Fertility talks could help you fall pregnant

Bourn Hall Clinic is running a free fertility roadshow at Woburn Abbey Sculpture Gallery on Tuesday, March 7, at 6pm, so couples who are trying for a baby - or just thinking about it - can ask how to increase their chances of a successful pregnancy.

Abi Ingrey, of Eyeworth, had eight miscarriages over a five-year period, with her longest pregnancy lasting just ten weeks.

Abi said: “Most people around us were either pregnant or having children so we hadn’t really expected something to go wrong. My husband and I were devastated.”

Thankfully, the couple then sought IVF treatment at Bourn Hall Clinic, which was successful, and Abi gave birth to son Elliott, before falling pregnant naturally.

Dr Nikolaos Polydoropoulos, Lead Clinician at Bourn Hall Clinic Cambridge, said: “Although the reasons for a miscarriage are not fully understood, a common cause is abnormal chromosomes in the baby.

“While the majority of miscarriages cannot be prevented, there are a number of steps that couples can take to reduce the risk, for example avoiding smoking, maintaining a healthy weight prior to pregnancy, and reducing exposure to infections. These measures are also important when trying to get pregnant and help natural conception.”

At the Fertility Road Show there will be an opportunity to discuss how to boost natural fertility and to find out about the most frequent reasons for infertility, which include: low sperm count; failure to release eggs (ovulate) regularly; damaged or blocked Fallopian tubes; fibroids or endometriosis (which affects about 5 in 100 women who experience difficulties); and impact of age and early menopause (when the ovaries stop releasing eggs altogether).

Also discussed will be how weight can impact fertility, as some fertility treatment can require a patient to lose weight before the process begins.

Dr Polydoropoulos continues: “It is well known that fertility declines with age but there are many other causes. Common reasons for infertility such as blocked Fallopian tubes or low sperm count won’t be improved by waiting, so it is important that these conditions are addressed to maximise the chance of conception.”

The Fertility Road Show aims to get people talking about fertility issues. If addressed early much can be done to improve the chances of a pregnancy. Abi agreed and said that more openness would have helped her, explaining that she and Scott delayed going to see their GP,

She added: “It took us a long time to get our heads around what was happening. We had to accept to ourselves that something was going on rather than keep trying on our own and hoping it would all work out.”

The couple were eventually referred to Bourn Hall Clinic in Cambridgeshire for NHS-funded IVF treatment. The couple successfully took the pregnancy to term and had baby Elliott. To their great joy they also conceived naturally shortly afterwards and baby Willow is now six months old.

Abi also used complementary therapies to help her through treatment and pregnancy and took some time off work to help her relax. Improving wellbeing is important alongside medical testing and treatment.

Tuesday’s event includes a free mini-consultation for every attendee, providing a private space to discuss things that are concerning them.

To register and attend, visit: www.bourn-hall-clinic.co.uk/events/fertility-road-show.