'A tube of GLUE helped us conceive': Couple have baby girl after seven years of failed IVF

A COUPLE are over the moon after a tube of glue helped them have the healthy baby girl they have always dreamed of

Baby born glued to womb CATERS

MIRACLE BABY: Sophia Elsie-May, who was born after her embryo was glued to Nicola's womb

A couple who battled to become parents for seven years have finally had a beautiful baby girl - thanks to a tube of GLUE.

Nicola and Andrew Stone struggled to conceive after being told that Andrew's sperm count was too low and Nicola's BMI was too high.

But after years of trying, they've finally become proud parents of baby Sophia Elsie-May, who was born after surgeons used a special adhesive to attach a fertilised embryo to the wall of Nicola's womb.

Nicola, from Derby, said: "She's our little miracle. We're so happy, it feels like we're living in a dream. 

"Every morning when we wake up, or she wakes us up, we still look at her as if she's not real. 

"She's our pride and joy and we couldn't be any more proud of her.

"After all the setbacks, I didn't think it would work but I'm so glad it did. Sophia is everything we wished for. 

"All I wanted was to be a mum and now I finally am. She's here and we're so happy." 

Failed IVFCATERS

TOUGH TIMES: Nicola and Andrew struggled to conceive for seven years with several failed IVF attempt

Nicola, 34, was told to lose weight to help her conceive while husband Andrew, a 47-year-old self-employed builder, was advised to take a variety of vitamins and minerals to boost his low sperm count. 

She's our little miracle. We're so happy, it feels like we're living in a dream

Nicola Stone

But in the end it was a tube of special glue that helped the couple achieve their dream of becoming parents.

"My embryos were dipped in glue and the lining of my womb was scratched so that everything would implant. As the lining heals, doctors think it helps to keep the embryo safe and in place," said Nicola.

The couple started trying for a baby in 2007 but to no avail and doctors warned that both Nicola and Andrew had problems which could be affecting their fertility.

"A test revealed that Andrew's sperm count was desperately low and I was told that my BMI was too high." said Nicola. 

"It was quite upsetting. We wondered how we were ever going to have a baby. 

"I didn't know just how serious being overweight was in terms of becoming a parent." 

Glue helped conceive CATERS

HAPPY: The couple are now over the moon after a tube of glue helped them conceive

After a consultation at the Royal Derby Hospital, Nicola immediately started dieting and Andrew rushed out to buy some vitamins. 

"My BMI was 36 and that was way too high," said Nicola, who works in Derby. "I was advised to get it down to 31, which meant losing about three stone." 

After the first IVF effort failed, the couple were left heartbroken.

Nicola said: "When you want something so badly it's so hard when it doesn't happen.

"I think I spent two days in bed afterwards. I was so upset and depressed, I couldn't bring myself to get up and carry on. 

"I really did feel like time was running out for us." 

After a second failed attempt, Nicola was on the brink of giving up.

"Part of me wanted to give up and forget about it but, at the same time, it was just too important to us. I knew we had to keep going but I was running out of hope," she said.

Baby fertility CATERS

BUNDLE OF JOY: Baby Sophia was born on 14th July 2014 weighing a healthy 7lb 10oz

The couple then agreed to more invasive tests, revealing that Nicola had a decreased level of protein C in her system, putting her at a higher risk of blood clots.

"We decided to have one last attempt at IVF. At that stage, we would have done absolutely anything to have a healthy baby," she added. 

A new technique to monitor embryos was used and Nicola was given the glue to help the embryo implant in the womb.

"We were told that photographs would be taken all the time and then, when it was time to put the embryo back, I had the glue," she said.

In November 2013, Nicola and Andrew started their final course of treatment, where 13 eggs were successfully collected and fertilised. After a few days, embryologists picked the healthiest two embryos for transfer.

"I was so nervous because I knew we'd gone so far this time," said Nicola. "If this attempt failed, I feared the chances of us having a baby would be zero." 

Two weeks after treatment, Nicola did a pregnancy test and to her delight it was positive.

"I cried and cried," she said. "It felt like a dream! Andrew was completely overwhelmed too. I wanted to shout it from the rooftops but initially I only told my Mum and Dad.

"Everyone was so happy for us because they knew what we'd been through. We still haven't stopped smiling." 

What to Eat During Pregnancy- Healthy Snack Ideas

On 14th July 2014, baby Sophia was born, weighing a healthy 7lb 10oz.

"She was adorable and we were the proudest parents," said Nicola. "Everything we'd been through seemed like a distant memory.

"When I held her in my arms, I cried with joy. We both did. It still hasn't sunk in. We're so proud of our little girl."

Dr Lucy Jenner, embryology manager at Care Fertility, Nottingham, said: "There are lots of new ways for us to be able to maximise the chances of a pregnancy following IVF and it seems that Andy and Nicola have used all of them at once, which is quite unusual.

"Care Maps is revolutionising the way we monitor embryos. We were able to watch Sophia grow from the moment the egg and sperm were put together."

"Embryo glue is a natural substance we use to help 'super glue' the embryo in place and it seems to have done the trick this time."

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