“The need for donor eggs vastly exceeds the availability,” said Dr Gillian Lockwood, medical director of Aldridge-based Midland Fertility Services (MFS).  “For many women who are involuntarily childless, havingIVF treatment using eggs donated by another woman is their only hope of ever becoming a mother.”

The ‘Woman to Woman’ campaign appeals to women who need IVF treatment but who have to pay for it.  By becoming egg sharers and agreeing to donate half the eggs collected from their treatment cycle to another woman, they can start reduced cost, high quality treatment at MFS within weeks.

Donna Rea-Gardner and Dr Gillian Lockwood (r) of MFS launch the appeal for more women to become egg share donors

“MFS welcomes enquiries from any woman who would consider donating some of her eggs as part of her own IVF treatment,” continued Dr Lockwood.  “Egg share donation enables women to have the IVF they need, but for a fraction of the cost, whilst knowing that they are also helping another woman to have a baby.”

Newspaper and bus adverts around the region ask ‘What do women really want?’ and encourage potential egg donors to contact MFS for more information.

“Even a nice house, expensive holidays or a good career can come to mean little to a woman who wants to have a baby but who can’t get pregnant.  To fulfil her dream, she may have to accept the amazing gift of another woman’s eggs,” said Dr Lockwood.

“Just as some people find satisfaction in ‘live’ organ donation, women who have been egg donors can enjoy the knowledge that they have given another woman a chance of getting pregnant and giving birth to the baby she’s always dreamed of having.”

Currently many women go abroad for treatment with donor eggs but many others resign themselves to a life without any child.  Since 2005, when the law changed allowing donor-conceived people aged 18+years the right to know the identity of the donor, the number of egg and sperm donors declined rapidly.  Donors are needed from all ethnic groups, particularly White, Indian, Pakistani and Black African.

A woman may need donor eggs for a variety of reasons, including premature menopause, infertility due to cancer treatment or the risk of passing on a serious genetic condition.

Charlotte Manning* from Staffordshire was diagnosed with premature menopause in 2005, aged 34.  After waiting for two years for donor eggs she and her husband were told that MFS had matched her to a suitable donor.  Following just a single cycle of IVF at MFS, their son was born in 2008.

“Words cannot express how I feel about the woman who gave me the greatest gift of all,” said Charlotte*.  “That he was conceived from a donor egg makes no difference to how I feel about him - he has my husband’s genes, it’s my blood that flows through his veins and I gave birth to him.  Everyday I look at my son and know how lucky I am.”

Egg donors are rigorously screened and care is taken to match the eggs of suitable donors to recipients.   Both donors and recipients at MFS are offered full support from the nursing and counselling teams to ensure they are happy with the decisions they take before any treatment begins.

For more information on becoming an egg donor, women should complete the egg share donor checklist, or contact the egg share donor team via email or call  MFS on 01922 455911, for further information.

ends

Issued: 23 February 2010

Editor Notes

*Patient’s name has been changed to protect the identity of her son.

MFS was established in 1987 and is licensed by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority to offer a range of fertility treatments and procedures including IVF, ICSI, egg donation, egg and embryo freezing and sperm recovery.  In May 2002 the UK’s first ‘frozen egg’ baby was born following treatment at MFS.  In September 2005, the UK’s first twins were born from ‘frozen eggs’ fertility treatment at MFS, followed by the first ‘frozen egg’ boy in December 2005.  In April 2006 the clinic’s first twins were born following the mother’s treatment with Vi4gr4 as part of her fertility treatment at MFS.  In early 2008, the 4,000^th baby was born after treatment at MFS and the clinic celebrated its 21^st anniversary in June 2008.  The 4,500^th baby was born in August 2009.  Based in Aldridge, West Midlands, MFS treats both private and NHS patients. 

MFS is appealing to women to donate some of their eggs to another woman so that she can have a baby.  The ‘Woman to Woman’ advertising campaign shaows that many women may benefit from sharing or receiving donor eggs.

