James and Ruth's Story

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James and Ruth's story

James and Ruth’s story takes you through their journey with PCOS and infertility, sharing their real experiences with Clomid and IVF. They talk about the hurdles they faced and how finding the right support at Care Fertility helped them welcome their son, Joshua. Read their story below:

Ruth and I got married in 2014, and immediately began trying to start a family. But little did we know the about the issues we would face and how long it would ultimately take us to become parents.

It didn’t take us long to get pregnant, and in November 2014 we were both excited to find out that we were expecting and, as you do, we started planning the beginnings for our little family. By this time, Ruth was beginning to feel sick and experiencing the usual pregnancy symptoms, so we thought things were going well. As a Midwife, she was more than aware of how her body could be affected.

Facing Unexpected Challenges

One day at work, about seven weeks into the pregnancy, I received a panicked phone call from Ruth asking to meet her at the hospital for a scan, as she had shown some signs of bleeding whilst at work. Understandably, we were both very anxious going into the scan; however, we did experience a slight relief when it showed the baby and the heartbeat. Following this, Ruth immediately went home to rest, in the hope that things might settle down, but in her own mind, she had fears that things weren’t likely to work because of the amount of bleeding that there’d been. At this time, I was still hopeful of a positive outcome, as the scan showed that everything appeared OK.

Unfortunately, Ruth continued to bleed and finally passed a lot of clots; this occurred approximately a week later, and we both knew at this point that it wasn’t to be. It was a tough New Year for us both, as we also had to cope with the passing away of two grandparents within a few days of one another – one from each side of the family – as well as having to come to terms with the loss of the pregnancy, which was very hard for both of us to deal with.

We tried not to dwell on the outcome too much and just assumed it was down to bad luck that things hadn’t worked out that time and decided that we would continue to try for another pregnancy. It was also around then that Ruth became more concerned about her irregular periods, which could vary between thirty and fifty days, so she decided to get some advice from the GP.

Discovering PCOS and Sperm Issues

By Easter 2015, our GP decided to run some tests on Ruth, to see if there was any reason for her irregular periods. She had a series of blood tests and a scan. It was at this point that Ruth was diagnosed with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS). Whilst the GP knew that PCOS can cause fertility issues, they also suggested that I also have semen analysis carried out. We were shocked to discover that I had issues with my sperm count, along with some issues with morphology (shape of the sperm). Due to both of us having fertility problems we were referred to the Fertility Clinic at Coventry Hospital.

I decided to make changes to my lifestyle to improve my sperm quality. I was taking multi-vitamins, not drinking alcohol, and reducing my caffeine intake, along with us both maintaining healthy lifestyles. It wasn’t that either of us were particularly unhealthy – we just wanted to try everything we could to give ourselves the best chance of conceiving.

Navigating Clomid Treatment

Following several months of waiting, we finally received an appointment for the fertility clinic – it was November 2015, and we’d began trying almost a year ago. Following our initial assessment, they decided to do an AMH test on Ruth (Anti-Mullerian Hormone). Ruth’s levels were in the normal range but on the lower side for her age; she was 29 and I was 33. The Consultant advised a trial of Clomid treatment for six months.

Following scans on Ruth’s first month of Clomid, it did appear to be having positive results. However, during what seemed like a very long six months of Clomid, we didn’t conceive. By this time, we were both getting quite anxious and upset. Nothing seemed to be working. How could Ruth become pregnant once but not again? We were offered the options of IUI or IVF. We felt IVF was the best option.

Our First IVF Cycle

Looking back, I think we were both naïve going into our first cycle of IVF at the Coventry clinic in July 2016. We weren’t entirely sure what it entailed. Ruth didn’t seem to respond to the injections in the way that the clinic expected. Sadly, due to restrictions of when eggs could be collected, instead of cancelling the cycle, they pushed her an extra few days to collection. We were disappointed when only four eggs could be collected. It was especially upsetting as we heard that other people typically had more eggs retrieved in their cycles.

Five days later, we had one of the embryos transferred back. A difficult ordeal, as we were told that they were of poor quality. We overheard on the ward that other patients had better quality eggs and some available for freezing. Obviously, this was great news for the couples involved, but it was hard to swallow for us as a couple who were going through the same treatment and still struggling.

After an anxious couple of weeks wait, we were excited to find out that the cycle had been successful, and Ruth had become pregnant. We then had what seemed like a long two-week wait to the scan. At this time, Ruth did not really experience any pregnancy symptoms as such, and we went to the scan to be told that things had not developed as expected; this was really upsetting for both of us.

We returned a week later for a follow-up scan only to be told that the foetal pole had grown - but there was no sign of a heartbeat. We were then left in limbo until another scan two weeks later. This revealed that it was not a viable pregnancy. At this point, Ruth was meant to be ten weeks pregnant. As there had been no bleeding, the pregnancy had to be removed surgically.

Finding Success with Care Fertility

In late 2016, and after so much disappointment, following recommendations from friends and family, we moved to private IVF treatment with Care Fertility. Immediately after meeting the staff at the Nottingham and Leicester clinic we felt comfortable and happy with our decision. We embarked on our second cycle of IVF in early 2017. Ruth even had her Endometrial Scratch (ES) on her birthday! We just wanted to give ourselves the best possible chance of success with the treatment. She responded well to the injections, and, on egg collection, we were over the moon to discover that eight eggs had been collected.

Over the next few days, it was a nervous wait for the phone to ring, but finally we received the call and were told that all eight of the eggs had successfully made it to day five. Luckily, three of these eggs were of top quality, but it was not possible to freeze the remaining five. One embryo was successfully transferred and the other two frozen.

Welcoming Our Son

After an anxious two-week wait, we were thrilled to find out that we were pregnant. We had our first pregnancy scan at Care Fertility Leicester after what felt like the longest three weeks of our lives. We were shown the healthy heartbeat of our first child. Following an uncomplicated pregnancy, we welcomed our son Joshua into the world on 9th October 2017, and we haven’t looked back since. We are hoping to use the frozen embryos to expand our family and try for a sibling for Joshua soon.

The staff at Care Fertility’s Nottingham and Leicester clinics were brilliant throughout - nothing was too much trouble for them, and their support was paramount throughout our journey.

PCOS and Fertility: Resources to Support You

Dealing with PCOS and trying to get pregnant can be really tough, but you're not alone. Here are some resources that might help you on this journey:

Understanding PCOS: Get a clear picture of what Polycystic Ovary Syndrome is all about, including its symptoms and how you can manage them.

James and Ruth's Story