IVF helped us have our miracle baby girl after endometriosis diagnosis

Like many women, Stacey experienced extreme pelvic pain whilst trying to conceive that resulted in a trip to the hospital. Her endometriosis diagnosis in her mid-thirties led her to TFP Thames Valley Fertility where IVF helped her and husband, Alistair, welcome their baby girl.  

Stacey and Alistair's story

When Stacey (37), the Head Florist for a film and television company, met Senior Special Effects Technician Alistair, 31, in 2017 whilst working on the set of Dumbo, the couple knew from the start that children were a part of their future together.  

Stacey admits that she would have been happy having children before getting married but says “with Ali being that bit younger he wanted to get married before we started trying. 

“Knowing what we know now we probably should have done it the other way around.”  

The couple were married in 2021 and soon after began trying for a baby. Within months, they found themselves in A&E with Stacey suffering severe pelvic pain that doctors initially thought was an ectopic pregnancy.  

“It was agony. I was in horrendous pain. Doctors kept turning me away and when I did get seen I was sent for various scans where nothing was coming up.”  

Stacey says she was given strong medication to help manage the pain, but that didn’t stop her from needing to take time off work when the pain was too much to bear.  

“Luckily, I’ve been with the company for over 20 years, so they were really understanding when I needed the time off. But I knew it wasn’t normal, and I had to keep pushing doctors to be taken seriously.” 

Thankfully, later that year her GP listened and suggested that she might have a condition known as endometriosis and referred her for a laparoscopy.  

"We were back to square one.” 

Five months later, Stacey was sent for her laparoscopy.  

“I remember as I was going down, the surgeon said that he didn’t think I had endometriosis, but they would do the procedure to put my mind at ease. Lo and behold, they found that I had it,” Stacey recalls.  

Following the procedure, the couple were told that the endometrial tissue found in Stacey’s pelvis had been removed and now was the best time for them to conceive.  

But in 2022, having still not conceived naturally, Stacey and Alistair felt that they were back to square one. 

“We went back to the GP and I was offered another laparoscopy to remove any new tissue. But we were worried it would be a similar scenario to before, so we pushed for further options.”  

Eventually, the couple was offered one round of NHS-funded IVF treatment. Unfortunately, there was a catch. “In our area, you have to be under 35 to receive NHS funding for IVF and I was two months away from my 35^th birthday,” Stacey explains.  

An already stressful time for the couple, Stacey admits chasing her funding several times to ensure that everything was signed and sent off for treatment to commence before her birthday came around.  

“We got there in the end and in May 2024, we walked through the doors of TFP Thames Valley Fertility.” 

"We wanted to go wherever she was.” 

Coincidentally, Stacey’s family friend of 10 years, Danielle, is the Senior Embryologist at TFP Thames Valley Fertility. For Stacey and Alistair, it was a no brainer that this is where they’d have their treatment.  

“We did research other clinics, it was important to look at the success rates, but we knew we’d be in good hands with Danielle. 

“And as soon as we walked in, we felt this instant confidence. Everyone was so lovely and we were able to start treatment right away which was a huge relief for us.” 

"The worst part was when it didn't work.” 

Soon after their first consultation at TFP Thames Valley Fertility, Stacey and Alistair were ready to start their first IVF cycle.  

“On our first round, Alistair administered the injections for me. He’s quite headstrong and just got it done,” says Stacey.  

With few side effects from the hormone medication, Stacey says this part of their treatment was fairly routine. During her egg retrieval, 17 eggs were collected from Stacey’s ovaries, five of which were successfully fertilised and developed into embryos.  

Sadly, the couple’s first transfer was unsuccessful, and they were devastated once again. “The hormone drop following that first transfer was awful. We were really disappointed,” says Stacey.  

With four embryos now frozen, the couple came back shortly after for their second cycle – this time a self-funded frozen embryo transfer. But when that failed to work, the TFP Thames Valley Fertility team suggested that an endometrial receptivity array test may improve Stacey and Alistair’s chances of successful implantation the third time around.  

"Selfishly, I’m still breastfeeding.” 

With the ERA test indicating the best time for Stacey’s transfer to take place, the couple were back at TFP Thames Valley Fertility in June 2024 for their third transfer. To Stacey and Ali’s delight, the transfer was successful and baby girl, Effie was born in January 2025. 

“Effie has transformed our lives. It was a lot to go through, both physically and mentally, but we are so grateful that it worked for us in the end. This is how it was meant to be.” 

Now six months post-partem, Stacey is still breastfeeding Effie and doing so not only for Effie’s benefit. Like many women living with endometriosis, Stacey is fearful of what to expect in the future.  

“Because I’m still pumping, my period hasn’t returned so I’m still waiting to see whether my symptoms of endometriosis will also come back. 

“In the past, the only course of treatment they have suggested is strong pain killers, so I know that if it does flare up, I’ll have to advocate for myself again for a longer-term solution to be found.” 

"If we decide to go through it again, we know we will instantly be looked after.” 

For now, Stacey and Alistair are enjoying their time as first-time parents. With their two remaining embryos still frozen, the opportunity to try for a sibling for Effie remains open. Despite being unsure as to whether that time will ever come, the couple admit they’ll be in good hands if they ever decide to.  

"We truly believe I was meant to be pregnant in 2024, to help us through what came to be an extremely tough year. My husband was diagnosed with cancer and had to have two toes amputated, but what helped us through was the relief of knowing that if anything was to worry us about our pregnancy, the team at TFP Thames Valley would have a support team ready. 

“Life isn't always fair, but when we look at Effie Robyn we forget the journey we have been through. We can't quite believe she's here - she really is our miracle and we can't thank TFP Thames Valley enough."