Newspaper and bus adverts around the Midlands ask ‘What do women really want?’ and outlines how egg sharers who agree to donate half the eggs collected from their IVF treatment cycle to another woman, can start reduced cost, high quality treatment at MFS within weeks.

To see if you could be a potential egg sharer or egg donor, complete the on-line checklist. 

Libby and Mark Gummerson with their twins Ellie and Richard, who are 'MFS Babies 4,500 and 4,501', with Jill Anthony-Ackery (c) of MFS

Their parents Libby and Mark Gummerson, from Hereford, married in 2002 and tried to conceive for four years with no success.  After Libby had surgery to check for blocked tubes and other conditions that could prevent her getting pregnant, their infertility remained ‘unexplained’ and they were granted funding for IVF by Herefordshire Primary Care Trust and referred to MFS in Aldridge.

Following just a single cycle of IVF, Libby (33) and Mark (39) were delighted when they had a positive pregnancy test 14 days after their embryo transfer.  Two weeks later they returned to MFS where a scan confirmed they were expecting twins.  ”I’ve never known Mark so quiet,” said Libby.  ”He’s an identical twin and the thought of having twins of our own was just amazing!”

Ellie and Richard were born by Caesarean section at Hereford County Hospital on 3 August 2009, on Libby and Mark’s seventh wedding anniversary, weighing 3lbs 6oz and 4lbs 8oz respectively.

“The clinic began 2010 knowing that more than 4,500 much-wanted babies have been born as a result of the expertise of the staff at MFS,” said Jill Anthony-Ackery, communications manager for MFS.  “We are delighted to learn of the birth of all babies, but the arrival of a new MFS ‘milestone baby’¹ is always cause for extra celebration for the couple, their families and the clinic.

 ”MFS celebrated the birth of the 2,500^th baby in May 2003, 16 years after the unit was established.  Just six years later, the arrival of Ellie and Richard confirmed the births of another 2,000 ‘MFS Babies’, indicating that the need for fertility treatment is greater than ever and also that techniques are constantly developing and success rates are improving.

“Throughout 2010 and beyond, MFS looks forward to helping many more couples have the babies they want so very much.”

ends

Issue Date: 1 February 2010

Editor Notes

¹ Other MFS ‘milestone babies’ include:

• Baby 1, Brett Rigby born in October 1988, Sutton Coldfield
• Baby 2,500, Francesca Lillie Brookes born in May 2003, Wolverhampton
• Baby 3,000, Cameron Sinclair, born in November 2004, Wolverhampton
• Baby 3,500, Lola June Turley, born July 2006, Cannock
• Baby 4,000, anonymous, born mid-2008, Dudley

MFS was established in 1987 and is licensed by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority to offer a range of fertility treatments and procedures including IVF, ICSI, egg donation, egg and embryo freezing and sperm recovery.  In May 2002 the UK’s first ‘frozen egg’ baby was born following treatment at MFS.  In September 2005, the UK’s first twins were born from ‘frozen eggs’ fertility treatment at MFS, followed by the first ‘frozen egg’ boy in December 2005.  In April 2006 the clinic’s first twins were born following the mother’s treatment with Vi4gr4 as part of her fertility treatment at MFS.  In mid-2008, the 4,000^th baby was born after treatment at MFS and the clinic celebrated its 21^st anniversary in June 2008.  The 4,500^th baby was born in August 2009.  Based in Aldridge, West Midlands, MFS treats both private and NHS patients. 

pr093b.baby 4,500 mids.jlaa

BBC3 is looking for single women of all ages, to take part in a documentary about love and relationships and would like to include the experiences of those who may be planning IUI and single parenthood or who are considering elective egg freezing, while waiting for the ‘right’ relationship.

Do you feel under pressure to meet Mr/Mrs Right? Do you feel like time is running out? Are you concerned about your ticking biological clock?

