Patient Stories | IVF

13 October 2026

The Ember of Hope - Stephanie's Story

Fifteen out of every one hundred pregnancies sadly will end in a miscarriage and there were 4,477 baby deaths in the UK in 2024. Read Stephanie's story of hope.

Fifteen out of every one hundred pregnancies sadly will end in a miscarriage and there were 4,477 baby deaths in the UK in 2024.

These are not just statistics or numbers but families and individuals whose stories need to be heard, supported and cared for. Stories like Stephanie’s below, that shape not just the individual but all those caring for them.

For myself as someone working in the sector for over twenty years, her story will always be remembered, and it was truly a privilege to walk some of that with her.

-- Anya Sizer, Fertility Advocate, HFEA & Fertility Alliance Trustee

Stephanie's Story

Our fertility journey started in 2010. We had tried for a baby for around eighteen months and had no idea why we hadn’t conceived. We came to the clinic confused, scared and hopeful all at the same time.

I responded well to the first cycle of IVF treatment, not too many side effects and my first egg collection resulted in thirteen eggs. Thirteen had always been a lucky number for me!

As I lay in Theatre after the procedure feeling every emotion in technicolour, news reached me that my partner hadn’t been able to produce a sample and we were left with no sperm for my thirteen eggs.

Whilst I couldn’t have seen them, the image I remember is of thirteen tiny unfertilised eggs in a petri dish. Knowing that the odds (back then) of defrosting frozen eggs to use at a later stage was only 10% was agonising and I couldn’t bear the thought of losing them.

I had to decide quickly and decided to fertilise them with donor sperm. I needed to create embryos that day.

The next few days were a blur. Four embryos developed quickly and well enough to be transferred or frozen. Our thinking of what to do had to move at the same rate although I knew I would never be able to go through with the transfer.

We chose to freeze the embryos (and to put off any decision about them) because we weren’t ready to give up on creating a child that was fully biologically ours. We would try again.

Next time I needed certainty of having the sperm sample ready before the egg collection. The plan would be to freeze a sperm sample before egg collection which could be defrosted on the day.

To our complete surprise, on testing the sample, we were told there were hardly any sperm and those that could be seen, were immobile. With so few viable sperm, not only was freezing not an option, but the odds of us also creating our own biological child by any method had just plummeted.

We were told the only option was for my partner to have a surgical procedure to remove individual sperm on the same day as my egg collection, with the hope of being able to fertilise the eggs directly through a process called ICSI.

Back through the daily injections and round two of egg harvesting we went with a microscopic chance of creating any embryos. It was a difficult time for us; not expecting success yet not ready to give up.

On the day of my second egg collection, the minutes passed as hours whilst I waited in theatre, another petri dish of eggs collected and hoping with every fibre of my body that our doctor would work her magic and find some viable sperm.

The team were incredible and kept me company and updated during the agonising wait. “She won’t give up until she’s found some” one of the nurses told me and she was right. Our doctor was as determined as us. Eventually after the longest time, I was told that she had found a few usable sperm, managed to extract them and they were preparing for fertilisation. We had a chance again.

And suddenly from despair to hope – we had, unbelievably, five embryos.

The next few days were tough, the waiting and wondering how our five balls of cells were doing.

I remember exactly where I was standing when we got the call from the clinic to give us the results of the quality of the embryos. To my amazement there were two that were ‘top-grade’ and the rest were also viable. What a feeling! Better than receiving any top-grade exam result I had ever had - we really did have a chance!

We agreed that a three-day embryo transfer would be best to avoid any risk of them not surviving if we left it longer and suddenly there I was having a double embryo transfer. The remaining three we froze.

The two-week wait was like two years. I was too scared to take any early tests and the thought of being possibly pregnant was infinitely better than definitely not.

Two weeks to the day of the transfer, I went to the clinic for a blood test. I remember exactly what I was wearing and the streets I walked around in the couple of hours before having the test and getting the results.

