Diana's IVF happy ending

It is estimated that approximately 1 in 25 children born in Australia, and over 8 million children and adults worldwide, have been born following assisted reproductive technologies.

WIRF is proud to be partnering with Fertility Specialists of WA on our shared vision to help everyone experience the joy of family.

Diana Kitson is a mother of twin boys with an extraordinary story of struggle, hope, perseverance and ultimately joy. This is her IVF story.

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After marrying in 2013, my husband and I started actively trying for a baby. For years prior, neither of us were using contraception and in hindsight, I think that was a sign that we were going to have issues as I never fell pregnant.

After our wedding, we were prescribed Clomifene (Clomid) and I fell pregnant once however that resulted in a miscarriage. We then progressed to Puregon for ovulation induction however this ended in another early miscarriage. Months of these treatments and their poor results put a massive toll on my mentality and body so my husband and I agreed to take a break.

Two years went by and I found out I was pregnant after a natural conception. I was so nervous and anxious but cautiously excited as my HCG levels were doubling as they should be. I did experience a very light bleed and although feeling devastated, I put on a brave face knowing that whatever happens was beyond anyone’s control.

Back then I didn’t know about implantation bleeding and just assumed any bleeding was a bad sign but thankfully I didn’t experience any bleeding until approximately six weeks gestation whereby I had some brown spotting. I tried to remain optimistic and felt reassured as I had all my typical pregnancy symptoms still.

We went for a dating scan at a private ultrasound clinic I knew as soon as the probe was placed on my abdomen and then transvaginally, I knew once again that biggest hope, wish and dream was shattered. The radiologist explained to us we had a missed miscarriage which was confirmed the following week at a repeat ultrasound. We decided on a D&C and at my follow up, the obstetrician suggested we have karyotype testing.

Karyotype testing came back with the results that my husband had a balanced reciprocal translocation of chromosomes 2 and 7 so we were referred to Prof Roger Hart at Fertility Services of Western Australia (FSWA) for IVF and PGS.

During our initial appointment, we decided to do ICSI and IVF and have our embryos tested with PGS. This would give us greater success because the embryos would be deemed normal, abnormal or mosaic and we would only transfer the normal ones. Before we could commence, we had to see a psychologist and a genetic counsellor which helped us be even more informed than we already were.

Our first cycle in March 2018 resulted in nine eggs collected whereby seven were mature. Five eggs fertilised overnight however we only ended up with one day six blastocyst which degenerated during the thaw for PGS the next cycle. In May 2018, we had our second cycle and nineteen eggs were collected. Out of the sixteen that were mature, fourteen fertilised overnight. We ended up with five day five embryos which were sent off for PGS and three off these embryos were normal and another one was mosaic.

We transferred a normal, grade one embryo during a hormone replacement therapy (HRT) cycle and it implanted however the joy was quickly taken away from us at almost 7 weeks gestation when I started bleeding. My new, local obstetrician booked me in for a bedside ultrasound immediately and once again, our hearts broke into a million pieces. The following week, we still didn’t have a heartbeat however the gestational sacs and fetal pole were still there like the previous week. My HCG levels were much lower then expected too. We chose to have a D&C and chromosomal testing indicated that he would have been a little boy with normal chromosomes.

We met Prof Hart again and he suggested having a saline sonohysterogram to detect potential uterine abnormalities however the procedure didn’t go to plan so I ended up having a hysteroscopy and D&C before our next transfer. During the hysteroscopy, three polyps were found so I also had a minor endometrial ablation under the care of Dr Mike Aitken. It was advised that I wait three months prior to our next transfer. Our next two transfers failed and we had no normal embryos left.

We completed another stimulation cycle in May 2019. I had ten eggs collected whereby eight were mature and five fertilised overnight. This resulted in three day-five blastocysts and one day-six blastocyst which were frozen for PGS. I completed another stimulation cycle in May 2019 and it was our most successful cycle yet. Twenty two eggs were collected and fifteen were mature. Out of the fourteen that fertilised, we ended up with nine blastocysts. We had twelve embryos biopsied and sent for PGS and this resulted in four normal embryos and two mosaic embryos.

Before our next transfer, we had another appointment with Prof Hart who adjusted the protocol we had with prior transfers and I also sought the assistance of a fertility naturopath at Perth Health and Fertility Clinic. Dr Aitken completed our single embryo transfer and then we drove the seven hour drive home.

The wait to beta day is almost torturous and I wish time could just fast forward itself. Eight days after my transfer, I started spotting followed by moderate to heavy bleeding.

It was times like this where I was most grateful for the nurses at FSWA who always had a way with comforting words but we all knew there was nothing that could be done at this stage but to simply wait for the blood test. I continued bleeding daily however my repeat HCG levels were always doubling as they should be. At 7w4d, my husband and I went to the dating scan. I expected the worse news due to my daily bleeds but it became the biggest shock of our lives when the doctor found two healthy heartbeats instead.

Those two heartbeats continued beating and two healthy fraternal boys were born after my waters broke on Mother’s Day night.

My entire pregnancy we all assumed they would be identical as we only transferred one embryo but it seems like we conceived one or both naturally! They’re both two cheeky and adorable ten month old boys today.

There are no words to explain how grateful my husband and I are to the team at FSWA. Although under the wonderful care of Prof Roger Hart, I also had the privilege of meeting Dr Doreen Yeap, Dr Mike Aitken, Dr Roger Perkins and Dr John Love throughout my oocyte collections and embryo transfers.

Chloe, Amy, Nadine, Michelle, Lisa, Tenielle and the other wonderful nurses from Team Jade and Team Ruby, as well as the embryologists and receptionists were always welcoming, reassuring and kind hearted. We are forever grateful.

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What underlying conditions may affect fertility?

Maybe you have been trying for a year, your health is good, and you have taken steps towards a healthier lifestyle. You have quit smoking, drinking, and you try to time intercourse around ovulation, but you do not conceive.

Unexplained infertility is when your first fertility tests are normal, and you are taking the natural steps you can to improve your odds of conceiving. You are left with frustration, worry and confusion; why are you not getting pregnant?

In this video Professor Roger Hart discusses why a woman might be having trouble falling pregnant and what she can do. For more information visit Fertility Specialists of WA's website.

Diana's IVF happy ending

What underlying conditions may affect fertility?

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