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The rough road to pregnancy

When Cheryl Chua tied the knot in her mid-30s, she and her husband immediately wanted to start a family. Having children was something that the couple had always dreamed about, but they did not expect any difficulties in conceiving.

Cheryl Chua and her son, James.

Cheryl Chua and her son, James.

When Cheryl Chua tied the knot in her mid-30s, she and her husband immediately wanted to start a family. Having children was something that the couple had always dreamed about, but they did not expect any difficulties in conceiving.

The couple had tried to conceive for a year or so and after attempting various methods of conception, they decided to give in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) a try.

What many couples don’t realise is that the treatment is extremely costly and success is not guaranteed. The process is also physically, mentally and emotionally challenging.

Cheryl’s journey with IVF lasted six years and she suffered many setbacks. There was a lot of discomfort as Cheryl’s husband had to inject her with hormones each morning and night for two weeks at a time.

She said: “I had to use two needles each time. My husband had to carefully prepare the hormones and then inject me through a layer of fat. Preparation at home involves mixing a powder and liquid concentrate just prior to the injection.”

There were also frequent visits to the gynaecologist to check if the hormone injections had taken effect. After two weeks of injections, Cheryl would be put under general anaesthetic to extract the eggs from her ovaries, which would then be analysed to see if they were suitable for IVF.

Cheryl said: “After three days, the embryos were put back into my womb with the hope that at least one might latch.”

AGAINST ALL ODDS

It took Cheryl eight attempts before she finally conceived. But the other seven failed attempts put her through an extremely trying period. She was thankful her husband was very encouraging and supportive throughout the process.

Cheryl said: “IVF is not just a treatment where you put your body through physical stress, but it is emotionally and mentally stressful too.”

To keep her mind off the IVF treatments and help her pull through this difficult period, Cheryl filled her life with meaningful activities. She served as a volunteer teacher in her church and spent a lot more time with her niece and nephew.

Cheryl stopped IVF treatments for two years before she decided to give it one last go in 2012. This time she was successful and gave birth to a healthy baby boy the following year. From a career woman to a homemaker, Cheryl now spends more time bonding with James.

She said:“I have desired a baby for so long. I really appreciate every moment with him now.”

PLAN NOW

For many, conception may be easy but for others, like Cheryl, the road to pregnancy can be complicated and heartbreaking. This is more so when the success rate of assisted conception procedures (ACP) declines with age.

Parenthood is not without its challenges, but it’s also a life-changing experience. It may be a significant investment in terms of time and resources, but you can’t put a price on seeing the smile on your little ones’ faces as they grow and learn.

Produced by the TODAY Special Projects team.

Visit Maybe Baby — On The Road at Chevron House, Raffles Place, to learn more about fertility, financial and work-life issues. For more info, visit www.todayonline.com/events/maybe-baby-2014. .sponsor-image img { max-width: 150px; } #sponsor-image img { max-width: 150px; }

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