Natalie and her husband Alex have been together since their teens. After years of trying to conceive, a devastating miscarriage, and setbacks with medication, they were finally referred to Care Fertility Leeds in 2023. What followed was a journey full of challenges, hope, and eventually, a beautiful new beginning. Here, Natalie shares their story – in her own words – to help others who might be walking a similar path.
Myself and my husband Alex have been together since we were teenagers and after buying our first home and our first dog Sheldon we got engaged and married in 2017. We then travelled to lots of places around the world and focused on our careers.
In 2016, shortly after our engagement, I got diagnosed with an extremely large cyst on my right ovary resulting in me undergoing surgery removing my ovary and fallopian tube. I was told that lots of women fall pregnant naturally with only one ovary, so we weren't too worried. However, it was always in the back of our mind. I fell pregnant in May 2023 after trying for a baby since our wedding in 2017 and sadly miscarried soon after, which we were absolutely devastated by and felt like our time would never come.
“We were absolutely devastated... it felt like our time would never come.”
After being married and trying for a year, we had not fallen pregnant so I ended up speaking to my GP, who referred me to the gynaecology team at the hospital, where I went for tests and checks frequently. After another good couple of years, including COVID, we talked about IVF treatment. However, unfortunately, I got poorly and ended up on medication where I was unable to fall pregnant whilst on the medication, which I was on for another year and a half, so it felt like an eternity.
Once I came off the medication at the end of 2022, we ended up getting referred to Care Fertility Leeds.
We initially went for our consultation, then in April 2024 we started with our treatment. I was extremely nervous as I was so scared of needles and I was unsure how I was going to feel with the medication. However, any questions that you needed, the staff were absolutely AMAZING, any question, any time, they were there and so helpful and understanding.
“The team at Care Fertility Leeds were just amazing. Any question, any time.”
I felt fine on the medication with some slight bloating and before we knew it, we were being told we were off for egg retrieval, which I was so nervous for - but again, the staff were amazing.
We got 13 eggs, 9 fertilised, and 7 made it to blastocyst stage. We feel SO lucky and we were full of smiles. After egg retrieval, I was so nervous for OHSS and was extremely bloated, and as we were going for a 5-day fresh transfer, I phoned to discuss how I felt with the team and they got me in for a scan to reassure me we were fine for transfer that afternoon. We were so excited.
“We got 13 eggs... and 7 made it to blastocyst stage. We feel SO lucky.”
We had the transfer on 15 April 2024 which was so special. We got McDonald's fries after for good luck then it was the 2-week wait.
We found the 2-week wait very hard. We both work full-time so kept busy and just tried to make every day full, fun, and busy. We had said we were not testing until the date we had been given and we stuck to that.
“The hardest part of the journey for us was the 2-week wait.”
We tested on Sunday 28 April, we were so nervous as the symptoms I was getting were so similar to period symptoms, so I was unsure how it would go. But to our absolute delight, we got a positive test within seconds and we just beamed with happiness.
Every scan, every appointment just felt like a dream we were finally living. We were so excited but also so nervous, as we had suffered a miscarriage previously. But we had so many amazing friends and family supporting our steps as we only chose to tell a handful of people.
“Every scan, every appointment just felt like a dream.”
Our due date was 1 January 2025 and we couldn't think of a better way to start the year.
My pregnancy was just wonderful and on 4 January 2025 our beautiful baby girl Ava Dorothy Kennedy was born weighing 7lb 13oz. She is absolutely everything and brings us and everyone around her so much joy. The most happy, smiley, beautiful, content baby girl - our dream come true!
Ava’s middle name Dorothy is after my grandma, who we sadly lost in February just before we started our IVF journey.
The hardest part of the journey for us was the 2-week wait. It feels like an eternity and the symptoms are so similar to your period that you just don’t know what to think. I think it’s important to have a close circle, no matter how big or small, and a supportive partner - I couldn't have done it without Alex. He was my absolute rock.
“I couldn’t have done it without Alex – he was my absolute rock.”
My overall experience was fantastic and we have 6 embryos left, which we are going to try again in a couple of years. We feel so lucky that we were successful first time, first egg, and want to say that it is possible - that it can happen first time.
“We feel so lucky that it can happen first time – and it did.”
Thank you to the whole team at Care Fertility Leeds, you were all amazing.