Happy Birthday Louise Brown!

I was 7 when Louise Brown was born on 25th July 1978 and I never could have imagined that 27 years later I would be giving birth to my own superbabe. At the time, I couldn’t fail to notice the news and realise that something special had happened, but it wasn’t until I began my own fertility journey that the significance of that special day really hit home.

Even now when I think about the miracle of IVF I am in complete awe of the scientists and health professionals who made the birth of my daughter possible. I find myself even more awed when I think about the teeny tiny embryo that was frozen in February 2005 and defrosted in April 2008 and is now a new baby growing inside me. My mind boggles when I realise that this new baby is my daughter’s twin! In fact, I feel humble and at the same time immensely grateful.

So Happy 30th Birthday Louise Brown. Your Mum described you as her “cherished little angel” and to all of us who have had to consider the possibility of IVF during our lives see you as a beacon of hope that one day we too can hold our own cherished little angels in our arms. Thank you for being.

Namaste,

Tracy

Healthier babies from frozen embryos?

I have noticed that Times Online has carried a number of articles about fertility over the last couple of days and this particular article caught my attention on account of the fact that I am pregnant with a frozen embryo baby myself.

Mark Henderson, Science Editor for The Times, reported that Danish research findings show that IVF babies born from embryos that have been frozen and then thawed are less likely to be underweight or premature. Well that's one less thing for the expectant mother to be worried about then!

He goes on to say that it was found that the average birth weight of frozen embryo babies was 200g more than in a fresh-embryo IVF.

OK, so here's my contribution to that research. My daughter was born in 2005 weighing 8lb 1oz. She was the result of a fresh-embryo IVF. This current pregnancy was the result of a frozen embryo transfer from the same course of IVF. So come the end of the year I should be able to compare the two.

If you want to read the fulll article you can click here and this link should take you straight there.

I'm off on my holidays from 12th until 20th July. The website will continue to operate without me (for bookings and shopping) although I won't be able to send out any paperwork or products until 21st July.

Bye for now,
Tracy

Postscript added 5 Jan 2009:

My frozen embryo baby, Iolo, born on 23rd December weighed in at a healthy 8lb 11oz.

I don't know what this contributes towards the debate, although he is clearly heavier than Rhian (his fresh embryo twin) was at birth.

They are both healthy and gorgeous and that's all that matters to me!

Tracy x