When Heather and David started trying for a family, they never imagined it would take multiple IVF cycles, five embryo transfers and years of uncertainty before they would finally welcome their baby.
After meeting online, getting married in Scotland and spending more than two years trying to conceive, they were referred for fertility investigations and eventually started IVF treatment with Care Fertility Woking.
Here, Heather shares their story, from cancelled cycles and pregnancy loss to the moment they finally heard the words they had been waiting so long to hear, and the arrival of their healthy baby boy.
From Plenty of Fish to planning a family
David and I met in 2019 via the infamous Plenty of Fish website. I take great pleasure in telling people that I messaged him first with something along the lines of, "Are you in London for a long time or a good time?" Mainly because his username was something like ScotInLondon.
Our first date consisted of placing a bet on the Grand National, something I'd never done before, followed by dinner at Pizza Express where I asked him if he wanted kids. Yes, I asked that on our first date.
To be fair, I quickly followed it up with, "Not now, but sometime in the future!"
I was almost 30 and tired of endless online dates, so I figured I'd just be direct. Luckily, I didn't scare him off because a few months later he confessed that he actually liked the fact I knew what I wanted and wasn't afraid to say it.
David and I moved in together in June 2020 and a few months later had the conversation about "not actively trying but not, not trying".
Now, I come from a fertile line of ladies. My grandmother was pregnant in her early twenties and she's Irish, so I don't need to explain how many Irish relatives we have. Catholics and no TV, fertility was never an issue. My mum also fell pregnant a few months after trying to start a family, so I just assumed it would take us a few months too.
Instead, month after month, the negative pregnancy tests kept coming.
David proposed at Christmas 2020, which I absolutely wasn't expecting, so then came wedding planning, which was a nice distraction. We still kept trying, but nothing was happening and I convinced myself the stress of planning a wedding must be the issue.
In October 2022, we got married in one of the most picturesque venues imaginable, a beautiful church in Glenfinnan, Scotland. Fun fact, that church was recently used in the opening scene of 28 Years Later. Very romantic.
After the wedding, we sat down and David said maybe it was time to get some help because by then we'd been trying for over two years and nothing was happening.
We contacted our GP and started all the routine fertility tests to see what was going on.
Before IVF, Heather and David spent more than two years trying to conceive before seeking fertility support.
Starting IVF with Care Fertility
We were offered Care Fertility after receiving NHS funding approval for two rounds of IVF and chose Care Fertility Woking because it was the closest clinic to where we were living in Reigate at the time.
We started IVF in October 2024.I even requested a month off work because in my head we were going to go through treatment, get pregnant and that would be job done. Oh, how wrong I was!
Our first cycle ended before it really got going because my body decided to ovulate before egg collection, meaning the treatment had to be cancelled. It felt like a false start.
Our first pregnancy
Our second attempt gave us 12 eggs, four fertilised and two went on to become viable embryos.
One of the embryos created during Heather and David's IVF journey at Care Fertility Woking.
We transferred our first embryo and received a positive pregnancy test around Christmas time. We were absolutely over the moon. Then, during a trip to Scotland over the festive period, I had a bleed whilst hiking Conic Hill.
My mother-in-law was a midwife for 40 years, so we finally opened up to her about what we were going through. She reassured us that bleeding didn't necessarily mean bad news, but a few weeks later at our viability scan we were told there was a gestational sac but no foetus.
We were heartbroken. I ended up taking three weeks off work because I simply couldn't function. I spent those weeks crying and hibernating on the sofa. Unfortunately, I didn't pass the gestational sac naturally and had to be referred to hospital for a D&C procedure.
Looking for answers
We then went on to have another three embryo transfers, all of which failed. At that point, our consultant suggested additional screening.
We contacted Tommy's Charity, who were carrying out research, and attended the Biomedical Research Unit where I had a womb biopsy in April 2025. If I'm honest, a lot of that period is a bit of a blur now. The results came back completely normal. Whilst that should have been reassuring, it left us feeling all over the place because once again there was nothing wrong with us on paper.
Around the same time, I'd been advised to increase my Vitamin D levels because low Vitamin D has been linked to fertility issues. I paid for a private blood test and discovered my levels were still low despite taking some very expensive supplements.
I decided to have a Vitamin D injection instead and my levels shot up. Whether that made the difference or not, I don't know, but it felt like I was finally doing something different.
By this point we had used our NHS funding, so we decided to pay privately for another frozen embryo transfer.
The fifth embryo
To keep track of things, we'd had one cancelled IVF cycle because I ovulated before egg collection, two fresh IVF cycles and three frozen embryo transfers.
On 11 July 2025, the day before my birthday, we transferred our fifth embryo. A few days later, we got a positive pregnancy test. I still didn't quite believe it.
During the wait for our viability scan, I booked private blood tests to keep an eye on my HCG levels and they were climbing nicely. When we arrived for the scan, I was crying before I even walked into the room.
