Leah: “We are immensely thankful for the incredible team at TFP Boston Place. They’ve given us the one thing we desired most in life, and it’s hard to put into words how much that means to us.”
For Leah and Sam, the path to becoming parents was filled with both challenges and triumphs. Over the course of four years, they underwent four IVF cycles, and Leah candidly admits that she was “too frightened to fully embrace her pregnancies, as each one didn’t guarantee a baby.”
After their initial IVF attempt through the NHS ended in disappointment, Leah felt that waiting another five to six months for the next cycle was simply too long. She shares, “I wanted to take action, so I sought out a private fertility clinic with a good track record and accessible location.” Once they attended an informational evening at Boston Place, the couple felt a sense of relief and promptly scheduled their first consultation.
As a lawyer working in central London, Leah found the clinic’s location extremely convenient for her busy schedule. She explains, “I could easily attend appointments during my lunch break.” Balancing her full-time job served as a helpful distraction during their treatment, and opening up to close friends and family about their struggles made it easier to cope.
“The reality is, there are no guarantees. Each cycle is filled with hope, but it can all come crashing down,” Leah reflects. “Even up until the moment we welcomed our daughter, Emma, on October 3rd, I struggled to believe we would truly have a baby. I know I’m not alone in feeling that way amongst others with fertility challenges.”
Their first cycle at Boston Place, which involved ICSI and fresh egg transfer techniques in June 2016, produced a positive pregnancy test. However, Leah faced heartbreak when she miscarried just two weeks later. “It was an emotional setback,” she recalls. Later that year, she became pregnant again but adopted a more cautious mindset due to her previous loss. Unfortunately, that pregnancy also ended in disappointment.
After exploring further medical tests to identify any potential causes for the miscarriages, Leah and Sam proceeded to transfer the two healthiest frozen embryos they had in January 2017. “I always opted for a double embryo transfer,” Leah notes. “The test was positive, but I kept my excitement in check, constantly worried about what might go wrong.”
“Each cycle requires you to gather your strength all over again. The emotional toll is far more challenging than the physical aspects—you just push through the physical part,” she shares.
As they learned through the NIPT test at 11 weeks that they were expecting a girl, Leah admits, “I still find myself crying tears of joy and disbelief that she’s finally here. Our once tidy home now resembles a bit of a jungle, and I’m still figuring out how to balance work and family life. But I never take for granted the fact that she’s ours now.”
If you’re interested in parenting tips, you can check out our blog post on potty training challenges, which can be quite relatable. And for those considering at-home insemination options, make sure to visit Make a Mom for more info. Additionally, for anyone contemplating IUI, NHS offers excellent resources.
In summary, Sam and Leah’s journey to parenthood was filled with emotional ups and downs, but their determination and the support from the team at TFP Boston Place ultimately led them to the joyful arrival of their daughter Emma.