A COUPLE who got tattoos after starting their IVF journey were left stunned after their inkings predicted their miracle tot right down to her birth date and weight.
Clare Marshall, 39, and Linda Thomson, 35, always felt drawn to their lucky numbers and decided to get them etched on their arms while trying for a baby.
Clare’s number of choice is 1111 while Linda’s favourite is 777.
Clare, a police response officer, said: “It’s so strange but for years I’d been seeing the number 1111 and every time I saw it, I’d make a wish for a baby girl.”
The numbers 11 and 7 seemed to follow the couple, from Falkirk during their fertility journey.
So neither of them were surprised when their baby girl, Noa-Raine, was born at 11am on the dot weighing 7lb 7oz.
Clare added: “Coincidence, perhaps, but we felt as if this was all meant to be.”
Clare and Linda’s IVF journey began in 2021.
Linda had always been adamant that she didn’t want children, but after meeting Clare she ended up carrying their child.
“I’m an early years practitioner,” she said.
“I love working with children, I just never envisioned them in my personal life.”
Then she met uniformed cop Clare, who added: “I’m passionate about my job as I’m so maternal.
“Kids always come up to me and love to be around me. I’ve always been a very maternal ‘mummy’.
“When we first met, I used to laugh at Linda and ask whether her job was putting her off having children. Now, I realise she just needed to find the right person to feel the family vibe. And I’m her person.”
In 2021, when Clare was 37 and Linda was 33, the couple joined the NHS waiting list for fertility treatment. But the list was so long, and they felt that time was slipping away.
They had friends in same sex relationships who had used TFP GCRM Fertility successfully and had read many positive comments on Facebook.
As soon as they visited the clinic – which has since launched a prize draw for a winner to receive one free fresh IVF Cycle – they felt they’d made the right choice.
Linda recalled: “From the receptionist on, everyone was compassionate and friendly. They made us feel a wee bit more human and not just like clients.”
The couple had decided that Linda would carry the baby as Clare, who is older, also has endometriosis and has had several operations on her uterus, with resulting scar tissue.
Linda has Type 1 Diabetes but the TFP Fertility team, having tested her egg reserves and general health, assured her that this wouldn’t stand in her way.
MORE than eight in 10 couples will get pregnant within a year if they're having regular unprotected sex.
For others, however, it may take longer.
It’s a good idea to see a GP if you have not conceived after a year of trying.
Women aged 36 and over, and anyone who’s already aware they may have fertility problems, should see their GP sooner, the NHS advises.
They can check for common causes of fertility problems and suggest treatments that could help.
Infertility is usually only diagnosed when a couple have not managed to conceive after a year of trying.
There are two types of infertility:
Treatments for infertility include medical treatments to make ovulation more regular, surgical procedures such as treatment for endometriosis, repair of the fallopian tubes, or removal of scarring within the womb, as well as assisted conception such as IVF.
What is IVF?
During vitro fertilisation (IVF), an egg is removed from the woman’s ovaries and fertilised with sperm in a laboratory.
The fertilised egg, called an embryo, is then returned to the woman’s womb to grow and develop.
It can be carried out using your eggs and your partner’s sperm, or eggs and sperm from donors.
Who can have IVF?
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) fertility guidelines recommend that IVF should be offered to women under the age of 43 who have been trying to get pregnant through regular unprotected sex for two years.
It’s also available to women who’ve had 12 cycles of artificial insemination, with at least six f these cycles using a method called intrauterine insemination (IUI).
What are the chances of success?
Younger women are more likely to have a successful pregnancy through IVF.
It isn’t usually recommended for women over the age of 42 because the chances of a successful pregnancy are thought to be too low.
In 2019, the percentage of IVF treatments that resulted in a live birth was:
Source: NHS
Then it was time to choose their sperm donor. Clare and Linda chose a Danish donor from the European sperm bank.
Linda said: “As Clare wouldn’t be biologically connected to the baby, we looked for a donor with dark brown eyes, just like hers. But then we found a blonde-haired, blue-eyed donor who had the cutest baby picture.
“He sounded lovely, too, very calm and Zen. He’s a carpenter and lives near the mountains. He was inspired to donate after his friends had trouble conceiving. His family know he’s a donor and support him. We thought, he sounds lovely. It’s a no brainer.”
As Linda’s ovaries were working well and she had a good egg reserve, the couple opted to try intrauterine insemination (IUI) rather than the more invasive route of IVF.
The first attempt at IUI appeared to work but sadly ended in a chemical pregnancy – or early miscarriage – as the embryo had stopped developing.
The couple tried two more rounds of IUI, but neither worked. At this point, they took stock.
“We were lucky we could afford the treatments,” says Linda, “But we were worried about trying IUI for a fourth time.”
With Linda now 34, and fast approaching the years when her egg quality would decline, the couple decided on a round of full IVF.
There was one straw of donor sperm left and just enough money saved to pay for the treatment.
Linda said: “We decided to put all our eggs in one basket, literally.
“In my head I’d built up the procedure. But it was just as quick and straightforward as IUI.”
Linda remembers spending the next few days feeling worried and Googling the symptoms of early pregnancy. Clare, on the other hand, was telling her to keep calm.
Clare said: “I bought some early response pregnancy tests and, on a whim, some white newborn baby vests. I had a strong feeling that this was it.”
On the morning of day eight, Linda took a pregnancy test and laid the stick upside down on the dresser, so she couldn’t see the result.
Clare reached for the stick and turned it over. The result was positive.
Clare said: “My immediate reaction was to jump on the bed, yelling with happiness. But we had a positive test before so we said let’s not relax properly until we get the blood results back.”
We decided to put all our eggs in one basket, literally.
Linda Thomson
The laboratory results showed high levels of pregnancy hormones in Linda’s blood. And that’s when the couple really celebrated.
As for the future, the couple have embryos frozen and plan to try another transfer when Noa-Raine, now five-months old, starts at nursery.
Linda said: “Because the process was so smooth, we have no issues about going through it again and feel very relaxed about it.
“TFP GCRM fertility was such a positive experience. The only thing we’d do differently is probably by-pass the IUI and opt for the IVF from the beginning, as it has a higher success rate.”
For Clare, as the non-biological mother, a key issue has been ensuring she is listed as a legal guardian of her child, along with Linda.
“It was a massive thing for us. It had to be done properly and the clinic helped us get the legal side exactly right,” she added.