I remember the room – the look on Alex the nurse’s face which meant I knew before I knew and her words. “Well, you aren’t just pregnant - you are very pregnant!” Hormone levels off the chart which meant there was a high chance that both embryos had taken. She told me years later that this was one of the highlights of her career!

The joy! Hugs and tears all around – a miracle had happened.

Beyond the stress of fertility treatment came the new stress that I was wholly unprepared for – the stress of staying pregnant. Searching for symptoms, worrying about every twinge or brush to my stomach. The six-week scan couldn’t come soon enough.

And there we were, the day I had imagined over and over had become a reality. Two heartbeats. We were having twins! The room was crammed with so many of the team I had become close to during our journey. Everything had led up to this moment and the noise of the heartbeats was the most beautiful sound in the world.

The next few weeks were a mix of elation and fear – one minute looking at double buggies and another unable to look at anything, being terrified of something going wrong. The milestone twelve-week scan felt too far away so I went back to the clinic at around ten weeks to hopefully get a bit of reassurance.

Sadly, this time I only heard one heartbeat. One of the twins hadn’t made it. I didn’t know what to feel or what to do. We had lost one of our precious babies, yet I was still pregnant. Sadness and happiness sat right next to each other, not knowing how to exist in each other’s company.

I took the next couple of weeks off work and rested and worried and watched the days tick by until the twelve-week scan. Our baby was developing well and I started to relax enough to let myself get excited. We planned the nursery and started to buy everything I had always dreamed of.

I loved my developing bump and with every week that passed, our excitement grew as well.

Everything was fine with my pregnancy until it wasn’t.

Amelie was born prematurely at 28 weeks. Twelve weeks early yet statistically far enough along that she should have been ok. We didn’t know she was a she until she arrived – tiny, yet perfect, the darkest of hair and the shrillest of cries. She was here.

She wriggled and cried but I didn’t get to hold her and watched as she was whisked away by one of the specialist nurses to the neonatal unit.

Amelie was a good weight for her weeks at 2 lb 9 oz but sadly her lungs weren’t strong enough and despite the incredible efforts of the team there, she died later that night, nestled in my arms wrapped in a pink butterfly blanket.

Going home without her, without being pregnant and without any hope of creating our family was impossibly hard. Our miracle baby, our beautiful daughter had fleetingly appeared and then disappeared just as suddenly. It was too hard to process.

Three months later we found some energy to go skiing for Christmas as staying at home that year felt too hard. Up in the mountains, I regained some strength and became focused on trying to get pregnant again.

We had three frozen embryos left and I wanted to start the process as soon as possible – that meant that very same week. I found a chemist at the ski resort and the clinic sent through the prescription for the medication to start to thicken my womb lining. In a daze, here we were going again.

I remember almost nothing of the clinic visits or the frozen embryo transfer. I let myself be told what to do every step of the way and couldn’t even think of getting excited. I was numb yet determined to keep going and the wonderful team at the clinic got me through those weeks.

I tested at home after ten days and before I even took the test, I knew I was pregnant, knew he was a boy and most crucially, knew (or had to at convince myself at least) that he would be ok.

Oscar* was born a year and two weeks after his sister and fourteen years later I sometimes still look at him and can’t believe he is here.

When Oscar was almost five, the time came to make a decision around the last couple of frozen embryos. They were so unlikely to work given the quality, yet something in me knew we needed to give one a chance.

I went for the transfer without any real hope of success. I knew either way this was the end of our treatment journey and whatever happened I was blessed to have had Amelie (who I had come to believe was brought to us to accompany my dad, who had died suddenly a few months earlier, up to heaven) and Oscar, our incredible little boy.

I don’t remember finding out I was pregnant with Jacob* or really any of the pregnancy. He is now nearly nine and I find myself often wondering how we managed, against the odds, to complete our family with another little miracle.

I have fragmented memories and complex emotions around our fertility, pregnancy and parenting journey, however, there are two things I know to be true:

Firstly, whilst fertility treatment is tremendously hard in so many ways, you will be guaranteed to meet some of the most caring, generous and dedicated people you could hope for. You will remember their names and their impact will stay with you forever.

