Jane needed three IVF cycles to get pregnant

Here one woman tells the BBC how she and her husband paid �9,000 for IVF and were only successful on their third attempt.

Jane Gache, from Bracknell in Berkshire, said: "We didn't get married until we were 36, and then we started trying for a baby."

When they did not conceive naturally, she and her husband Michael had tests which showed they would have trouble becoming pregnant naturally.

They then decided to try IVF but had to pay for treatment as the NHS in their area would not fund any free cycles.

When she said I was pregnant, I was in complete shock Jane Gache

"It was devastating when we heard the first attempt hadn't worked.

"It's another issue to deal with. You have to pick yourself up again.

"It helped that we have a very strong marriage and were able to talk about it and share the emotions we were going through."

'Take some stress away'

Encouraged by doctors, the couple decided to try again, but their second attempt at IVF also failed.

Jane, who is a midwife, then conceived naturally, but miscarried her baby.

She says: "At this point, I was finding it hard to do my job.

"Dealing with babies every day was becoming increasingly difficult, especially when I met women who had gone down the IVF path."

Alexander is now doing well

The couple decided to try IVF one last time. Jane had a blood test at work, and rang a colleague to find out the result.

"When she said I was pregnant, I was in complete shock."

Alexander is now 11 months old - and Jane is pregnant again after conceiving naturally.

She said it would have helped enormously if the NHS funded one cycle per couple because it would have taken away some of the stress of IVF.

"Then we could have concentrated on getting through the treatment cycle itself."

But despite their experiences, Jane said the NHS should not fund three cycles of IVF treatment per couple.