Paula’s Fertility Journey: Overcoming Weight Loss

At Care Fertility, we are continually inspired by the strength and perseverance of the families we help. Paula's journey is a powerful example of determination in the face of obstacles, including significant weight loss, the challenges of fertility treatment, and the emotional ups and downs that come with trying to conceive. Read her story and see how, with Care Fertility, dreams can come true: 

Wow, how much our lives have changed since we first contacted Care Fertility Manchester in March 2017! It’s still hard to believe how far we’ve come in our journey, and we hope that by sharing our story, we can give others hope and belief. 

Mark and I met in August 2010, and it didn’t take long for us to realize that our lives had changed forever. We were soulmates, dreaming of a perfect wedding and starting a family. But as life often does, it delayed our plans. It wasn’t the right time yet to think about a family. 

The Journey to Parenthood Begins 
In 2013, Mark proposed, and we decided to try for a baby. Month after month, I bought pregnancy tests, hoping to see those two lines. Each time my period was late, I convinced myself that we were finally pregnant. But it never happened, and each month brought more heartache. In May 2015, after our wedding, I gathered the courage to speak to my GP. Hearing that my age and weight were barriers to conceiving was devastating. I couldn’t change my age, but I knew I could tackle my weight. 

In January 2016, I walked through the doors of my local Slimming World group with a daunting goal: to lose nine stone. At the same time, we were referred to a fertility clinic. The consultant told me bluntly that I had to lose weight before treatment could even be considered. I needed to lose six stone before he would prescribe Clomid, a medication that could help us conceive. He doubted I could do it in six months, but I was determined to prove him wrong. 

The Struggle and Success 
By July 2016, I had lost just shy of six stone, and our consultant was impressed. He agreed to prescribe Clomid, but only if I continued my weight loss journey. Finally, we had hope. We left the hospital on cloud nine, excited at the possibility that this could be the start of our family. But as we had learned many times before, the journey was never simple. Each month brought negative pregnancy tests, and our hope dwindled with every cycle. Despite acupuncture, strict focus on ovulation, and endless efforts, nothing seemed to work. 

After seven months, the consultant told us that the NHS had no further treatments to offer. Our hearts were shattered. The disappointment was overwhelming, and it felt like our dream of having a family was slipping further away. Babies and pregnant women seemed to be everywhere we looked, reminding us of what we couldn’t have. 

A New Path: Finding Care Fertility 
Leaving the clinic, we spotted a leaflet for the Fertility Show in Manchester, scheduled for March 2017. With nothing left to lose, we decided to attend. That decision turned out to be life changing. We were overwhelmed by the information at first, but then we found Care Fertility’s stand. The team welcomed us warmly and immediately put us at ease. After speaking with a patient liaison coordinator, we were introduced to Dr. Mark Sedler, who listened to us and gave us hope. He explained the options in a way we could understand, finally giving us clarity after so much confusion. 

We left feeling more optimistic than we had in months and decided to go private with Care Fertility. Our initial consultation with Dr. Jolly Joy brought more good news: we had options, but I needed to continue my weight loss journey. Tests and scans were ordered to assess our situation, and that’s when we discovered a uterine polyp. Yet another hurdle. The polyp had to be removed before treatment could start. I began to wonder if we would ever get there, but I kept pushing forward. 

Facing New Challenges and Choosing Donor Eggs 
In September 2017, I had surgery to remove the polyp, and in November, I finally reached my nine-stone weight loss goal. It felt like such an accomplishment, but the journey wasn’t over. Through further testing, Care Fertility discovered that my egg reserves were low due to my age. The quality of my eggs wasn’t ideal, and Dr. Joy advised that our best chance of success would be to use an egg donor with ICSI (Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection). 

The thought of using a donor egg was difficult to accept at first. Would I feel like a mum if it wasn’t my egg? But Care Fertility offered us counselling, and after talking it through, we decided that we had to try everything possible to have a family. If we didn’t, we knew we’d have regrets. 

The Call We Were Waiting For 
In January 2018, we got the call we had been waiting for—there was a match with an egg donor. I was filled with excitement and nerves. By April, we learned that one embryo had made it to day five and was ready for transfer. The moment I had dreamed of for so long had finally arrived. Would this be the one? I kept believing, listening to Zita West’s meditation and visualising a positive result. My focus was unwavering. 

The Moment of Truth 
On test day, I woke up early, filled with nerves. Mark and I had been here before, so many times, and I was scared to be hopeful. But this time, when we did the test, there were two lines. We couldn’t believe it! We did three more tests just to be sure, and every time, the result was the same—we were pregnant! 

Seeing the heartbeat at the six-week scan was a moment I will never forget. Tears filled our eyes as we stared at the screen in disbelief. We had waited so long for this, and now our dream was coming true. 

Life After Care Fertility 
Care Fertility discharged us back to the NHS for antenatal care, and although it was scary to leave the amazing support we had received, we knew we could do it.  

Now, as I write this, my daughter is sleeping beside me. Looking back, I would go through it all again in a heartbeat. 

We’ve since returned to Care Fertility Manchester to introduce our daughter to the team that helped make her possible, and I’ve gone back to Slimming World to lose the pregnancy weight. My advice to anyone reading this: believe in your dream and take every opportunity to make it a reality. You never know what’s possible until you try.