11/05/2025

ON SUNDAY MAY 11, 2025 II theSunday Special

“N O one in my circle of friends had gone through IVF, so I didn’t have anyone to refer to. The medica tion threw my hormones off balance and unfortunately, my first attempt at ,9) IDLOHG ´ VKDUHV 1XUXO $¿GDK =XONLÀL co-founder of one of Malaysia’s most VXFFHVVIXO KRPHJURZQ ODEHOV 0LPSLNLWD DV VKH UHÀHFWV RQ KHU MRXUQH\ ZLWK LQ YLWUR fertilisation (IVF). While she often shares delightful snapshots of her children on Instagram DQG KLJKOLJKWV WKH ODWHVW 0LPSLNLWD FRO OHFWLRQV IHZ NQRZ WKDW WKLV SHWLWH PRWKHU chose IVF as her path to motherhood. Her FDQGLG DFFRXQW UHYHDOV WKDW WKH MRXUQH\ was fraught with pain and solitude. Behind her cheerful demeanour, Nurul DFNQRZOHGJHV WKDW WKH HPRWLRQDO XSV DQG GRZQV RI WKH ,9) SURFHVV DUH VLJQL¿FDQW DQG RIWHQ DFFRPSDQLHG E\ XQVSRNHQ stress. Discussions surrounding IVF, mis carriage and pregnancy challenges remain sensitive topics for many, often avoided in public conversations. However, these issues are very real for millions of women worldwide and as society progresses, the dialogue is gradually becoming more open. While IVF has shed much of its previ ous stigma, it continues to be an emotional and physical challenge for many women. The World Health Organisation reports that one in six couples globally faces infertility, with IVF recognised as one of WKH PRVW H̆ HFWLYH WUHDWPHQWV In Malaysia, recent statistics indicate that around 15% of couples within the community encounter fertility issues, underscoring the need for increased awareness about IVF and reproductive KHDOWK )RU 1XUXO KHU MRXUQH\ EHJDQ DIWHU ¿YH \HDUV RI PDUULDJH $V PDQ\ RI her friends welcomed children, she and her husband faced questions about their delay in starting a family. “I decided to try IUI at 30, but un IRUWXQDWHO\ LW GLGQ¶W ZRUN , DOVR WULHG several alternative treatments, such as visiting traditional massage therapists and GL̆ HUHQW J\QDHFRORJLVWV EXW VWLOO QR OXFN Eventually, I decided to pursue IVF at 32.” But the challenges did not cease there. /DFNLQJ SULRU H[SHULHQFH ZLWK ,9) DQG LQVẊ FLHQW SK\VLFDO DQG PHQWDO SUHSDUD tion, her initial attempt fell short of her expectations. “The medication disrupted my hor mones and I was under immense stress WKURXJKRXW WKH LQMHFWLRQ DQG HJJ UHWULHYDO process. Unfortunately, my first IVF attempt failed even before the embryo WUDQVIHU FRXOG WDNH SODFH ZLWK QR FOHDU H[SODQDWLRQ DV WR ZK\ LW GLGQ¶W ZRUN , DF FHSWHG LW DV QRW EHLQJ UH]HNL DW WKDW WLPH ´ All eight of her embryos perished before they could be transferred and the prospect of repeating the process felt overwhelm LQJ ,Q OLJKW RI WKLV 1XUXO ¿UPO\ VWDWHG that fertility struggles should never be a source of shame, no matter where a ZRPDQ LV LQ KHU MRXUQH\ “I went straight home and cried a little, feeling angry one minute and despairing WKH QH[W :H ZHUH VR IUXVWUDWHG DQG EDFN in limbo again. Our lives remained on hold DQG ZH NHSW DVNLQJ µ:KHQ ZRXOG WKLV DOO HQG"¶ :H GLGQ¶W NQRZ ZKDW ZH ZHUH GRLQJ DQG DVVXPHG WKDW ,9) ZRXOG ZRUN WKH ¿UVW time. My husband and I learned the hard ZD\ MXVW KRZ GL̇ FXOW ,9) LV ´

Love weaves its way home In this special Mother’s Day feature, we take a deeply personal look into Nurul

BY AQILAH NAJWA JAMALUDDIN

Nurul with Adam Nael, Adel Noah and Aidan Eidris.