Viagra mum's baby twins joy
New mum Helen Wilkinson has two extra special reasons to celebrate this Mother's Day after she beat fertility despair with the help of Viagra. New mum Helen Wilkinson has two extra special reasons to celebrate this Mother's Day after she beat fertility despair with the help of Viagra. After six years trying in vain for a baby, Helen and her husband Alan now have two thanks to the male sex drug. The pregnancy joy came after the 40-year-old was prescribed Viagra to boost her chances of conceiving. Helen says her first Mothering Sunday with twins William John and Elizabeth Hannah will be very different from last year when she spent the day in tears. Read the full story in the Express & Star.
After six years trying in vain for a baby, Helen and her husband Alan now have two thanks to the male sex drug.
The pregnancy joy came after the 40-year-old was prescribed Viagra to boost her chances of conceiving.
Helen says her first Mothering Sunday with twins William John and Elizabeth Hannah will be very different from last year when she spent the day in tears.
The couple, of Brierley Hill, began trying for a baby as soon as they married in 2000. In 2002 they were successful but their delight soon gave way to heartache when Helen miscarried at 10 weeks.
After another year of negative pregnancy tests, investigations revealed the miscarriage caused scar tissue in the womb making conceiving and carrying a baby difficult. Helen said: "We felt devastated because we wanted a baby so much. Surrogacy or adoption were even mentioned but after surgery to remove some of the scar tissue, we wanted to try for a baby with IVF first. "
The couple began two years of IVF treatment through Midland Fertility Services (MFS), which has clinics in Wolverhampton and Walsall. After two unsuccessful cycles of IVF, Helen and Adam started their third and final treatment in early 2006.
"Knowing that this would be our last attempt actually took away some of the pressure," said Helen. "And when the two embryos were transferred back into me in May, I just knew that it was going to work."
Helen was prescribed Viagra to help thicken her womb lining and assisted hatching, a laboratory process to help embryos hatch and implant in the womb, was recommended. Twins William and Elizabeth were born at Russells Hall Hospital, Dudley, on December 8, weighing 5lbs 1oz and 3lbs 10oz respectively. They spent 20 days in a special care baby unit but are now thriving.
Helen said: "Last year I spent Mother's Day in tears as we were just about to start our third treatment cycle so this Sunday will be a really special day for me."
