Our journey really has been up and down. When they call it a rollercoaster, they are not lying!

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When we started, back in May, I must say I think we were a little naive about how it would all work, the complexities and the effect that IVF can have on our bodies.

I think growing up you just think, I’m going to have three kids, get married and live happily ever after.

If only life was that simple!

I’m 31, with an AMH (egg reserve) of 2.3, which is rather low for my age. I was truly gob smacked by this and I felt really disheartened. However, me being me, I just put it behind me, braved a smile and carried on with my positivity.

I found starting the medication challenging, it’s not fun having shots (your belly gets swollen and sore). Unfortunately, my follicles didn’t respond greatly, only one grew, so they changed me to an IUI cycle.

That didn’t work either – we had to be realistic, there was only a 5% chance of it working.

Getting the negative results was heart breaking. I needed a break for my mind, body and my soul. I don’t think you really realise how much you want something until you get the result you don’t want!

So here we are on round two of IVF. We are doing a long cycle this time! I started off with a different energy, as I had acupuncture treatment a month before starting this second cycle. It has made me feel so much calmer. I literally have no stress this time and I feel more in control.

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IVF as an LGBT+ couple

I would recommend IVF highly to anyone trying for a baby.

This time round has been so much better, I even jabbed myself twice. I mean don’t get me wrong, I’m very hormonal still, but I’m dealing with this like a pro. I’m so proud of my follicles. This time I have 3 that have grown nicely and I am booked in for egg retrieval this Friday. I know that for some, three eggs are not a lot, but for me it’s everything.

Nicola and I are stronger than ever and I couldn’t imagine her not being by my side throughout all of this. I am blessed to have her. We still have hurdles to overcome and can’t get too excited yet, so we are still riding that rollercoaster, but for now we are happy and excited.

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