If you feel like you could speak candidly about this subject then please contact Jennifer at Renegade Pictures on 020 7449 3264 or via email with your name, age, contact details and a little about yourself.

ends

Issued: 11 January 2010

Kate is a 24 year old Oxford graduate currently gaining teaching experience before beginning her PGCE qualification in 2010.  Over the coming years, her life will be filled with the many choices available to any bright, young woman, including how her career will progress, who she’ll fall in love with, where and when she’ll buy her first home and when she’d like to have children.  All quite ‘normal’ milestones for any young woman, but only three years ago, Kate wondered if any of them would be part of her life.

Although she is one of 3,899 young women (aged 15-34) diagnosed with cancer in the UK in 2006, Kate is one of only about a hundred young women since 2000, who have been able to ‘preserve’ their future fertility before beginning chemotherapy and radiotherapy by having some of their eggs collected and frozen, in case their ovarian reserve was damaged or reduced as a result of that treatment.

Recently she visited Dr Gillian Lockwood, medical director of Midland Fertility Services (MFS), the UK’s leading fertility-preservation clinic where she had her egg freezing treatment, to get the results of a test to measure any continuing impact of chemotherapy on her fertility.

Kate (right) with Dr Gillian Lockwood, medical director of MFS

In June 2006 while in Russia as part of her third year studies, she noticed a pea-size, painless lump under her skin near her collar bone.  After a few days, and now in Germany, she saw a local GP and a hospital consultant who carried out blood tests, an ultra-sound scan and a chest x-ray.  A subsequent CT scan showed two areas of swelling in her chest and neck, indicating the likelihood of Hodgkin’s lymphoma (HL).

“It wasn’t actually the bombshell that some people imagine and I remained quite calm - though I did get upset when I had to phone my mum to tell her I needed chemotherapy,” remembers Kate.  “I was already aware that different cancers have different prognoses and recovery rates but I researched HL via the internet for more specific information and was reassured that there’s a high recovery rate following chemotherapy and, sometimes, radiotherapy for young people with early stage HL.”

Two days later Kate returned home and within a week had a biopsy to remove three lymph nodes from her neck.  Following this, the oncologist confirmed that she definitely had stage 2A HL.

In the UK in 2006, 1,611 new cases of HL were diagnosed, peaking in two age ranges of 20-25 and 75-80.  HL accounts for about 0.5% of all cancers diagnosed in the UK and is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer in people aged 15-29 years - but it is also one of the most curable forms of cancer.  Since the early 1970s there have been significant increases in the survival rates for HL in the UK.  From 1971-2007, the age-standardised mortality rate for HL fell from 2.2 to 0.4 per 100,000 males, and from 1.1 to 0.4 per 100,000 females.  Such numbers reassured Kate that she would overcome this.

Her oncologist advised that she would be treated with ABVD chemotherapy over six months.  While this treatment can harm a woman’s fertility, there is evidence that it may recover over some years, but that the patient will probably have a premature menopause.  A family friend suggested Kate ask her oncologist about egg freezing to increase her chance of being able to conceive in the future.

“At the time, I hadn’t got specific plans for how many children I’d like to have, or when - or what their names would be! - but I knew I always wanted children to be a part of my life,” says Kate.  “I knew that chemo would damage or reduce my fertility and, because I was certain that I would beat the HL, I wanted to give myself at least a chance to be a mum.”

Her consultant researched fertility clinics which offered egg freezing treatment and contacted Dr Gillian Lockwood.  MFS was gaining a reputation as the UK’s national centre for fertility preservation for cancer patients as, by 2006 MFS was, and remains, the only clinic in the UK to have achieved live births using women’s own frozen eggs.  It was also the first clinic in the West Midlands to also offer vitrification egg freezing, the ‘flash-freezing’ method which offers improved pregnancy rates by increasing the survival rates of eggs after thawing from 65% to 95%.

The NICE recommendation regarding fertility preservation for female cancer patients is: ‘Women preparing for medical treatment that is likely to make them infertile should be offered oocyte (egg) or embryo cryostorage, as appropriate, if they are well enough to undergo ovarian stimulation and egg collection, provided that this will not worsen their condition and that sufficient time is available.’

