One in six couples experience fertility problems. And some eventually try IVF, which in Bradford has to be paid for at a cost of between £1,300 and £1,400 a cycle. If you're lucky, it will work. But only 33 per cent of those couples achieve a pregnancy and only a quarter of those results in a live birth. Helen Mead spoke to two couples who each had four attempts at IVF about their experiences

SALLY AND Adrian Roberts spent seven years and thousands of pounds trying for a baby. Then they got a pet dog and, soon after, Sally conceived - naturally.

Fox terrier cross Basil was a bit put out when owners Sally and Adrian Roberts brought home a new addition to the family - their baby son, Andrew. Says Sally: "He took one look at him and went upstairs and didn't come down."

But it did not take the friendly, white-haired dog long to get used to the little lad and the two have become best friends. And, although Basil doesn't know it, he may have had a hand in Andrew - now 21 months old - being around at all.

It's just a light-hearted theory, say the proud parents, but after years of often painful experiences trying for a baby, they believe that the distraction provided by their pet, may have helped them conceive.

"We got him from a pet rescue centre and he was a diversion from it all. He took our minds off everything, plus we went out walking more," says Adrian, a motor engineer. "He would jump up on to the bed every morning and I remember saying to him, 'Well, little dog, you have certainly changed our lives'."

Adds Sally, a civil servant: "Getting Basil really cheered us up." Cheering up was something they desperately needed. The past seven years had been what Sally, 37, describes as a "rollercoaster" of highs and lows.

The couple began trying for a baby in 1991, and sought specialist help the following year. But tests could find nothing wrong. Despite this, Sally was given hormone injections to encourage ovulation and produce more eggs. But numerous attempts failed, leaving her drained. "I had to do my own injections to release the eggs," she says. "You build yourself up, and then it doesn't work. And four attempts out of eight were abandoned."

At this time, members of her family and her friends were having babies, which made their efforts all the more painful. Says Sally: "I sometimes felt that people didn't know what to say, and I hated seeing pregnant women, although babies didn't bother me."

While many couples would have been driven apart, the struggle brought them closer. Says Sally: "I think it was because we talked about it. At first we didn't tell other people, but when we did, that helped too, by having everything out in the open."

In 1994 the couple, who, with no medical reason for their problem in conceiving, were classed as "sub-fertile," joined Bradford Infertility Support Group. Says Sally: "At the first meeting there were 15 of us all suffering the same sorts of problems. It was wonderful, being able to exchange experiences, and great to know that there was always someone at the end of a phone."

The couple ploughed £1,200 from their savings into the first attempt at IVF. The treatment went well but resulted in an ectopic pregnancy, where the fertilised egg implants in the fallopian tube. The damaged tube had to be removed, however, says Adrian: "We had been pregnant, that counted for something."

The next three attempts were unsuccessful, but - from their final treatment - three embryos were frozen. Offers of financial help came from family, and Adrian vows they would have carried on even down to selling their furniture.

But there was no need. In January Basil came into their lives, taking their mind, to some extent, off babies. Three months later, Sally had a light period. She did a pregnancy test, which was positive.

She recalls: "Adrian had gone out so I left the test stick on the bathroom windowsill, but when he came home he didn't go in there for ages! Then I heard him say, 'Oh my God!'

"He asked me if I was awake and I said, 'Of course I am, I've been waiting for you to come up for the past three hours!'"

Incredibly, the couple had conceived with no medical intervention at all. When Andrew arrived nine months later, they were ecstatic.

"To us it was a miracle. People say they don't happen but there's one over there," says Sally, watching her son as he clambers on to an armchair alongside Basil, who is as important a part of the family as ever.

"We are convinced he played a big part in what's happened," adds Adrian.

Our lovely twins make up

Eileen and David Jones also experienced the disappointment of failed IVF treatments. But at their fourth - and final - attempt they were successful, and are now proud parents to a lively set of twins.

Twins Tom and Elinor Jones crawl around the living room at a rate of knots. Tom stops in front of the television to check out the latest instalment of Teletubbies.

Mum Eileen watches over them, picking them up if they tumble. It is hard work, but she would not miss it for a moment. Because for Eileen, and her husband David, having the little girl and boy did not come easily.

It was a year after giving birth to her son, Jonathan, now six, that the couple's problems started. They wanted another child, and Eileen, 35, became pregnant but, sadly, miscarried. Further blows followed, when she suffered two ectopic pregnancies. With both tubes damaged, their chances of conceiving naturally were virtually eliminated and they were referred to the IVF unit at St James's Hospital, Leeds.

Eileen found the procedure hard. "There are so many hurdles to go through even before conception. You don't realise. I didn't produce many eggs so they had to stimulate production. You are literally starting from scratch."

Their first three attempts failed. Says Eileen, from Baildon: "Twice I became pregnant but miscarried, it was very disheartening but we carried on."

Because Bradford Health Authority does not fund IVF treatment, the couple were forced to pay more than £1,000 a time, something which Eileen feels should change. "I remember sitting next to a girl from Hull who'd had three attempts for free. Lots of people become desperate. I think financial help should be available."

After three disappointments the couple took a year's break. "To decide whether it was worth carrying on with IVF. You have to feel mentally and physically strong enough."

They decided to have one more go, and to their joy, it paid off. The news that they were expecting twins left them thrilled, but anxious. "I was worried because of the higher risk of losing them," says Eileen. As it was, the pregnancy was not easy and she spent the last three months in hospital.

When they finally held their children, the couple were elated. Says Eileen: "It felt like a miracle." She says she was helped through the IVF by strong support from family and friends and Bradford Infertility Support Group. Adds Eileen: "The group was very supportive. It's not only someone to talk to, I've made good friends through it. You feel you're not alone."

She adds: "It is easy to forget the pain of infertility. I know we've been lucky - our children are a real joy."

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