We took Sh300,000 loan to have a child

Doctor holding a sectional model of the female reproductive organs. [iStockphoto]

"I was in so much pain. Even a slight touch to the abdomen sent me screaming in pain," Muthoni recalls. It took an emergency operation to remove the ectopic pregnancy, including the affected tube.

"That left me with one tube, which was also blocked and a doctor explained that my only other option was to do IVF (In-vitro fertilisation)," narrates Muthoni.

Then there is Carol, a 37-year-old mother of a 17-year-old girl who has been struggling with secondary infertility due to blocked fallopian tubes since 2013.

Doctors advised surgery to unblock the tubes, but she remained hesitant, opting for herbal medicine, which did not work.

The longing to have a baby grew and 10 years later, the mother of one chose to undertake an IVF in Eldoret.

Through support from her family and her spouse, she raised Sh400,000 for her first IVF procedure held on March 16, 2022, but sadly, at eight weeks, she had a miscarriage.

Even after the miscarriage crushed her, she picked her second IVF in July, at a cost of Sh350,000, money paid out of pocket, as insurance companies do not cater for the procedure.

"Having a baby is a treasure. For me, failing to conceive naturally has not been an easy ride. I only opted for IVF after failing on treatment, and I am optimistic I will deliver a healthy baby," Carol said during her two weeks pregnancy.

IVF, says Dr Kireki Omanwa, a fertility expert, is where an egg (from a woman) is fertilised outside the human body (with sperm from a man), in a lab setting.

Beatrice Muthoni. She spent 450,000 for the actual IVF and Sh93,000 every month for three months for medications. [Edward Kiplimo, Standard]

"But being parents was so important to us. Personally, I had been abused and called unprintable names. I needed a child," she says, shedding tears.

A fundraiser through their church yielded Sh290,000, with a Sacco loan of Sh300,000 covering the deficit for the IVF treatment in the months leading to September last year.

"There were daily injections that were precisely timed. I had to stop working because I needed to be at the hospital on time for the injections," recalls Muthoni whose eggs were harvested and her husband's semen collected and embryo transfer done on September 16, 2021.

Two weeks later, tests confirmed that implantation had taken place and pregnancy was underway. The couple spent 450,000 for the actual IVF and Sh93,000 every month for three months for medications (mostly hormonal injections), which are quintessential for a successful IVF. Total cost came to Sh729,000.

Muthoni gave birth to twin boys - Isaac and Moses - through a caesarean section on May 23 this year.

"We are still paying the loan," says Muthoni whose hubby works a 14-hour shift.

"But the joy I have in my heart is so much. I am happy!"