“The progress made in recent years in life-saving therapies available to young cancer patients has rightly focused emphasis on fertility-sparing treatments, and if these are not available, on methods of fertility preservation,” explains Dr Lockwood.  “While sperm freezing for male cancer patients has been available, effective and funded by the NHS for many years, for young women, egg freezing before chemotherapy, radiotherapy or surgery currently remains the only available option to give a chance of ‘genetic’ motherhood in the future.

 ”While freezing embryos is long-established and can offer pregnancy rates similar toIVF cycles using fresh embryos, it is only suitable for women with a long-term male partner.  As very few young cancer patients are in such a relationship, freezing eggs avoids the ethical ownership issues which may result from creating embryos - where the man whose sperm was used to fertilise the eggs shares the same rights as the woman over storage or use of the embryos.”

Since MFS was granted a licence to freeze eggs in 2000, the clinic has frozen eggs for 157 women, including 58 young women diagnosed with cancer.  Initially restricted to patients with haematological cancers such as lymphoma, egg freezing is now available for a wider range of malignancies including breast cancer.

Some of the PCTs with which MFS has contracts to provide IVF treatments also fund the cost of egg freezing for cancer patients.  The unit is also able to secure funding from other PCTs for cancer patients whose egg freezing is not covered by any existing contract, as it did for Kate’s egg freezing treatment and continuing storage.

Kate’s oncologist agreed that her chemotherapy could begin at the end of August, allowing time for her ovaries to be stimulated with fertility drugs to increase the growth of the egg-containing follicles.  Careful monitoring was required to ensure that Kate did not over-respond to the fertility drugs and develop ovarian hyper-stimulation as she had previously been diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).

In late August 2006 staff at MFS collected 28 eggs from Kate, while she was under conscious sedation.  These eggs are now stored in liquid nitrogen at -196˚C, the point where all cellular activity ceases.  Under new legislation eggs may remain frozen for up to 55 years, so long as the woman has become prematurely infertile.

In the future, if the effects of the chemotherapy on Kate’s reproductive system has been harmful and she is unable to get pregnant naturally, she may try to conceive through ICSI IVF, when the eggs will be thawed, injected with the sperm of her future partner and allowed to fertilise in an incubator.  One or two of the embryos will then be returned to her uterus, hopefully resulting in a pregnancy.

Two days after her egg collection, Kate began her chemotherapy.  After 12 treatments over six months and following a PET/CT scan in February 2007, Kate was told that she was in remission.  And follow-up blood tests and CT scans over the last two years have confirmed that she remains cancer-free.

In November 2009 Kate had an ovarian reserve test at MFS to measure her current fertility potential.  “Kate’s ovarian reserve results are encouraging,” revealed Dr Lockwood.  “Her ovaries currently show signs of limited impact from the chemotherapy, although in a woman of Kate’s age this is not unusual, as younger women’s ovaries seem to be more resistant to the effects of chemotherapy.

“However, chemotherapy can add up to 10 years to a woman’s ‘fertility age’, so that when she is in her late 20s, her ovarian reserve, and therefore her fertility potential, will be the same as that of a woman in her late 30s, when fertility starts to decline naturally anyway.

“I would recommend that Kate and any young woman in similar circumstances repeats an ovarian reserve test every five years and, depending on her personal circumstances, assesses whether and if she should try to conceive naturally or, when the time is right for her, to attempt to conceive using her frozen eggs - and which will forever be just 21 years old.”

Kate resumed her studies in 2007 and graduated with first class honours in German and Russian the following summer.  Over the coming years, while she develops her career and future relationships, she can be reassured that when the time comes to start a family, she has eggs in the ‘bank’ if she is not able to conceive naturally.  She says: “I know it’s not a guarantee of a baby, but it gives me more of a chance than I would ever have had before egg freezing became available.”

