Couple want rethink on IVF aid

Yvette McKinley always knew she wanted children one day.

The 32-year-old never expected cost would come in the way of starting a family of her own.

Six-and-a-half years ago, she met her now-fiance Daniel Macauley on Tinder.

“I was 26 when I met him and kids weren’t on my radar,” she said.

Macauley, 39, had already had a vasectomy before the met.

After taking a four-month trip away together in 2017, the couple decided they desperately wanted a baby, so Macauley opted to get a vasectomy reversal.

The treatment was unsuccessful, so IVF became their only option.

Each round of IVF costs close to $15,000, as the couple didn’t qualify for public funding until after three years of trying.

Even then, there was at least a 12-month wait.

After the first round, the Wellington couple had a negative pregnancy test and the second time — $30,000 deep — they lost their baby after eight weeks.

“Losing a baby naturally is hard enough, but with IVF the price tag also sits at the back of your mind and it’s tough, especially when all your friends are having babies.”

Now, because of Covid-19, the

Wellington couple are faced with further hurdles.

“Daniel has been on the wage subsidy during lockdown and the with uncertainty around what is going to happen in the next three to six months we are having to rethink whether we will be able to afford another round of IVF.”

McKinley said the hardest part was knowing she was at peak childbearing age but had to wait until her fertility started to decline before they could get government funding.

She wants the Government to reconsider its funding criteria for IVF.