Read on for inspiring stories of couples who conquered infertility

By Catherine Lee 

For Rebecca, 37 and Justin, 38, having a baby of their own was no child's play. After having tried to conceive for five years, they decided to consult a gynaecologist. 

The couple was then put through various tests to determine the causes of the infertility."I was found to have endometriosis and apparently I have not been ovulating regularly," says Rebecca. "The test results also showed my husband’s semen to be of a low quality." 

So, their gynaecologist suggested in-vitro fertilisation (IVF). 

IVF is a process whereby fertilisation is performed outside the womb. In-vitro means "in glass". The eggs (or the oocytes) and sperms are brought together in the laboratory and after fertilisation, are transferred through a thin tube back into the womb. 

Angelina and her husband, Kevin also had the same problem as Rebecca and Justin. After having been married for 10 years, and prioritising their careers ahead of a family, they were forced to look into fertility treatments to help them conceive. 

"Our fertility treatment process was a long-drawn affair," shares Angelina, who is in her 40s. "The tests revealed that my womb and everything were working fine. Kevin, though, had a severely low sperm count." 

The couple tried four cycles of Intra-uterine Insemination. All were unsuccessful.  Subsequently, the couple decided to undergo in-vitro-fertilisation. 

"I was really scared," confides Angelina. "I have always been afraid of operations. When they gave me an anaesthetic, before retrieving my eggs from the ovaries, I thought of the possibility that I may not wake up. IVF is an invasive procedure, not for the faint-hearted." 

On hindsight, Angelina is glad she did it. The IVF procedure was successful and little Eugene is now a healthy and active toddler. She adds, "With Eugene, I get to bask in the joy and fulfilment that only motherhood can bring. I also realised I am actually more courageous than I think." 

RISING TREND
More women like Rebecca and Angelina are seeking fertility treatments after having unable to conceive naturally, says Dr Noel Leong, Advisor and Senior Consultant to the Thomson Fertility Centre. 

"However, I don't think we are any less fertile than we were, 20 years ago," says Dr Leong. "Firstly, there are more treatment options available now. With improvement in techniques, we are able to achieve better success rates. This in turn gives hope to some couples and encourages them to come forward." 

In addition, he believes the media played a part. With greater awareness on the subject of infertility, couples feel less stigmatised and are more eager to examine their treatment options. 

Dr Leong thinks there is a third factor that contributes to the rising trend. "To begin with, humans are not fertile animals," explains Dr Leong. "15% of women in any cohort suffer from infertility. So we are talking about one in 7 women. When women put off marriage and motherhood in favour of their careers, they further stretched their fertility limits. A woman’s fertility is best in her 20s, it declines at 30 and dramatically drops at 35 years old." 

Dr Sheila Loh, Head & Senior Consultant, Reproductive Medicine Unit & Director, KK IVF Centre, KK Women's & Children's Hospital says that IVF is usually the last resort. "The treatment of infertility varies according to many factors. 

These include the cause of the couples' infertility, the ovarian reserves of the woman (this being closely related to her age), the duration of infertility and other sociocultural factors (eg. religious concerns). The couple will need to have tests done to determine the underlying cause of their infertility." 


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- Mother & Baby
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