Charlotte is our wonderful patient who is inspiring overweight people to seek fertility treatments.
The first time we spoke with Charlotte (click here to read her story), she was preparing for egg collection. “It was daunting for me,” says Charlotte. “The nurses were amazing, Rachel, Margherita, Adrian, and of course, Dr. Venkat. They went through everything with me, maybe 10 times.” Charlotte said the experience was daunting because she was not used to taking regular medicines and she has never injected herself before. “The nurses even let me record them so I knew what to do when I got home,” Charlotte continues. “I was dealing with side effects which I knew about, and the nurses and Dr. Venkat told me about.”
Listen to Charlotte's story below.
Podcast - part 2.
Podcast - part 3.
Charlotte had 16 eggs collected, and 5 were viable. In between egg collection and insemination, Charlotte went with her husband on a holiday, which she highly recommends. “It’s like running away for a week, not having to listen to my alarm when I need to take my next medicine or injection. I had to deal with the effects of medicines and injections on my body such as bruises, little bumps, which are all normal and bearable, it was just good to have a break,” she continues.
“After our holiday we booked our insemination. We’ve decided to have one embryo implanted, and I am now pregnant. We are beyond ecstatic, and on our way to becoming parents.”
Before the lockdown started, pregnancy tests and scans confirmed Charlotte’s pregnancy. “I was very thankful for that, as many treatments were cancelled or delayed. Just 2 weeks before the lockdown, I was inseminated.” Charlotte’s emotions were up and down. “As a couple, going through the IVF treatment, we were over the moon but concerned about ongoing check-ups, and treatment during the lockdown, as it wasn’t clear what people should do.”
Charlotte says “HSFC was extremely helpful during the lockdown, they continuously kept in contact with us by newsletters, email and phone, Tanya was lovely and so helpful, and literally replied within minutes. HSFC were very professional in the way they kept corresponding with the patients in the midst of the lockdown.” It was quite difficult with mood swings and tiredness, and just knowing that HSFC was there to help her deal with everything was very comforting and helped her stay positive through the lockdown. Charlotte has been discharged from HSFC, because she was more than 12 weeks pregnant.
Every time Alex, Charlotte’s partner, attended the clinic with her, he was also taught how to administer injections and help his wife. “I was worried that I might hurt Charlotte when doing the injections,” says Alex. Charlotte confesses that sometimes she just doesn’t want to take the injections but Alex is there and reminds her why they do it.
Alex’s advice for other men is, “Go with your wife to appointments if you can, because she needs your support. You might have to take on the chores that your wife do, and understand the moods.”
Charlotte is thankful to Alex for all the supports he gives her. They also realised that now things are different than they were 3 months ago. “We both feel so lucky that we were able to attend appointments together, as rules have changed.”
Charlotte says, “This is the most important journey that some couples go through. You have to do it together! I was the one going on medication, all the tests. My husband is administering the injections, and it made him understand more what I’m going though, he is involved in the treatment. If you are lucky enough to be in a couple, support each other. Taking regular medications and injections are taking its toll on your body, but thinking of what you are getting, a baby, it’s all worth it!”
Charlotte says that having a friend as a support system when you go through your fertility treatment is also a great option if you don’t have a partner.
“When you see your first scan, it’s just amazing, seeing your child growing, and starting to move. We have an app that tells us the stage the embryo is. We share information with close family and friends.”
Charlotte treasures these steps in her journey and is not keen on sharing them on social media, rightly adding, “We want to keep our happiness for ourselves.”
We are so grateful to Charlotte and her husband for allowing us to have a little peek into their happiness. We are eager to witness the rest of their journey!
*Stock picture. The name of the patient was changed for patient confidentiality.
If you would like to start your fertility journey, why not take the first step and book a fertility check up? We would love to hear from you. Call us on 020 3376 8141 or email us on info@hsfc.org.uk