And secondly, an ember of hope, however small, can be enough to keep you moving and to keep you believing that the universe has a way of guiding us towards where we are meant to be.

Person holding small tea light candle in hands

As we mark Baby Loss Awareness Week, we know just how difficult this time can be. More than anything, we want every person to know they are not alone and that support is here when needed.

Amazing organisations such as Saying Goodbye, Tommy’s, and the Miscarriage Association exist to end isolation and provide a way forward.

We at London Women’s Clinic stand with all those affected, and together will look forward, providing hope for the journey ahead.

*names have been changed to protect patient confidentiality

All of our blog posts are written, edited, or produced by the London Women's Clinic Content Team. This is a collaboration between our expert writers, health editors, and the leading researchers and senior doctors at our Harley Street clinic.

‘Wonderful punch of people, caring, competent, and efficient in all they do. It feels we are all in a mission together and they are invested in the success of our pregnancy. Thank k you 🙏’

Yasmine Mora

30 October 2026, LWC London Bridge

‘I couldn’t speak more highly of the London Women’s Clinic Oxford! From the moment you walk in you are greeted with such a warm welcome. The reception area is bright and welcoming and the receptionist is lovely. All of the staff are so friendly, helpful and polite. Going through this journey can be emotional, so having such a wonderful supportive, caring clinic to visit makes all the difference. Everyone goes above and beyond to make you feel comfortable and looked after. I feel so lucky to have such a lovely team supporting me along the way. Thank you all! 🍀💗’

Louise

30 October 2026, LWC Oxford

‘Incredible service and professionals. They made me feel comfortable and safe the entire journey. Thank you!’

Luciana Lombardi

30 October 2026, LWC Cambridge

‘I had an absolutely amazing experience at LWC from start to finish! There are literally no wait times so we were able to get started pretty much straight away after consultation. The process was seamless, with a lot of flexibility if you need to change appt time. Nurses are amazing and so supportive. Special shout out to Kate and Chris who were so kind and made the whole experience so much better. Also the nurses on the ward were absolutely amazing but I can’t remember their names. I’m now discharged as I’m pregnant from my first try! However I will look forward to returning in the future for my second embryo which is currently frozen 😊’

Kathryn Jessica

27 October 2026, LWC Bromley

‘We we under the care of Canterbury LWC for all scans and blood tests and Bromley for egg collection and transfers. The team and Canterbury were particularly amazing, so supportive and reassuring throughout. No question was ever too much, they treated you as individuals and were caring and compassionate throughout the process. The receptionist were lovely, knew you from the offset by name, remembered you which makes a difficult process so much easier when you are treated as an individual. We were NHS funded and I never felt we were treated any different to private patients. The nursing staff at Bromley were also brilliant, I always felt so looked after through some really tough and emotional procedures. We were under the care of Dr Uppal who was excellent, explained everything clearly, gave us options and listened to our concerns. Would highly recommend. Currently 26 weeks pregnant ☺️’

Rose S

25 October 2026, LWC Canterbury

‘We are incredibly grateful to London Women’s Clinic, Harrow, for helping make our dream of becoming parents come true. We are now blessed with a beautiful baby! A special thank you to Dr Gill for the care, guidance and support throughout our IVF journey, and to Carla and Maria for making the entire process smooth and reassuring. We had a wonderful experience and will always be thankful to the whole team. Highly recommend! ❤️’

P S

23 October 2026, LWC Harrow

‘LWC are fantastically supportive at every stage of your journey. They try to be as flexible as possible with appointments, giving good advice about supporting yourself (and partners) as you prepare for different procedures. It is a tough journey but Louise, Rute, Dr Arthi, Trianni, Dr Bishista and Ashley are incredibly supportive. Highly recommend them to anyone considering or needing fertility support.’

