Case Studies
FIRST TIME LUCKY AND TWICE AS SPECIAL
Steven Deans is the proud father of 18-month-old twins, born as the result of IVF. He and his wife Sushila, from Clacton-on-Sea were successful on their first attempt following treatment at the former Isis Fertility Centre, now Bourn Hall Colchester. The family are among patients and staff who have come to celebrate the 'unwrapping' of the rebranded clinic.
"We are a complete family now," Steven says. "Malcolm is the adventurous one, he is off climbing up the stairs all the time. Suzanna is more petite but makes up for it by being bossy."
Fertility declines after your mid thirties, so Steven (45) and Sushila (40) went to their GP for support when they realised that it was taking longer than they had hoped to conceive.
They were then sent for checks at the Colchester General Hospital before being referred to the former Isis Fertility Centre for treatment.
Steven believes that a change in his diet to increase the amount of fruit and vegetables was one of the factors that helped the couple to conceive.
"I was told that drinking smoothies and checking I was getting enough vitamins would help boost my sperm count. So I did this and it really worked."
The Isis Fertility Centre was acquired by Bourn Hall in November 2009 and is celebrating the official 'unwrapping' of its new branding this month. The medical team at the clinic has been expanded and staff benefit from working with a larger team of specialists.
Dr Efstathios Diakos, newly appointed Lead Clinician at Bourn Hall Colchester, says that there are many things that couples can do themselves to improve their chances of conceiving.
"Providing evidence that you are aware of these and have acted upon them will help your GP to agree the next steps with you," he suggests.
"Think about your health. Reducing alcohol intake and cutting out smoking are obvious but also eating a healthy, balanced diet has many advantages. It helps maintain an ideal body weight, keeps the hormone levels of the body normal and improves the health of the reproductive system.
"Particularly good are foods that are rich in antioxidants and certain minerals. Vitamins C and E and Zinc play key roles in fertility, increasing sperm count and motility (movement) and reducing stress on eggs and the female reproductive organs.
"The good news is that the majority of people taking these measures and having regular sex at the right time of the month will conceive within two years."
Bourn Hall Group now has two clinics in the East of England. The world’s first IVF Clinic based in Bourn, Cambridgeshire and the new clinic in Colchester, Essex.
The Colchester clinic provides a full fertility service and is the first fully owned satellite clinic to be established by Bourn Hall.
"Being a dad after all these years is brilliant. We are both delighted," says Steven.
