Charlotte Varcoe
A FOUR year journey with fertility treatments has come to a positive note for Naracoorte couple Indee-anna and Lawson Cumming as National Infertility Week concludes.
Ms Cumming was diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) at the age of 17 leading her to worry about her future as a potential mother.
Now, the couple are expecting a baby boy this year.
PCOS is a common hormonal condition which affects up to one in 10 females in their reproductive years.
It has the potential to cause disruptions to the menstrual cycle, skin and hair changes as well as develop cysts on the ovaries and could lead to infertility.
Females with PCOS produce high levels of male hormones from their ovaries which disrupts the menstrual cycle and although the cause of the condition is unknown it is thought it happens due to an increased level of insulin which affects how the ovaries work.
Although the condition cannot be cured, doctors are able to manage many of the symptoms of PCOS.
Speaking with The Border Watch, Ms Cumming said when she was diagnosed with the condition she was scared for the future.
“I was not sure if I would ever be able to have kids,” Ms Cumming said.
“My doctor at the time used a scare tactic and said I should have kids as soon as possible.”
After meeting her now-husband later in life, the two began their fertility treatment journey in 2020 after trying other avenues.
“Lawson and I started in vitro fertilisation (IVF) treatment in 2020 and beforehand we tried everything,” Ms Cumming said.
“We read all the books, did ovulation induction which is clomid and letrozole.
“We did that about 13 times and then went to IVF in March 2020.”
She said part of the assessment and process to be eligible for IVF treatment included being signed off by a doctor and a gynaecologist, trying for a baby naturally for 12 months and then still proving to be infertile.
“Once that is signed off you are then allocated a doctor,” Ms Cumming said.
“We would have to travel to Adelaide every month to see a doctor for this and when you get there you are put straight into the procedures.
“I did all the allergy tests, they make sure you are infertile and there are a lot of ultrasounds and blood tests.”
She said she was then given the needles used for the treatment at home before being sent back to Naracoorte.
Throughout her journey, Ms Cumming said she soon discovered there was very little support for infertility treatment in the Limestone Coast and a lack of access to ultrasounds.
“Although we have ultrasounds here for pregnancy it is a different ballgame when you are infertile,” she said.
“We did eight rounds of IVF and all of them worked but I miscarried each one before eight weeks.
“We ended up having to have a break from IVF because it was so expensive and took such a toll on both my body and my mental health.”
Ms Cumming said often people did not take into account the mental health side of infertility.
“It is a big part of it,” she said.
“There needs to be more counselling for those going through IVF too and it needs to be in depth talking about how you feel because your baby just died or it was unsuccessful.
“There also needs to be more support for the men as well because they are essentially helpless and counselling for them is not offered.”
She said while going through their IVF journey together, the emotional, physical and financial aspects took a toll on their marriage.
“At the start we were very close as a couple because we were so optimistic,” Ms Cumming said.
“By the second round we felt like our relationship was strained and it was very hard for us as a couple.
“It is hard for the men because they are not going through the physical changes and they do not fully understand but we got better as a couple when we took a break from the treatment.”
She said it was also a tough time due to out-of-pocket costs and travel time.
“One of the biggest challenges of our journey was travelling because we would have to take days off work but it also drains you mentally because your body completely changes and you are not even pregnant,” Ms Cumming said.
“It is also tough because it is all out of pocket, there is no funding for it and Medicare does not cover anything either.
“A lot of people cannot afford IVF and that is not fair, people are doing this while trying to work full time.”
She said despite the difficulties, there were also many positives coming out of their fertility journey including extensive knowledge.
“There have also been positives such as the learning journey,” Ms Cumming said.
“We learnt so much along the way and it was good for Lawson because he got to be involved from literally fertilisation and you do get to watch them do it which is pretty crazy.”
She said they were now starting to feel excited to welcome their baby boy into the world, but remained cautious and nervous.
“I do not know if I will be able to give this kid a sibling but I do think it will start feeling real once he is here,” Ms Cumming said.
“Those going through IVF should not give up, they need to stick it out because although it may not come straight away it will get better.
“They also need to be an advocate for themselves, tell the doctors what you want because at the end of the day you are a number so you need to keep pushing.”
Ms Cumming said the couple did “totally give up” at one stage and considered her mother as their surrogate yet due to the financial costs of lawyers, they decided to give fertility treatments another go.