S W

23 October 2026, LWC Cambridge

‘I honestly cannot fault Kind IVF. From start to finish, I have been so incredibly impressed with the care, compassion and professionalism shown by the entire team. Going through IVF can be such an emotional and overwhelming journey, but they have made the whole experience feel so much more reassuring and positive. Every step of the way, I have felt cared for, listened to and supported. The team have been amazing at answering questions, putting my mind at ease and making sure I felt comfortable throughout the process. You can really tell how much they care about their patients, and that makes such a huge difference during a journey that can be so personal and emotional. I am so grateful to everyone at Kind IVF for everything they have done for us. Choosing them has been one of the best decisions we have made, and I genuinely couldn’t recommend them enough to anyone considering IVF. The standard of care has been outstanding, and I cannot thank them enough for helping us on this journey. ❤️ Thank you, Kind IVF, for being so amazing!’

Georgia Burt

22 October 2026, LWC Tunbridge Wells

‘I highly recommend the London Women's Clinic Brentwood. The staff were very supportive, patient, and always available to answer questions. They guided me through an emotional process with clear explanations and genuine care. The staff were always available and happy to help.’

S Begum

21 October 2026, LWC Brentwood

‘Choosing an IVF clinic is such a big decision and I'm so incredibly glad that we chose this one. IVF can be such an emotional and overwhelming journey but having a clinic that offers so much support and genuinely cares for you makes such a difference. The care and kindness that we have received has been exceptional. We can't thank LWC Brentwood enough ❤️’

Laura Keary

21 October 2026, LWC Brentwood

‘I honestly can’t thank London Women’s Clinic enough for helping me achieve my lifelong dream of becoming a mum. It wasn’t an easy journey, but the team were absolutely fantastic and supported me every step of the way. Their kindness, care and reassurance made such a difference during what was a really emotional and challenging time. I always felt supported and in safe hands. A special thank you to Carla, Ana-Maria and Dr Goswami. You have all been absolutely fantastic and I am so grateful for everything you have done for me. I’ll never forget the support and care you have shown me during such an important and emotional journey. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart for helping me achieve something I have wanted for as long as I can remember. It means more to me than words can say. I would recommend London Women’s Clinic to anyone going through their own fertility journey.’

Sarah

21 October 2026, LWC Harrow

‘We started our treatment in July, and I have had a very positive experience with this clinic. Lorraine on reception especially made me feel like nothing was too much trouble and always knew me by name which is such a nice personal touch, especially at such a sensitive time. Along with Dr Safwat Ashour he always recommended the best treatment for us and just had such a kind caring attitude towards us while explaining our options and being very honest with us too. One of the nurses (so sorry I can’t remember your name) she only recently started in July and I felt so at home with her and cared for. To finish off we are currently pregnant with our IVF miracle all thanks you this clinic. Thank you all so much, no thanks would ever be enough for the gift you have given us!’

Sophie Jay

21 October 2026, LWC Darlington

‘Very professional and very welcoming, and very clean I was given time to feel relaxed and I didn't feel like I had to rush this made me feel very comfortable.’

Ryan Harmer

21 October 2026, LWC Brighton

‘My wife and I have had a brilliant experience with LWC throughout our fertility journey. We always felt listened to, supported, and in control of the decisions we were making. Our PCC Suzanna, Dr Verstraete, and the nursing team were consistently friendly, responsive, and knowledgeable, which made navigating the shared motherhood process feel so much easier. We’re incredibly grateful for the care and support we received.’

Megan Nelkon

20 October 2026, LWC Harley Street

‘I’ve had a great experience with the clinic so far. From the very beginning, I’ve felt incredibly well cared for and supported throughout my egg freezing journey. Daenira on reception is always so lovely, welcoming and helpful, and Liv, my nurse, has been fantastic! She’s made me feel comfortable, reassured and well looked after at every step. Dr Wade has also been absolutely brilliant and I have complete confidence in the care and guidance I’ve received. I would highly recommend this clinic to anybody considering egg freezing.’

