'WE'VE ALL HAD WOW BABIES'

Every year, 36,000 women in the UK have IVF treatment in a desperate bid for motherhood. One charity, Wellbeing of Women, has been raising money to invest in pioneering medical research and training in reproductive and gynaecological health since 1964. Here, five success stories tell Fabulous how, after being told they would struggle to ever have children, WoW helped them achieve the seemingly impossible

'My body kept killing my babies'

Elizabeth Foad, 46, an air stewardess from Ashtead, Surrey, and her son Jasper, nine months. "I never thought having a baby would be a problem - after all, I got pregnant easily enough with my first child, even though I was 39.

When our daughter Cecily was six months old, my husband Bill and I decided to try for another baby. Again, I became pregnant easily enough and when I went for my 12-week scan, I was excited to be seeing our baby on screen.

But as the sonographer scanned my womb, it was clear there was a problem. There was no heartbeat... no baby. I'd miscarried and hadn't even known. I was devastated and clung to Bill, a computer analyst, for support. The only solace I had was that I could get pregnant.

That was in 2004 - but over the next two years I had two more miscarriages. Unless you have felt that loss, it's difficult to understand - it's horrendous, an incredible, raw grief.

In January 2007, I was referred to Dr Hassan Shehata, a miscarriage specialist at Epsom Hospital. Dr Shehata decided to treat me as though I had an autoimmune condition, which was causing my body to attack any embryo I conceived. I was put on aspirin to thin the blood, along with a drug called heparin, which calms down the immune system.

I had such high hopes, but I had three more miscarriages. I'd lost six babies in three years. Each time I nervously went for a scan I hoped that this time my baby had made it. Each time I'd hear the same news - my baby had died. Again.

Emotionally, I was wrung out, but I was determined not to give up. It was a really tough time for Bill, 48, too. But we'd promised each other we would keep trying.

I then started taking a steroid along with the other drugs to help prevent my body from rejecting the foetus. And in February 2008, I became pregnant again.

Elizabeth with husband Bill

As the weeks passed, and then the months, I started to believe that maybe this baby was meant to be. At our 12-week scan we saw, and heard, a strong heartbeat. I began to allow myself to believe I was going to be a mum again.

Finally, last October, all our dreams came true when our son Jasper was born, weighing 7lb 9oz. He is simply perfect, our miracle baby.

When I watch him sleeping, I think how lucky I am to have been given the chance to have him. I didn't think it would ever happen. My only regret is that I didn't try for children earlier."

• The WoW Baby Bio Bank is a unique collection of DNA samples that will revolutionise our understanding of miscarriage. WoW also funded 2004 research into the cause of this type of miscarriage.

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'I didn't want my child to suffer like me'

Belinda Plowman, 37, a bag designer, from Bournemouth, Dorset, and her son Beau, one. "I'd always known I wanted to have children, but there was one problem facing me. I was worried my baby would be born with cancer.

As a child I'd had a rare form of the disease called retinoblastoma. I was just a toddler when I'd had my left eye removed - along with a tumour - and replaced with a glass eye. And there was a 50:50 chance any baby I had would be born with the condition. I didn't want that for any child. I'd always felt different, and was taunted at school because I wasn't like everyone else.

My husband David, 41, a teacher, knew my feelings and although we'd agreed we would have children, it was only if we could be sure they wouldn't be born with my cancer gene. Doctors had said I could be tested within the first few months of pregnancy - and if the gene was present, I could terminate. That was too harsh a choice for me to even think about. So we put our family plans on hold.

Then, seven years ago, I saw on the news an item about an IVF method where embryos could be tested for genetic faults before being put into the womb. If the gene was present, the embryo wasn't implanted.

Belinda and David wanted a sibling for Tayla

We contacted University College London and began by giving blood samples - little did we know it would be another five years before the test was properly developed and the funding in place.

While we were waiting, I became pregnant, despite using contraception. I went for a blood test to see if our baby had retinoblastoma, but had to wait an agonising two weeks for the results.

When they showed my baby was free of the cancer gene, I cried with happiness.

Our daughter, Tayla, was born on June 13, 2006.

A year later, UCL contacted us to say it was ready to proceed with the genetic IVF programme. Desperate for a sibling for Tayla, we decided to take part in the scheme and luckily the NHS funded the treatment, which cost £15,000.

In October 2007, some of my eggs were harvested and impregnated with David's sperm. Two of them were found to be free of the cancer gene and were implanted in my womb. A week later, I found out I was pregnant. It went without a hitch and our son Beau was born weighing 8lb 12oz on July 12 last year.

As I held him in my arms, I was so relieved to finally have the family David and I had always wanted.

Best of all, if either of my children grow up and want their own family, they don't have to worry about their children carrying the cancer gene that affected me. And that is such a comfort."

• WoW has funded research into the detection of foetal genetic abnormality from maternal blood samples.

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'Life-saving surgery left me infertile'

Fiona Crawford, 38, an IT specialist from Abbot's Langley, Hertfordshire, and Martha, seven months. "I first became pregnant in 2002 and was so happy. But when I started bleeding eight weeks later, tests showed I had an ectopic pregnancy. My baby was growing inside one of my Fallopian tubes instead of in my womb and couldn't survive.

Without surgery to remove it immediately, there was a chance the tube could rupture and kill me.

Doctors removed half of my right tube and the foetus. But during surgery they discovered that my left tube was badly scarred, damaged and bleeding heavily, so they had to remove half of that too.

