It never felt like decisions were being made for us—we were making them together. That gave me back some control and reassured me that our voices mattered. We also chose to include EmbryoGlue and Caremaps Ai to maximise our chances. 

Then, finally, it happened. Our third cycle worked. I’ll never forget the moment I saw that long-awaited positive pregnancy test—the first one I had ever seen. I kept testing over and over, just to be sure. Even throughout pregnancy, I was anxious, but everything went smoothly, and in July, we welcomed our beautiful daughter, Mae. 

Life has never felt more incredible. Even now, seven months on, I still find myself saying, "I can’t believe I really have a baby!" Those years of infertility were the hardest of my life, but looking at Mae, I know it was all worth it. Care Fertility gave us the greatest gift, and we will always be grateful for that.

At Care Fertility, we’re honoured to be part of so many journeys like Hannah’s. We know the road to parenthood can be tough, but you don’t have to go through it alone. If you’re struggling to conceive and looking for expert support with a compassionate team by your side, we’re here to help. Because at Care Fertility, making family possible is what we do best.