Michelle had scanned us a few times before and knew exactly what we'd been through. She was incredible. "Let's get you up and have a look," she said. "You'll need to give me a minute or so to confirm what I'm looking at." About thirty seconds later she said the words we'd been waiting so long to hear.
"Congratulations, you have a heartbeat."
Five attempts later, we were finally pregnant.
Our happy ending
One thing David and I were determined about throughout the pregnancy was keeping the gender a surprise.
IVF can take away a lot of the traditional surprises that come with pregnancy. There was no surprising David with a positive pregnancy test because we were both counting down the days together. Every scan, blood test and milestone felt planned and monitored, so we wanted to hold on to one surprise that was just for us.
We waited until birth to find out and hearing my husband tell me we had a "wee boy" in his Glaswegian accent is a moment I'll never forget.
After five embryo transfers and years of perseverance, Heather and David finally welcomed their baby boy.
These days I'm completely outnumbered. Between David, our rescue dog Nico and our little boy, it's three against one, and honestly, I wouldn't have it any other way.
Life with PCOS
One thing that certainly made IVF memorable was my PCOS. I had a crazy number of follicles, and it became a running joke because David would sit there writing down all the measurements during scans.
Every time someone called out "Seven!" I could only hear Len Goodman from Strictly Come Dancing holding up his paddle and shouting "Seven!" At one point I think I had more than 50 follicles.
Poor Becca, who carried out several of my scans, had the impossible task of counting and measuring them all.
The challenge with having so many follicles is that medication has to be managed very carefully, so I was monitored closely throughout treatment to make sure things stayed safe.
The emotional side of IVF
The emotional side of IVF can be incredibly hard to deal with, especially if you don't know anyone else going through it.
At first, we kept our IVF journey very hush hush, but after a few attempts I became an open book. One of my best friends would regularly check in with a text saying, "How's the lining doing?" and I'd happily reply with my latest uterus lining measurements, which brought us both a lot of laughter.
People often find it difficult to understand a failed embryo transfer. To them, you weren't pregnant.
But to you and your partner, you've seen that embryo, the start of a life that's part of both of you. Whilst you know it's not a baby, the hope and potential are there, and losing that is incredibly hard.
The losses, four failed embryo transfers over an 18-month period, were incredibly difficult.
Somewhere in the middle of all of this, when IVF wasn't going our way, we rescued a dog from Macedonia called Nico.
Nico joined the family during their fertility journey and now proudly takes his place as big brother.
What I wish I'd known before IVF
I genuinely thought we'd get pregnant first time. I think a lot of people assume IVF is a guaranteed result and it's simply not.
If there's one practical thing I'd recommend, it's getting your Vitamin D levels checked. My body clearly wasn't absorbing supplements properly and the injection ended up being a game changer.
How we got through it
Whenever things felt overwhelming, I talked to my husband and my family. It's very easy to shut yourself away, especially after losses.
Partners often struggle too because they can't actually do anything to fix the situation. They want to help, but they can't take away what you're going through.
Talk to each other. You are a team. Trust me, you'll need to be a team when the baby arrives too.
The best advice I can give
Your hormones will be wild over the course of IVF and you'll find yourself crying over absolutely nothing for no reason.
If I can offer one piece of advice, it would be to sit down with your partner and agree a safe word or phrase before treatment starts.
For us, it was simply "hormones".
If I said that word, it meant I didn't understand why I was feeling the way I was, David hadn't done anything wrong and I just needed to be held.
One day we were walking through the Meadows behind our house. The sun was shining, the sky was blue, Nico was behaving himself, which for a rescue dog meant it was already a good day, and suddenly I burst into tears.
No warning. No reason. I just shouted, "Hormones!"
David immediately wrapped his arms around me whilst passing dog walkers looked at me like I'd completely lost the plot.
I cried. He hugged me. A few minutes later, I was good to go. Sometimes that's all you need. Let the tears flow. You'll feel a thousand times better afterwards.
The same kind of walk where David once stopped to hug Heather through the ups and downs of IVF, now shared with their beautiful baby boy.
To anyone going through IVF
Keep going. Don't give up. Your journey won't look like anyone else's. There will be setbacks, frustrations and moments where you wonder whether it's all worth it.
But your story is your own. Talk to people. Lean on your partner. Accept support when it's offered. And most importantly, keep believing. One day you'll look back and be grateful you didn't give up.
After years of trying to conceive and five embryo transfers, Heather finally holds her baby boy. As she says, one day you'll look back and be grateful you didn't give up.
We’re here when you’re ready
Heather and David’s story is a reminder that fertility treatment doesn't always follow the path you expect. There can be setbacks, heartbreak and moments when it feels easier to give up, but there can also be hope, support and reasons to keep going.
At Care Fertility, we'll take the time to understand your story, carry out the right fertility tests before your consultation, and help you understand your results, treatment options and next steps with confidence.
To speak to our patient enquiry team, call 0800 564 2270 or click here to get in touch
