A couple who spent over £20,000 completing their dream family after a devastating miscarriage have welcomed twins through IVF. Annie and Glenn Goodwin, of Leicester, first started their IVF fertility journey in 2017 after struggling to conceive naturally for three years. Annie, 33, gave birth to her first child, Grayson, now three, in April 2018 after being successful on their first free round of IVF from the NHS. But the couple were desperate to expand their family further, and paid for a second round of IVF in 2019 which sadly resulted in a miscarriage - leaving the family heartbroken. Annie and Glenn decided to pay for an access fertility programme - meaning they would get a refund if it wasn't successful - which cost them a huge £17,000.
Despite having to take out a loan, the family welcomed twins Olive and Beauden on May 25 and finally have their dream family. Annie, who works as a retail manager, said: "We had been trying for a baby for three years and it just wasn't happening for us so we went to the doctors and found out Glenn has poor sperm morphology due to his epilepsy medication and I had PCSO. "We were given one round of IVF that was successful first time and we had our little boy but we both knew we wanted a big family. "When he was one, we tried again but had to pay to use our frozen embryos from the first time - it was successful but I had a miscarriage at seven weeks in March 2019. "It was heartbreaking - you find out from day one that you're pregnant so I was completely invested and it was one of the worst things I've ever had to go through. "It really threw me and I didn't know if I could do it again but I knew I wanted to grow our family so we tried again and it didn't work - I thought that was it.
"We had already taken out a loan and we were losing a lot of money so we decided to use the access fertility programme which gives you unlimited go's for two years and if it isn't successful, you get a refund but it worked. "We put two embryos back and both survived and we had twins. "It's such an incredible feeling to finally have our dream family and the twins have really completed us". Annie and Glenn, a customer success executive, saved up all the money from their wedding and sacrificed a honeymoon in order to afford the fertility programme. Annie said: "We put all of our money towards IVF because that's what we wanted more than anything else. "Doing the access fertility programme gave us the confidence in knowing if it wasn't successful, we would get our money back so it was a safety net for us because we had to take a big loan out.
"I'm from a big family so I always wanted to have a big family and when I had my son, I was so glad I had him but it doesn't stop you wanting more. "Grayson is amazing with them - he's so clever and clued up and loves being a big brother. "For someone struggling to conceive, go to the doctors sooner rather than later. "You don't choose to be infertile so if you think there's a problem, get those tests done and go down that route sooner than later. "IVF is one of the most heartbreaking and physically draining things you can go through but it's worth it in the end".
