After nearly 18 months of trying to have a baby, Brisbane southside couple Freya and Matthew Young are finally proud parents. Their healthy baby boy, Andrew, was born at Sunnybank Private Hospital on March 23, weighing 3.045 kilograms and the first IVF baby born at the new fertility clinic City Fertility Southside.
Freya, 39, said the couple had sought the help of Dr Neil Astill since 2008 and were pleased when City Fertility opened a clinic at Sunnybank late last year.
“We both work in the health sector and would have driven anywhere to see Dr Astill due to his excellent reputation, but being able to see him in Sunnybank and utilise the excellent facilities at City Fertility Southside, instead of having to travel to Wickham Terrace in the city, was an added convenience for us,” Freya said.
Freya was 38, and Matthew was 42 when they started trying to conceive. The couple were realistic and knew age wasn’t on their side, so after four months of trying sought the help of Dr Astill.
“We tried pre-IVF options for six months, and then after no success again we moved to IVF,” Freya said.
“Our first full IVF cycle was successful, and we feel so blessed to now have Andrew.”
As is often the case, the 16 months of waiting were emotionally charged for Freya and Matthew, but they worked hard at maintaining some balance in their lives.
“We tried not to stop our life for IVF and made a conscious effort to do some things just for ourselves, like weekends away and special dinners out,” Freya said.
Freya’s advice for other couples going through IVF includes finding a few trusted family members and friends to share the journey with, continuing to plan your life, believing only evidence-based facts about IVF, finding a doctor and clinic you can trust, and, most importantly, not giving up hope.
“Dr Astill’s support staff played a big part in our IVF journey and in helping us stay optimistic as well,” Freya said. “They were friendly, informative, discreet, positive and compassionate.”
