We’ve had 13 rounds of IVF but we are not ready to give up yet

A couple who have completed 13 unsuccessful rounds of IVF have revealed the heartache and emotional turmoil they have experienced but also why they are not ready to give up – yet

Jess and Steve (not their real names) spoke to ABC in Australia about their fertility struggle, revealing Jess has polycystic ovarian syndrome and Steve has an abnormally low sperm count.

They began their fertility journey in their 20s after trying for a baby for six months without success.

The couple believe they have spent in the region of $120,000, having withdrawn funds from their pension schemes to help pay for treatment.

After their first-round failed, in hindsight, the couple feel they were not emotionally prepared for IVF not to work.

Jess said: “Usually it takes years to get to IVF, especially at the age we were when we started.

“We didn’t have a lot of friends, no family, and not much in the way of support.

“It really affected us as a couple. It took us about a year to emotionally recover, properly reconnect and be at a point where we felt ready to start again.”

Over the next couple of years, the pair experienced several more cycles, with some success with a pregnancy, but the embryos never stuck and they suffered four miscarriages.

Jess said the losses pushed her to the edge of her mental health.

She said: “We went a long time with the mental health support we needed.

“Finally, we accessed that support, and I now have a perinatal psychiatrist since then. That’s been an enormous help.”

Not ready to give up

The couple says they have experienced immeasurable pain on their fertility journey but don’t feel ready to give up.

Jess said: “I have quite a bit of faith in my body. We just need to give it the right ingredients.”

Have you had multiple rounds of IVF without success? Why not get in touch? Email mystory@ivfbabble.com.

Related Content:

Can you help me? My IVF keeps failing. What do I do?