A Black Country couple have spoken of their experiences as the first couple to have fertility treatment following The Birmingham Post campaign.

Miss S and Mr O, who live in Tipton, Sandwell, were awarded a cycle of Intra-Uterine Insemination as part of our Funded Fertility Treatment For All initiative.

They were one of four couples awarded funding for various treatments at Midland Fertility Services, based in Aldridge, Walsall.

In Britain, one in six couples experience difficulties in conceiving but many face difficulties in getting access to NHSfunded treatment.

In JanuaryThe Birmingham Post launched its campaign to improve the number of cycles funded by NHS trusts, following the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidelines stating women should be offered up to three cycles.

Miss S, aged 32, began a 14-day course of injections in May, to prepare her body for the insemination process.

"I didn't have a problem with the needles or injecting myself, the worst bit for us was waiting to do the pregnancy test," she said.

"The drugs and the stress of waiting also made me really argumentative during this process, and I was also very tired.

"I think it was mainly down to the fact we were just desperate to find out if it had worked."

But Miss S got her answer three days before she was due to take the test.

The Intra-Uterine Insemination treatment had not worked, she was not pregnant.

She said: "I'm alright with it now, but when I got my period and realised it hadn't worked I was very upset, I couldn't stop crying.

"I'd tried not to get too excited before hand, so that if I was pregnant I could be happy, but I couldn't stop thinking about it.

"I was also really shocked because I did think it would work, and my partner was devastated as well.

"We both wanted this to work, we both wanted to be parents, but this was only our first try at fertility treatment."

Now Miss S and her partner Mr O, who is a full-time carer, are enjoying a short break in Blackpool to get over their disappointment.

But they r e m a i n u p b e a t about the future and their hopes of starting a family. The couple are now saving for a cycle of IVF, Intra-Cytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI), at the Walsall clinic.

Miss S said: "We're going to take a break and have another go next year, plus we're still on the NHS waiting list. We've still got options.

"I suppose if you're desperate for a child, for a family of your own, you'll do anything.

"I think a lot of people, once they settle down or get married, believe once they stop using contraception it'll be easy to have a baby.

"There are so many people out there who are struggling to get pregnant, so it does upset me when I see stories about 13-year-old girls having babies they don't really want."

Miss S added: "Even though it's not worked this time, we're grateful to The Birmingham Post for giving us an opportunity we wouldn't have had otherwise.

"I think it's worth sticking with it, because fertility treatment gives us the best chance of achieving our dream."