Saffy

20 October 2026, LWC Oxford

‘The most amazing experience with the clinic from start to end Nothing is to much for them They will answer every Question Worry or concern no matter how big or small, My experience and care they have shown in one of the hardest times and most worrying experiences they were there every single step of the way, I honestly couldn’t thank every member I’ve dealt with anymore and would recommend this clinic to anyone thinking about it , hardest decision but best decision every made and all the staff here made this possible for me you are all amazing caring people And I thank you from the bottom of my heart 🙏🏼🩷’

Stephanie

18 October 2026, LWC Brentwood

‘I truly feel blessed and thankful to God that we are in such a wonderful place and in such caring hands during one of the most precious journeys of our lives. The clinic has been outstanding throughout my treatment, making the entire journey feel as smooth as possible. The whole team at the Brentwood clinic is absolutely amazing, everyone is so warm, welcoming and supportive. The treatment has been incredible so far, and we are extremely satisfied with the care, support, and overall service we have received throughout our journey. Fingers crossed, I truly believe that the best news is just around the corner! ❤️🤞 I would wholeheartedly recommend Brentwood clinic for the care and support they provide in parenthood journey.’

Harika

14 October 2026, LWC Brentwood

‘London Women’s Clinic, Reading were fantastic and Nurse Nicky was such a supportive and reassuring professional. Thank you for journeying with me Nicky!’

Sope Adekola

14 October 2026, LWC Reading

‘Where to start… Fertility treatment is the last thing any of us expect to need. But if you find yourself on this journey, Brentwood London Women’s Clinic is where you want to be. Carina’s warm welcome sets the tone the moment you arrive, and every single nurse is wonderful, kind, calm, and reassuring. It’s a complicated and sometimes difficult road, but they walk it beside you. We’ve experienced both joy and heartache here, and through every moment we’ve felt cared for and supported. They truly get to know you, and the care feels personal and bespoke. Today we have our precious 3-year-old, and we will forever be thankful to this amazing team. They are everything you could hope for kind, knowledgeable, and genuinely there for you. We couldn’t recommend them more.’

Sarah Tidey

13 October 2026, LWC Brentwood

‘We honestly can’t thank London Women’s Clinic in Brentwood enough for everything they have done and continue to do for us. They helped us create our now 3 year old, and we are incredibly grateful to be back with them on our journey to hopefully have another little one. Angela and Katie are truly incredible nurses. They go above and beyond to make you feel comfortable, listened to and supported every step of the way. They take the time to explain the process, answer any questions and put your mind at ease, making what can sometimes be an overwhelming and emotional journey feel that little bit easier. It means so much to be cared for by people who genuinely seem to care about you and your family, rather than just seeing you as another patient. Their kindness, compassion and reassurance make such a difference, and we feel very lucky to have them supporting us again. We will always be grateful to London Women’s Clinic for helping us bring our little girl into the world, and we have every hope that they will help us grow our family once more. We couldn’t recommend the team highly enough. Thank you, Angela, Katie and everyone at the Brentwood clinic, for being such a special part of our journey. ❤️ Also a special mention for the smiley face in the reception. Carina, you are great!!’

bethan philp

13 October 2026, LWC Brentwood

‘Came here after my treatment at LWC Darlington as I needed to be part of the failed implantation team. The care and communication was second to none. It was everything and more, no question to my coordinator was never too much. They were extremely accommodating when I had to travel from up north multiple times and were always happy to let me have my then 2 year old son come to monitoring appointments. I’m grateful for their expertise in failed implantation as my 3rd egg collection was successful and my fresh transfer worked first time & I’ve just gave birth to my second LWC baby in September 2026. Would always recommend LWC - especially London Bridge / Harley Street.’

Jeni J

13 October 2026, LWC London Bridge

‘Great experience. Very kind and supportive.’

Jesylin Luka

12 October 2026, LWC Reading

‘My experience with London Women's Clinic Brighton has been wonderful so far. The staff are kind and patient, as well as exceptionally knowledgeable. I have had all my questions answered (and have been encouraged to ask more whenever!), and I feel assured that I'm receiving transparent, evidence-based advice.’

Jess Smith

12 October 2026, LWC Brighton