One in seven couples have difficulty conceiving – approximately 3.5 million people in the UK alone.
Bud (babies under development), a digital resource for people struggling to conceive. Bud is launching a campaign called ‘Let’s talk about fertility’ to coincide with National Fertility Awareness Week (31st Oct – 6th Nov). The purpose of the campaign is to encourage couples to talk openly about fertility, which stems from the founder’s own experience of not being able to find one resource that combined information, news, articles, first hand stories and forums to hear and share other’s experiences.
The site is inspired by the experiences of Tim Heard, a London based graphic designer. He and his wife suffered from ‘unexplained secondary infertility’, a common condition which means after all the tests and physical examinations possible, they can find no reason to explain why you are unable to conceive. Tim and his wife spent four years trying to conceive a sibling for their daughter and after their second attempt at IVF, were lucky enough to be doubly successful, with the conception of twins (their daughter is now 11 and their twins are almost five).
The website LittleBud has many personal stories of families sharing their own experiences and knowledge to support and learn from others who are facing fertility problems. The website also features all kinds of information on nutrition and lifestyle.
TIM HEARD FOUNDER OF LITTLEBUD.COM
My wife and I suffered from ‘unexplained secondary infertility’. A common condition which means after all the tests and physical examinations possible, they can find no reason to explain why you are unable to conceive.
We spent four years hoping and trying to conceive a sibling for our daughter. I would never compare ourselves with the couples that are trying to conceive for the first time – what we went through must be a fraction of what many (including friends of ours) suffer. We were, in our own eyes, already extremely lucky, but nevertheless, our experience was an emotional rollercoaster of hope, disappointment, anxiety and pressure, which only increases as the months pass.
Ultimately we went for IVF treatment at Guys and St Thomas’ and were lucky enough to be doubly successful on our second round, with the conception of twins.
The twins are now nearly five and our eldest daughter 11. Every day we thank our lucky stars (and modern science). We got through it and were very fortunate to come out successfully the other side.
Like many things in life , the experience stays with you and, is something that only people who have had, or are currently experiencing some kind of fertility problem, can truly comprehend.
At the time, we received amazing support from the few people that we could share and talk openly with, but it wasn’t easy. There were a number of clumsy, dated and disparate online resources too, but no single site that combined, information, news, articles, first hand stories and forums.
We had the idea to not only combine all the elements, but to shift from the dour and dated approach, to something fresher, brighter and altogether more visually positive. The name Bud itself, (babies under development) was the starting point in helping us set off on the right foot.
LittleBud has been six months in the making and is currently self-funded.
STACEY HILL FOUNDER OF KICKSTARTBABIES
You can read more about Stacey Hill’s journey here : Stacey Hill… My Journey to Mummy