A Dedicated Team at MFS

Nine years experience of both elective and emergency egg freezing has led MFS to create a dedicated team for fertility preservation for young cancer patients.  The team can be available at short notice, to maximise access to the service and minimise delay to the start of cancer therapy.  Working closely with the patient’s oncologist, an assessment for the viability of egg freezing may be made at a single consultation and the patient placed on a short protocol of follicle stimulating drugs.  Egg collection is performed under conscious sedation local anaesthesia approximately two weeks later after the start of stimulation.  Counselling is available at every stage of treatment and clinical follow-up is offered to address the patient’s concerns about her fertility.

ends

Issued: 30 November 2009

This feature also appears in the Winter edition of C21, Understanding and Coping with Cancer magazine.

For more information:

• MFS emergency egg freezing service
• success rates from frozen eggs
• call 01922 455911 to make an appointment

Blaithin and Tony Stevenson celebrated Christmas with the babies they’d dreamed of having since they married in 2004.

Blaithin Stevenson (right) with daughters Meara and Isla and MFS fertility nurse specialist Tracey Lewis

The couple’s daughters Meara Josephine and Isla Marie were born in June 2009, following fertility treatment at Midland Fertility Services (MFS) in Aldridge.  After trying to conceive for four years and when tests by their GP revealed no specific reason for infertility, Blaithin (33), a PA to a managing director, and Tony (34), a product analyst from Staffordshire were recommended to try fertility treatment.

Further tests by the clinical team at MFS concluded that Blaithin and Tony would increase their chance of having a baby with IVF and the couple began their first treatment cycle in July 2008.

“Some friends and my sister had had various types of fertility treatment and all of them agreed that having a positive attitude would help us get through it - whatever the results were,” said Blaithin.  ”So we didn’t feel sorry for ourselves, because we knew that this would give us a better chance than we’d ever had before of being able to have the baby we wanted so much.

“We paid for our treatment and so were ecstatic when we got a positive pregnancy test in November after our first embryo transfer.  I’d never been pregnant in my life and that moment was one to remember forever!

“Two years ago we had to be content with spending Christmas as a childless couple, but this Christmas we were with about 20 of our family and, most importantly, our two precious girls.” said Blaithin.  “This year, Christmas was all about Meara and Isla!”

“Christmas can be a difficult time for couples who want a baby,” said Tracey Lewis, fertility nurse specialist at MFS, and one of the clinical team that cared for Blaithin and Tony.  “Almost 300 MFS babies have been born since last Christmas, many to couples who will be celebrating their first Christmas as parents.  MFS sends Christmas wishes to all of them - and to new parents and grandparents everywhere.”

Issued: 17 December 2009

Editor Notes

MFS was established in 1987 and is licensed by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority to offer a range of fertility treatments and procedures including IVF, ICSI, egg donation, egg and embryo freezing and sperm recovery.  In May 2002 the UK’s first ‘frozen egg’ baby was born following treatment at MFS.  In September 2005, the UK’s first twins were born from ‘frozen eggs’ fertility treatment at MFS, followed by the first ‘frozen egg’ boy in December 2005.  In April 2006 the clinic’s first twins were born following the mother’s treatment with Vi4gr4 as part of her fertility treatment at MFS.  In early 2008, the 4,000^th baby was born after treatment at MFS and the clinic celebrated its 21^st anniversary in June 2008.  Based in Aldridge, West Midlands, MFS treats both private and NHS patients. 

• view dates of, and information about, MFS Open Evenings
• view dates and details of UK and worldwide fertility-related events and conferences

‘Today’s The Day’ is the chance for you to mark a special day in your lives, by sending in details of a birth announcement, or of your MFS baby’s or child’s birthday, or other achievements - such as first day at a new school, winning a prize, or getting their degree!  The December issue is also a chance to include a Christmas message to your MFS babies.  You can send details of any special date between now and the end of May 2010 for the next e-newsletter.  We’ll cover forthcoming dates or events and those that have already happened in this time. 

Scarlett Abigail and Jack Ryan Wain, 1 August 2008
	‘Merry Christmas Scarlett and Jack.  Mummy and daddy love you both very much and are looking forward to having lots of festive fun with you xxx’

Connor Tandy, 2 December 2005
	‘Mummy and Daddy would like to wish you a very Happy 4th Birthday x’

Abey’s gained further professional recognition (as well as constant accolades on the Forum!), Lynsey’s ‘moving up’, Gail’s planning something special in Las Vegas, and we say ‘hello’, ‘goodbye’ and ‘welcome’ to Carolyn, Liz and Gemma’s new baby . . .

