Unexplained infertility after first baby resolved by IVF
Colleen Kennedy and Chris Weaver’s first baby was born in 2014, when she was 30 and he was 29: a natural conception after a year of trying. But when they were ready for baby number two the couple were dismayed that Colleen didn’t fall pregnant and perplexed when tests arranged by their GP couldn’t explain why.
“No reason could be found to explain why we were struggling to have a second baby,” said Colleen.
“We started to look into private fertility treatment during Covid, when we had a bit more time on our hands. We knew we would have to pay if we had IVF because the fact that we already had a child meant we were not eligible for NHS treatment.
“Luckily for us we have very supportive family who offered to help financially.
“A friend recommended we consider BCRM because another friend of hers had received fertility treatment there and been very positive about her experience.
“We started off with an online consultation because many of the Covid restrictions were still in place, and I had to go in for the egg retrieval procedure on my own while Chris waited in the car-park, which was a shame.
“But the BCRM team were absolutely lovely, really positive and encouraging, and it was actually quite exciting to be doing something so different after all the Covid restrictions.
“We ended up with three fertilised embryos after this, of which two were frozen and one returned to me as a fresh embryo transfer.
“The transfer took, but sadly I had a very early miscarriage, so no baby as a result.
“The consultant, Dr Caroline Chebsey, was very reassuring: not every transfer results in a live birth, but she said there was no reason to assume we wouldn’t succeed on another occasion, and suggested we return when we felt ready.
“It turned out to be a longer delay than we’d anticipated because at that point I caught Covid and my recovery was slow. Life just got in the way, so there was a pause.
“However in 2024, when I was about to turn 40, we thought again about those frozen embryos and decided to give it another go. We were very chilled about it. We already had our lovely daughter, but were hoping a second baby would come along.
“It was very different this time around, post-Covid, because Chris could come in with me for the transfer and be more involved.
“The team at BCRM had set the room up so nicely, with a large screen so we could watch the procedure taking place, relaxing music and, again, such positivity. It was inspiring.
“They also went above and beyond because a week after we’d had a promising-looking six-week scan at the clinic - routine for IVF treatment to confirm all is progressing as it should - I suddenly had quite bad abdominal pains and they invited me back for an extra reassurance scan.
“Fortunately, all was well, but they also referred me to the early pregnancy clinic at my local hospital, so that the team there could keep an eye on me going forward.
“Our lovely baby boy, Ren, was born at the end of June 2025 and we’re all enjoying him so much. Belle, who is now 10, is a proper ‘little mother’ and simply adores him.
“We are so grateful to the team at BCRM for enabling us to complete our family, and cannot recommend them highly enough. We’re not right on the doorstep, living near Taunton, but the clinic is so close to the M5, with plenty of parking, so distance was never an issue. The service and support provided was just amazing.”
The family live just outside Taunton. Colleen runs group therapy for the Somerset Domestic Abuse Service, and Chris is a marketing executive.
BCRM www.fertilitybristol.com is the longest established fertility clinic in Bristol, helping people from throughout the South West and Wales with fertility treatment for both private and NHS patients. The clinic is involved in innovative research and has one of the best success rates with IVF and other fertility treatments in the UK.
