After dozens of failed attempts at artificial insemination (IVF), Helen Dalglish, of Scotland, has finally successfully conceived her first child at the age of 53.
The process of artificial insemination lasted 25 years, costing her and her family nearly 100.000 pounds. Confide with Daily Record About the joys and sorrows of childbirth, Dalglish said she never gave up her dream of becoming a mother.
“When you get the little miracle at the end of the road, you forget 25 years of hard work. I looked down at my growing belly and thought 'am I dreaming?'," she said.
Dalglish moved to Cyprus at the age of 20, began trying to have children with her husband at the age of 28 but failed. The two returned to Scotland soon after for a reproductive health check. However, the test showed no complications, and both were diagnosed with idiopathic infertility.
Doctors in Cyprus later discovered that Dalglish's uterine position was severely misaligned, making it difficult for her to conceive. The couple underwent four unsuccessful attempts at intrauterine insemination, in which sperm were placed directly into the uterus. So Dalglish and her husband decided to do IVF.
They are only eligible for a free course of treatment on the National Health Service (NHS). The next 20 years were followed by successive failed attempts, despite the quality of the initial embryo. Even so, Dalglish remained steadfast in her plan to have children.
“Sometimes, my emotions get overwhelmed. Too much physical and financial burden,” she confided.
While trying to conceive, Dalglish sometimes had to stop for a year or two to give her body a break. She started practicing meditation and yoga to have better health.
“Every time I failed, my emotions collapsed, like experiencing a death. I would fall for a few weeks, but then get up thinking, 'If I want this baby, I need to act'. I tried to forget the failures and start from scratch,” she said.
Dalglish was also constantly worried that each time the doctor tried to transfer the embryos back to her uterus, the procedure was unbearably painful. She had to be sedated for the embryo transfers, but the results were still zero.
Helen Dalglish and her daughter Daisy Grace. Image: Daily Mail
More than two decades into her IVF journey, Dalglish became pregnant several times but miscarried.
“That's when the couple was 41 or 42 years old. Pregnancy is only about 9 or 10 weeks. Sometimes I almost give up and tell myself not to punish myself like that. But I keep seeing the baby even in my dreams,” she said.
Dalglish then decided to use donor eggs, but failed. Despite creating 10 healthy embryos, all fetuses died before forming.
In a fit of sadness, Dalglish returned to Cyprus and decided to give it one last try at the Dunya Fertility Centre. After two embryo transfers, the couple was shocked when they received an email that they were pregnant within half a month.
“The two of us burst into tears and screams. Those were tears of lightness and happiness,” she recounted.
During her pregnancy, Dalglish developed diabetes and preeclampsia, a condition that causes high blood pressure. But with each passing month, she became more and more confident that she would meet her baby. Finally, she successfully gave birth to Daisy Grace at the age of 53.
“When I got home, I burst into tears. It felt like 25 years of grief had ended when I didn't expect it. The baby is healthy, obedient, comfortable and happy. It's similar to what I've been expecting for a long time. I want to thank all the staff, doctors. A daughter is a worthy gift after 25 years of waiting,” she said.
Dr Alper Eraslan, Dalglish's primary physician, said her determination will be an inspiration to others, even though IVF is a difficult journey psychologically, financially and physically.
Thuc Linh (Follow Daily Mail)