DRCOG in the (Centre) House

Congratulations to Dr Abey Eapen (below) who has received professional recognition from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, achieving his DRCOG status in October 2009 after successful continuous study and the completion of an exam.  Continuing his specialist training, he is now undertaking a Masters degree.

Moving on Up(stairs)

Congratulations also to Lynsey Bissell (above), who takes up the new role of clinical administrator in January, supporting the doctors, nurses and nurse assistants.  Lynsey joined MFS in June 2008 as one of the unit’s secretaries and will concentrate her skills on managing the clinical diary via the Data Management System, providing patients with results of tests and procedures, including pregnancy tests, booking appointments and ensuring that all clinical administration is handled as efficiently as possible.

Hello and Goodbye

Welcome to Carolyn Sage (below) who joins the team as a secretary, replacing Lynsey in the office team.  Carolyn joined MFS as a temp in June 2009 and previously worked at the University of Wolverhampton.  She has an NVQ3 in business administration and is now working towards her AMSPAR medical administration qualification.

More of a ‘cheerio’ than ‘goodbye’ to Dr Liz Howland (above) who leaves her role at MFS to return to Good Hope Hospital, Sutton Coldfield as a consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist.  However, Liz will continue her links with MFS, not only referring patients to the unit  and treating them during their pregnancies and births, but also taking the lead with the recurrent miscarriage service at MFS which is being re-launched in early 2010.

Welcome to Gemma’s Jessie Angel

Receptionist and NHS contracts assistant Gemma Griffiths and her partner Shaun welcomed their daughter Jessie Angel in October - seven weeks earlier than expected and weighing just 3lbs 15oz.  Congratulations to them both, and to big brother Cody, and best wishes to Jessie for a very happy and healthy first Christmas.

Finance Manager is a Fiancée

Congratulations to finance manager Gail Bellingham on her engagement to Perry Crick.  Gail and Perry met through his fitness and bodybuilding supplements website and good ‘virtual’ customer relations turned into something more tangible.  After being voted Britain’s Fittest Couple by Bodyfitness magazine, Gail and Perry are now planning a low-key celebration next year, in a little white chapel in Las Vegas with only ‘Elvis’ as the best man and a couple of Mr Olympia contenders as possible bridesmaids!

MFS ‘Baby 4,500′ (and 4,501) has arrived!

Like all MFS babies, Ellie May Gummerson is a very special baby.  But, with her twin brother Richard, as well as them both meaning ‘the world’ to her parents Libby and Mark, and being their grandparents’ ‘little miracles’, Ellie is also the 4,500th baby born after treatment at MFS.  What an excellent milestone to confirm at the end of the year.

“Congratulations to Libby and Mark on the birth of Ellie and Richard,” said Dr Gillian Lockwood, medical director at Midland Fertility Services. “‘MFS Baby 2,500′ was born in May 2003, during the unit’s 16th year and in just more six years, MFS has helped bring another 2,000 much-wanted babies into the lives of so many of our patients.” Pictured: Ellie and Richard with their parents Libby and Mark Gummerson and (l-r) Mr Robert Subak-Sharpe, consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist at Hereford Hospitals NHS Trust, where they were born, Jill Anthony-Ackery of MFS, which provided the IVF treatment and Cathie Hatherall of NHS Herefordshire, which funded the couple’s treatment. Read more about Ellie May and Richard Mark in the Made in Aldridge feature.

MFS 10 Years Funding Partnership with NHS Herefordshire

The arrival of ‘Babies 4,500′ and 4,501′, Ellie and Richard Gummerson also celebrates the first 10 years of the partnership between MFS, the PCT NHS Herefordshire and the Hereford Hospitals NHS Trust.  Since 1999, the PCT has funded treatment for more than 200 couples resulting in the birth of 122 babies - including Ellie and Richard.

