Jacob and Luke had always dreamed of becoming parents. Their journey to parenthood took a significant turn when Jacob’s sister offered to be their surrogate. With the guidance of Care Fertility Nottingham and the use of an egg donor from Care Fertility's frozen egg bank, Jacob and Luke achieved their dream. Here is their story, told by Luke:
Our Dream of Parenthood
My partner Jacob and I, Luke, have been together for eight wonderful years. From the moment we met, we both knew we wanted children. Although we never discussed the specifics of how or when, we always envisioned ourselves as parents someday.
An unexpected offer from family
A few years ago, Jacob’s sister, Jessica*, offered to be our surrogate if we ever wanted to start a family. Initially, I thanked her but dismissed the idea, thinking surrogacy was something only rich celebrities pursued. However, when she brought it up again, I realised she was serious about helping us.
Diving into research
That night, I delved into extensive research on surrogacy and IVF processes. We needed to fully understand the journey before committing. After months of learning, we decided to take the plunge. Our research led us to Care Fertility, and in June 2019, we had an informative phone call with Care Fertility Nottingham. The conversation filled us with excitement and made our dream of becoming dads seem achievable.
The consultation and decision
Our initial consultation at Care Fertility was a whirlwind of emotions—nervousness and excitement intertwined. We decided on host surrogacy, where an egg donor would be used, and Jessica would carry our child. The process was thorough, ensuring all parties were aligned and supported.
Choosing the egg donor
At the time, Care Fertility launched their frozen egg bank, which was perfect timing for us. We browsed the online portal and quickly found our ideal donor. Opting for a large set of frozen eggs, we hoped to maximise our chances of success. We extend heartfelt thanks to every egg donor—your generosity really does change lives.
The nerve-wracking wait
The day of egg thawing and fertilisation was incredibly nerve-wracking. Out of nine frozen eggs, seven thawed, and six fertilised—an amazing result! Five days later, we anxiously awaited news from the clinic. We were thrilled to learn that three embryos had reached the blastocyst stage.
The embryo transfer
One embryo was transferred to our surrogate, while the other two were frozen. We included Caremaps-AI in our treatment, receiving a time-lapse video of our developing embryo. We watched it daily during the two-week wait, hoping and praying for success.
The Joy of pregnancy
Test day brought an unparalleled level of anxiety, but seeing those two lines on the pregnancy test was a moment of complete shock and joy - our prayers were answered, our surrogate was pregnant! The seven-week scan at the clinic went smoothly, and we bid farewell to Care Fertility Nottingham, continuing with our pregnancy journey.
The arrival of Nova Feltham
On 12th November 2021, our beautiful daughter, Nova Feltham, entered the world. Words cannot express how complete and overjoyed we feel. Our lives transformed that day, filled with a love we've never known. We are profoundly grateful to Care Fertility for making our dream come true on the first attempt.
Thank you, Care Fertility, for the greatest gift we could ever wish for.
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