Worth every shot!

Physically, emotionally and financially daunting, IVF is still not accepted in conservative societies. But it’s nothing short of a boon for aspiring parents. Here’s one heartening story of a mum who did not give up, and finally came out tops, because of her gumption and just a little help from Science...

- KRISELLE FONSECA

When Mumbai-based Vanetta Ferdinando set out start a family of her own, a roadblock in her journey led her down the IVF route. Yet, it wasn’t an easy one. It took seven years of countless IVF failures, disappointments and uncertainty before she finally had the family she always dreamt of, in the form of her twins, four year-old Liam and Quinn. Here’s her story, in her own words:

“My husband Chagas and I were married in 2006. While he wanted to wait to start our family, I wanted kids right away! Yet, we never mindfully tried to make a baby. So we continued to enjoy our married life. However, two years down the line, I started to worry. That’s when we decided to get certain fertility tests done, to hopefully get a clear picture of why we couldn’t conceive. We were definitely in for a surprise.

“The tests showed that Chagas had a low sperm count, and after a laparoscopy, I found I had endometriosis. So it was now clear that the both of us had an inability to conceive successfully. It was disheartening, but we had to start considering other options. I got started on Intrauterine Insemination (IUI—a fertility treatment where the sperm is placed directly inside the uterus, with the aim of increasing the number of sperm that reach the fallopian tubes), and around the same time, Chagas had to undergo a Urethral Stricture. I underwent around four IUI cycles but it didn’t work. People kept advising me to adopt. I also briefly considered surrogacy. I salute mums who go down this route, but it just wasn’t for me. So now, we were left with one option—In-Vitro Fertilisation (IVF).