MFS Christmas and New Year Service

MFS will be closed for 10 days from Saturday 19 December and re-open with a full regular service on Tuesday 29 December 2009, albeit with a slightly shorter day of 9.00am-4.00pm on Friday 1 January 2010. Of course, patients who will be part-way through their treatment during the holiday period, and who require advice, can call the 24 hour service on 01922 455911 and listen for the number of the mobile phone to call and speak to one of the senior MFS team. Please note that this service is for medical emergencies only and other enquiries will be dealt with when the unit re-opens in the New Year.  General enquiries may be made via email and replied to as soon as the team is back. MFS staff will ensure that all patients’ treatments will progress seamlessly over the holiday period.

Four Christmas Belles and a Beau

Staff have recently enjoyed visits from many patients returning to the unit with their new babies. Christmas can be a difficult time for couples who want a baby and are not able to conceive naturally and the New Year often results in a resolution ‘to either be pregnant or to have a baby by next Christmas’.

Four couples who felt that way over the last few years returned to introduce their new babies to the staff who helped them keep such promises and resolutions.

Hannah and David Preston’s daughter Lucy Georgia was born in May 2009.

“Our GP diagnosed PCOS and when he mentioned fertility treatment we started to prepare ourselves for possibly years of expensive treatment so that we could have the baby we wanted so much,” said Hannah.  “But after further tests on me and David, MFS recommended we would probably only need clomiphene citrate tablets to help me to ovulate.  Lucy is proof that not all fertility treatment has to be costly or complicated!

“Two years ago wondered if we’d ever get the chance to have a Christmas with our own baby.  Then last Christmas I was pregnant and this year, we’re Mummy and Daddy to the most beautiful girl in the world - and it didn’t cost us the earth!”

“When couples find out they need fertility treatment to conceive they may worry about the possible costs and the time involved,” said Dr Abey Eapen of MFS.  “But as every patient’s treatment plan at MFS is tailored-made, it is not always necessary to suggest IVF as a first recommendation, but to try something less invasive and not so costly.”

David and Hannah Preston with daughter Lucy and Dr Abey Eapen of MFS (back)

Blaithin Stevenson (right) with daughters Meara and Isla and MFS fertility nurse specialist Tracey Lewis

Blaithin and Tony Stevenson tried to conceive for four years before having IVF treatment at MFS.  The couple’s daughters Meara Josephine and Isla Marie were born in June 2009 after a single cycle of IVF.

“Two years ago we had to be content with spending Christmas as a childless couple, but this year we’ll be with about 20 of our family and, most importantly, our two precious girls.” said Blaithin.  “This year, Christmas is all about Meara and Isla!”

Vicki and Des Stephen’s son Reuben was born in August 2005, and they waited almost two years before trying for another baby.

Eighteen months later were referred to a hospital specialist and they were advised to try clomiphene citrate tablets to help them conceive naturally.  “By the end of that treatment we’d been trying for more than two years and although we were lucky enough to already have one child, we’d always planned to have at least two children,” said Vicki.  “We couldn’t understand how we had no trouble having our first baby but I couldn’t conceive again.”

Following a single cycle ICSI treatment at MFS, their second son Theo was born on 29 August 2009.  ”He has been totally golden since birth and now we have both our precious boys, this Christmas will be perfect,” said Vicki.  “I’d advise any other couple who is having difficulty getting pregnant second time around to get help as soon as possible - there’s no point wasting even more time and suffering in silence.”

Vicki and Des Stephen with son Theo and Dr Gillian Lockwood, medical director of MFS (back)

Simon and Susan Llewellyn and daughter Sadie, with Dr Abey Eapen of MFS (left)

Susan and Simon Llewellyn’s daughter Sadie Mae was born in November 2009, following six years of trying to conceive and four cycles of IVF ICSI treatment at MFS.