My ovaries were still intact which meant I could still produce eggs, but it was unlikely they'd make it to the womb. I was warned the chances of me conceiving naturally again were slim.

Eight months later, after more tests, doctors took away the remaining halves of my tubes because they were blocked by internal scarring. There was now no way I would ever be able to conceive naturally - and I knew the failure rate for IVF was high - around 80 per cent.

I sobbed for hours. But my husband Brian, 33, a van driver, was amazingly supportive and we decided to give IVF a try. Unfortunately at the time our local health authority didn't fund it, but luckily my parents were able to help with the cost, which in the end ran to £12,000.

Fiona and Brian were determined to have a baby

But just as we were preparing to go ahead, I discovered my level of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) was too high, preventing me producing as many eggs as the IVF clinic would have liked, so we couldn't go ahead. Levels of FSH change from cycle to cycle so it was just a case of waiting for them to come down.

In the meantime, I consulted Zita West, a fertility therapist, who put me on a special fertility diet with folic acid, vitamin B and multivitamin supplements to make sure I was really healthy when the time came.

Our first attempt at IVF in March 2006 failed. We were gutted. Then my FSH levels shot back up so I had to wait before trying a second time.

But it wasn't until April 2008 that we were able to try again. It worked and Martha was born on December 23, weighing 5lb 15oz.

I still pinch myself. Fifty years ago I'd have had to live without children, but thanks to doctors I'm now a mum.

Brian and I have discussed trying for another baby one day, but we're not making any decisions yet!"

• WoW has funded research into the biological causes of ectopic pregnancy, the role of hormones in pregnancies, and also diet in pregnancy. For more information, see the website Eatingfor pregnancy.org.uk.

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'Aspirin kept my baby alive!'

Gemma Crayston, 31, a graphic designer from Colchester, Essex, and Tilly, seven months. "I've always had painful periods, but when I came off the Pill in 2004, they got even worse.

I did some research online and it seemed likely I had endometriosis - where cells similar to those that line the womb grow on organs outside it, causing internal bleeding, inflammation, scarring and sometimes cysts on the ovaries.

A laparoscopy confirmed I had endometriosis on my uterus, ovaries, bowel and rectum. The best chance for a baby was IVF. I was devastated, but refused to be beaten. My husband Hugh, 32, a property surveyor, and I were referred to a specialist. Miraculously, I fell pregnant while we were waiting for the appointment, but in May 2006, I miscarried at eight weeks.

My surgeon decided it would be best to clear as much of the endometriosis as possible, so if I did get pregnant again, I had a better chance of carrying to full term. I had two large ovarian cysts and sections of my bowel and rectum removed. I was so desperate to be a mum, I would have done anything.

I fell pregnant twice naturally, but miscarried each time. I can't describe how I felt - except a failure.

Gemma and husband Hugh

In January 2008, a fertility specialist advised I take low-dose aspirin daily - its blood-thinning effects are thought to improve the blood supply to the placenta, which is essential for keeping the foetus alive.

After three months, I conceived again. I felt sick as a dog, but it meant the pregnancy hormones were strong. At first I had scans every few weeks to make sure everything was OK - thankfully it was.

On December 23 last year, Tilly was born by Caesarean, weighing 6lb 8oz. When I look at her, it makes all that we've been through worthwhile."

• WoW has funded several research projects into endometriosis and is currently funding a new project in Liverpool to help develop non-invasive treatments.

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'I beat the odds to have my daughter'

Marketing manager Nicola Williams, 38, from Woking, Surrey, and two-month-old Rosa. "When my partner Andy and I decided to try for a baby three years ago, we both booked in for tests first. I'd been diagnosed with endometriosis at 20, which could cause fertility problems.

As far as we knew, Andy, 44, an office manager for the Met Police, was fit and healthy. But the results showed that although I was probably able to get pregnant, Andy had a low sperm count. There was less than a one per cent chance of us conceiving naturally.

We were both devastated, but we didn't want to give up. Then doctors at London's Hammersmith Hospital told us there was a small chance we could conceive using a form of IVF called Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI). They would use a single, healthy sperm and inject it directly into one of my harvested eggs. It's more complicated than IVF, where the sperm is mixed with the egg and they wait for it to fertilise naturally.

We were incredibly excited, because there was a chance it could work. We had our first cycle in November 2006 and, to our amazement, it did! Our joy was short-lived though as I lost the baby at eight weeks. It was a tough time and it took months to put it behind us.

Between November 2007 and May 2008 we had three more cycles of treatment at Woking Nuffield Hospital. Even though one cycle was free on the NHS, we paid out over £15,000 from our savings for the other ones - and were still without a baby.

Proud parents Nicola and Andy

We both felt the strain and I can understand how it would rip some couples apart, but our fight to become parents brought us closer together.

In July last year, we started our fifth cycle, although we'd almost given up hope. When a pregnancy test came back positive, neither of us dared believe it.

Thankfully, the pregnancy went without a hitch and on May 2 this year, Rosa was born weighing 9lb 6oz. As I held her, I fell instantly in love. It made all we'd been through pale into insignificance.

It's been the biggest roller coaster journey, but we're already thinking about trying for baby number two!"

• WoW has been funding research into IVF since 1986, as well as projects involving the efficiency of sperm in fertilisation.

PHOTOGRAPHY: LANCTON HAIR: ALICE THEOBALD AT JOY GOODMAN MAKE-UP: CAROLINE PIASECKI, SARA BOWDEN STYLING: LUCIE CLIFFORD CLOTHES: FROM A SELECTION AT EVANS, NEW LOOK AND OASIS

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