Aspirin helped couple conceive after seven failed IVF attempts and two miscarriages

A DESPERATE couple who spent £15,000 on unsuccessful fertility treatments have finally had a 'miracle' baby son thanks to 2p-a-day aspirin pill

Aspirin conceive CAVENDISH

Nurse Sarah finally managed to conceive thanks to a 2p aspirin

A couple who spent seven heartbreaking years trying for a baby finally managed to conceive thanks to aspirin. 

New mother Sarah Broadfield feared she would never have children after she endured seven failed IVF attempts and two miscarriages at a financial cost of £15,000.

But when the 34-year-old fell pregnant again in November last year, she began taking a 2p aspirin every day after doctors said her miscarriages were caused by Antiphospholipid syndrome.

Nine months later, the couple's son Alfie was born in August 2014, weighing a healthy 8lb. 

"Finally holding Alfie in my arms after everything we've been through was the best moment of my life - and it's all thanks to me taking an aspirin a day," said Sarah, from Warrington, Cheshire.

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Sarah and her husband Chris spent seven heartbreaking years trying for a baby before they had Alfie

Nurse Sarah married her electrician husband Chris Broadfield, 36, in 2006 and a year later they started trying for a baby, with hopes of eventually having two children. 

But, two years later, Sarah hadn't fallen pregnant so the couple went to see their GP for fertility tests. 

Just after he was born, he went quiet and I panicked. Then we heard him cry and it was the best moment ever

Sarah Broadfield

Although Sarah had previously been diagnosed with endometriosis, doctors didn't believe this was affecting her fertility, but couldn't find another explanation. 

The couple were referred for IVF through the NHS but two rounds of treatment failed. 

"The first failure was the most devastating because I really thought it would work," says Sarah. 

"Even though I knew it wasn't my fault, I blamed myself. I felt like I'd failed as a woman." 

When a third IVF cycle failed, the couple scraped together their savings, as well as getting some help from their parents, and paid for a fourth attempt at a private hospital. 

They were delighted when Sarah fell pregnant a few weeks later. 

At the six week scan, everything looked fine but, two weeks later, a second scan showed that she had suffered a 'silent miscarriage' and the baby had stopped developing in her womb. 

"It was heart-breaking but we were reassured that at least I'd managed to fall pregnant this time," said Sarah. 

"When it happened for a second time, we started to wonder if there was a serious problem."

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After seven failed IVF treatments and two miscarriages Sarah finally managed to get pregnant

Following the two miscarriages at eight weeks, the couple were referred to the Liverpool Miscarriage Clinic and blood tests showed that Sarah had Antiphospholipid syndrome (AS), a disorder of the immune system which causes an increased risk of blood clots. 

People with AS are at risk of developing deep vein thrombosis and artery clots, but the condition is particularly dangerous to pregnant women as it can lead to miscarriages. 

It's estimated that AS is responsible for one in six cases of multiple miscarriages, as well as one in six cases of deep vein thrombosis. 

For Sarah, the condition didn't explain why she hadn't fallen pregnant naturally but did explain why she'd miscarried twice. 

"It was such a relief to know what was wrong and the solution seemed impossibly simple," said Sarah. 

Because of its blood-thinning qualities, an aspirin a day has long been hailed as a means of preventing strokes and some experts have also suggested it could reduce the risk of cancer. 

Doctors advised Sarah that the daily tablet throughout a pregnancy would thin her blood and dramatically reduce the risk of her miscarrying for a third time. 

So the couple embarked on their final round of IVF, with two eggs from previous attempts being implanted. 

"By that stage, we were wrung-out, emotionally and financially so we decided it would be our last go," Sarah added. 

Weeks later, Sarah fell pregnant with twins and started her 'aspirin therapy', as well as having an anti-clotting injection daily, throughout the pregnancy. 

Sadly, at the six week scan, the couple were told that one of the foetuses had failed. But, despite their disappointment, the couple were relieved to see that the second baby was developing normally. 

"The doctors kept a really close eye on us, which was reassuring, but I was still a nervous wreck before every scan, waiting for them to deliver bad news," Sarah said.

Superstitious Sarah and Chris even waited until the later stages of the pregnancy before preparing their baby's nursery. 

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The 34-year-old mum said holding baby Alfie for the first time was a 'surreal' experience

As AS heightened Sarah's risk of having a stillbirth, the baby was induced at 38 weeks and the couple's baby boy Alfie came along on August 1st 2014. 

"Just after he was born, he went quiet and I panicked. Then we heard him cry and it was the best moment ever," said Sarah. 

"Holding him in my arms, it felt so surreal, as we'd waited so long to meet him." 

The next day, Sarah and Chris brought Alfie home and he continues to thrive. They have no plans to embark on more IVF but Sarah knows what to do if another baby were to come along. 

Sarah said: "If only I'd known that taking one aspirin a day could help me so much.

"It would have saved us a lot of heartache. I wanted to speak out to hopefully help any other women who might have this condition without knowing it. 

"For us, the aspirin was modern day magic and we always keep a box in our cupboard now, just in case."

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