Following their first appointment at MFS in November 2006, Susan, a former flight attendant and Simon, a commercial airline pilot, had three full cycles of ICSI treatment.  One embryo transfer resulted in a positive pregnancy test but an early scan revealed only a slight heartbeat and Susan lost the pregnancy after just seven weeks.  Two subsequent fresh embryo transfers and a frozen transfer all resulted in negative pregnancy tests.

MFS then advised Susan to have further complex tests to detect the cause of the embryo implantation failure.  One of the tests revealed a blood clotting problem, which is understood to prevent embryos implanting successfully.  However, the condition can be treated with a blood thinning drug, which Susan would take following her next embryo transfer.

Further tests on Simon’s sperm also revealed DNA fragmentation which would reduce its quality and MFS recommended that Simon undergo surgical sperm retrieval as part of the next treatment cycle.

“We wanted to do everything possible to give us a chance of success so we both also went on a three month detox programme, cutting out alcohol and caffeine and taking vitamins and supplements that might help make our bodies as healthy as possible,” said Susan.

Following a fourth ICSI cycle in early 2009, Sadie Mae was born by ventouse delivery at Good Hope Hospital, Sutton Coldfield on 12 November 2009, weighing 8lbs 5oz.

“All the years of struggling to have a baby, the failed treatment cycles, the thousands of pounds we paid for treatment and the worry of the bleeding up to week 20 of my pregnancy all fade to insignificance, now we have Sadie,” said Susan.

“Last Christmas I felt so empty and was determined that we’d be able to share this Christmas with our baby.  So this year will be a magical and exciting time for us, as Sadie is the perfect early Christmas gift.”

“Christmas can be a difficult time for couples who want a baby,” said Dr Gillian Lockwood, medical director MFS.  “Including these five babies, almost 300 MFS babies have been born since last Christmas, many to couples who will be celebrating their first Christmas as parents.  MFS sends Christmas wishes to all of them - and to new parents and grandparents everywhere.”

Banking on her Future Fertility

In 2006 Kate Feld was in her third year at Oxford University when she was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma, aged 20.  Within weeks of discovering a small lump in her neck, her cancer had been diagnosed, she had undergone a short protocol of fertility drugs at MFS, where 28 of her eggs were collected and frozen and she had started her chemotherapy treatment.

She is one of 58 young women diagnosed with cancer , who have had some of their eggs collected and frozen at MFS since 2000, before beginning their cancer treatments, to increase their chance of possible future genetic motherhood. In November 2009 she returned to MFS for an ovarian reserve test to measure the impact of the chemotherapy and radiotherapy on her fertility.  Read more about Kate’s story and the outcome of the ovarian reserve test in an extended feature in this issue, written by Jill Anthony-Ackery at MFS and also in the winter issue of C21, Understanding and Coping with Cancer magazine.

Breast Friends Sutton Coldfield

In 2010 MFS main charity activity will support Breast Friends Sutton Coldfield, a self-help group, run by volunteers who have all been diagnosed with breast cancer.  During the year, MFS staff raise funds through dress-down days at work and also through individual sponsored events and next year, Breast Friends will be the main beneficiary.  For more information visit the Breast Friends Sutton Coldfield website.

MUMS@MFS

MFS now offers a range of ante-natal screening services via a satellite service from MUMS -  Midlands Ultrasound Medical Services.

MUMS offers the very latest in nuchal and marker scanning for Down’s and other chromosomal conditions, plus 20 week anomaly and 26 week fetal well-being scans.  In addition, parents-to-be enjoy the reassurance of the latest-technology, non-invasive 4D diagnostic and screening scans, which give much clearer still and DVD images of the baby at 26-28 weeks than regular ultrasound scanning.  All these services are available at MUMS in Solihull, but MUMS@MFS brings them to MFS patients on Thursday afternoons in the familiar environment of the MFS unit.

Led by consultant obstetricians Mr Chris Griffin and Mr Mike Wyldes, the MUMS’ team of ultra-sonographers and midwives offer MFS patients the same high standards of care during their pregnancies, up to and including delivery, as they received during their fertility treatment at MFS.

To make an appointment for ante-natal scanning with MUMS@MFS, contact MUMS on 0121 704 2669.