FOR three years, Bendigo couple Monika and Alex Campbell-Smith struggled to start a family.
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Having tried every option out there for same-sex couples and not having much luck, the pair felt like they were at a dead end.
But one doctor walked into their lives and changed everything.
"We've been trying to conceive for about five years," Monika said.
"We did two cycles of artificial insemination using an anonymous donor, one ending in a miscarriage and the other being unsuccessful.
"We had then reached our cap of AI and then had to move on to IVF.
"We took some time off and began trying for 12 months with a known donor at home. We then had two miscarriages doing that."
In 2017, the marriage of same-sex couples was legalised and Monika said the pair put their family plans on hold to get married.
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"As soon as we got married, we decided it was time to try again and that's when we met with Dr Anju," she said.
And thankfully for the Campbell-Smith's, Monash IVF Bendigo fertility specialist Dr Anju Agarwal was able to help.
"We did our first round of IVF in January and February of 2019 and now we have Spencer," Monika said.
"We've now done a frozen embryo transfer in May this year and now we're almost 28 weeks pregnant.
"When we fell pregnant with Spencer, we were hopeful but we weren't expecting it to work. We spent the whole pregnancy terrified.
"But it was such a surreal moment having him in our arms and finally being able to believe it had actually worked."
Monika said Dr Agarwal had made a huge different in the couples lives.
"She's been with us from day dot and we can't thank her enough for everything she's done," she said.
"Dr Anju diagnosed me with endometriosis and did my first surgery, she's been with us every step of the way.
"She never got our hopes up, she had a great approach and she really made this happen for us, we couldn't be more thankful for her."
Dr Agarwal said Monika and Alex were just one couple she had seen who were struggling to get pregnant.
"Since marriage equality become legal in Australia, we have definitely seen more same sex couples coming forward wanting to conceive using donor sperm," she said.
"In the recent years more and more single women have also come forward wanting to be a parent, no longer waiting for Mr Right. Society has become more accepting of sole parents.
"In response to the pandemic and the lockdowns, people's priorities have changed and family has taken precedence.
"With the slowing down of life in general and more time on our hands more couples and single women are seeking assistance to conceive."
Dr Agarwal said lack of sperm had made things especially difficult for these couples.
"Unfortunately, however, sperm donor availability has become scarcer than ever before," she said.
"Sperm donation in Australia is altruistic and during a pandemic when people are facing many challenges, including loss of employment, sperm donation for some people is simply not a priority.
"Given the current shortage of donor sperm, I encourage women and couples who are considering using donor sperm to get in touch with your GP and seek an earlier referral to your fertility specialist to ensure all your medical or fertility needs are addressed to prevent further delay."
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