A couple who endured the heartbreak of a miscarriage and IVF failure have had a second child – and they claim it’s because of a daily vitamin supplement they saw advertised on TV.
Sarah Walsh, 39, and her husband Ivor, 41, feared their daughter Sadie would never have the chance to play with a sibling.
Two rounds of IVF proved unsuccessful, while a third worked but ended in tragedy for the devastated Irish couple, after Mrs Walsh miscarried.
Turning to Proceive in a last-ditch attempt after seeing the supplement on TV, the couple, from Dublin, finally had another daughter, called Ennis.
Speaking to MailOnline about the supplement sold on the high street, Mrs Walsh said: ‘We’re convinced taking Proceive made all the difference.
‘It still feels like a miracle to have Ennis with us, after so many painful months of trying and waiting and trying again.
‘No one mentioned supplements when we first set out to be parents, if they had we would have definitely tried it much earlier.’
An independent fertility expert has hailed the £24.95 product as the ‘most comprehensive’ supplement for helping couples conceive.
Sarah Walsh, 39, and her husband Ivor, 41, feared their daughter Sadie would never have the chance to play with a sibling. But after turning their efforts to Proceive in a last-ditch attempt, the couple, from Dublin, finally had another daughter, called Ennis
Mrs Walsh conceived naturally after only months of trying for her first child, Sadie, who was born eight years ago.
Neither she or her husband had any fears they would struggle to have a second, when they began trying in July 2013.
But, when after two years, still nothing had happened, Mrs Walsh became concerned that her body clock was slowly ticking.
She told MailOnline: ‘We had always just assumed we’d conceive a second baby without any problems.
‘It just wasn’t happening and this came as a massive shock. We worried we’d left it too late and felt so guilty.
‘On top of that, our daughter, Sadie, wanted a baby sister or brother so much, she was asking us almost daily! This definitely piled on extra pressure.’
Mrs Walsh said: ‘It still feels like a miracle to have Ennis (pictured) with us, after so many painful months of trying and waiting and trying again’
In August 2017 – three months after trying Proceive – the couple found out Mrs Walsh was pregnant. They named their second daughter Ennis
The weeks and months that followed were a very stressful time for the couple. At first, Mrs Walsh’s GP encouraged the couple ‘relax and keep trying’.
They also suggested she underwent some investigative blood tests in the meantime, which all came back ‘normal’.
Finally, feeling increasingly worried that time was running out, with no answers and nothing happening, the couple decided to start IVF.
Their first full IVF cycle in 2015 failed as did the frozen embryo transfer they tried a year later. A second IVF attempt in June 2016 was also unsuccessful.
The couple tried a third cycle in August 2016, which worked and Mrs Walsh was pregnant. Although, their joy was short lived.
Six weeks later, Mrs Walsh miscarried and was rushed in to surgery for an emergency procedure. The couple were devastated.
Yet both were still determined not to give up and kept trying to conceive naturally. Mrs Walsh told MailOnline: ‘We tried to stop stressing as best we could.
‘Sex had started to feel like a chore when we were doing IVF, so now we both tried our hardest to relax and make our sex life feel like fun again.
WHAT IS PROCEIVE?
Proceive contains a blend of 33 ingredients, including amino acids, vitamins and minerals.
Its manufacturers claim this combination provides the optimal conditions for successful conception. Proceive for men contains selenium, which has been shown to improve sperm motility in men.
Scientific data from more than 600 studies was used for fertility experts to agree on the blend of compounds.
However, no scientific trials have ever been conducted on Proceive itself, meaning its effects are not yet to be confirmed.
Although, its creators are adamant scores of couples have got in contact with them about having children after trying the supplement.
The supplements, which cost £24.95 for 30 sachets, can be bought online, and are also sold in Holland & Barrett.
Proceive contains a blend of 33 ingredients, including amino acids, vitamins and minerals. Its manufacturers claim this combination provides the optimal conditions for successful conception
Dr Phil Boyle, director of Neo Fertility Clinic, Dublin, and president of the International Institute for Restorative Reproductive Medicine, said: ‘When couples come to my clinic, they may have been trying to conceive for months, even years.
‘Whilst they may have made positive changes to their lifestyles such as quitting smoking or losing weight, they can neglect to change their diet.
‘Even those who eat a healthy and balanced diet, may require additional nutritional support as they may, unknowingly, be missing out on some of the key vitamins and minerals that are essential for pregnancy.
‘When trying for a baby, it’s important to remember that it may take longer than anticipated.
‘There are a number of factors that may affect your chances of conception, however supporting your diet with a comprehensive and specialised fertility supplement, is a positive step to take to help you successfully conceive.
‘With over 30 tailored vitamins and minerals that have been specially chosen to support both the female and male reproductive systems, Proceive is the most comprehensive and specialised formulation I have come across in my 20 plus years as a fertility specialist.’
‘When we met up with friends, they’d inevitably ask for any news. We both put on a brave face.
‘Sometimes it was hard not to feel annoyed when they told us to ‘relax and try not to worry’.
‘Some would try and reassure us by saying, ‘Well, at least you have one child already’. They meant well, of course.
‘But the truth is, unless you’ve experienced infertility first-hand, it’s almost impossible to explain the devastation you feel.’
Four months after the traumatic miscarriage, Mrs Walsh’s mother saw a nutritionist on TV talking about a pregnancy supplement.
With nothing left to lose, the couple decided to try Proceive in May 2017. She told MailOnline: ‘At this stage, we felt anything was worth a try.’
New to the fertility supplement market, it promised to provide the optimum levels of nutrients men and women need for a successful conception.
Mrs Walsh said they were never expecting to find a ‘magic pill’ but wanted give themselves the ‘best chance’ of having a second child.
She told MailOnline: ‘Although we both already ate healthily, it made sense to be sure we were getting all the right vitamins and minerals.
‘Proceive seemed to be the best option out there once we’d done the research.’ Mr Walsh said: ‘We both felt better almost immediately.
‘More than anything, it felt like we’d taken back control and were taking positive action for ourselves.’
In August 2017 – three months later – the couple found out Mrs Walsh was pregnant. They named their second daughter Ennis.
She said: ‘After what we’d been through, we couldn’t believe it at first. Only when the scan came back normal, did we feel like we could finally celebrate properly.’