For couples with fertility problems, IVF often seems like the only way to have children, but there is a natural alternative. Women's Editor Christen Pears reports

MANY couples try for years to have a baby. The desire to have a family often takes over their lives and they try everything. When they fail to conceive, many turn to IVF but for others, the expensive, often painful and emotionally draining procedure fails. Some give up, but increasing numbers are trying a natural alternative.

The Life Fertility Programme, run by the Life Hospital Trust, aims to provide a more ethical, natural and holistic approach. It concentrates on preparing the body's reproductive tissues, bringing them to their most healthy, balanced state in order for a couple to conceive naturally.

Fertility centres in London and Liverpool have already treated more than 200 couples from across the country, and a new clinic has now opened on Teesside. Based in the former Crossbeck Convent in Normanby, it also offers a well woman clinic to deal with problem periods, the menopause, PMT and also how to avoid pregnancy by charting the fertility cycle.

Margaret Neale, a fertility care practitioner, at the centre, says: "We have helped a lot of couples who have been through several IVF cycles but we are hoping that people with fertility problems will come to us first.

"This is a completely different approach. It's healthy, it's natural and it treats the whole person."

Denise and Nigel Griffiths, who live in Hawkshead in the Lake District, spent ten years trying for a baby before they discovered the Life programme, and are now proud parents of baby Hannah.

During the early years of their marriage, the couple lived abroad, moving round with their jobs, before finally settling back in England. By the time they were in their early 30s, they realised the biological clock was ticking, but Denise failed to conceive. Tests revealed minor damage to one of her fallopian tubes but this should not have prevented her from becoming pregnant. The cause of her infertility was still unexplained.

By the time she reached 37, she and Nigel decided to try IVF but they knew almost immediately it wasn't for them. Denise says her body felt different and she was physically unwell. They also started to question the morality of the procedure.

"We had prepared ourselves for IVF so you can imagine how hard it was to walk away, but we started to worry about what would happen to the spare embryos," says Denise.

The couple, who describe themselves as 'non-denominational active Christians', say they felt uneasy about going ahead and once they had made the decision to stop, felt a "deep sense of relief".

Around the same time, they heard about the Life programme and contacted the clinic in Liverpool. "At last, someone seemed to understand where we were coming from and could offer us some hope. There was an alternative for those who chose not to go down the IVF route," says Denise.

The programme is based on what is known as Natural Procreative Technology (Napro), a technique pioneered in the US. It has a success rate of 27 per cent in Britain, compared to 17 per cent for IVF.

Margaret says: "I think the success rate is so high because it's healthy. We are not just looking after the physical side of things. We are nurturing the couple in the their relationship and de-stressing them and we keep them fully informed of what is going on. We are working them as people, not just as functioning bodies.

"It aims to get to the underlying causes of infertility and it treats the whole person. We look at what's going on with a woman's cycle and try to bring it into working order.

"The first three months are spent learning how to chart her cycle and then regular blood tests are taken during ovulation. That enables us to see where there might be a problem and where we need to put any medicine if it is needed."

The programme uses natural hormones and each cycle is monitored to ensure the correct dosages are being used. Doctors also look at the mucus cycle, which is another indicator of fertility, often recommending mucus-enhancing supplements.

"The quality of the mucus improves chances of fertilisation. If a woman has no mucus throughout her cycle, she has a fertility problem, and that alone needs to be addressed," says Margaret.

Some couples achieve pregnancy quickly once they have discovered their most fertile times. But if this is not the case, they remain on the programme for 12 effective cycles.

The next clinic at Normanby will take place in January. Margaret will hold an introductory session, outlining to couples what is involved. They are then encouraged to go away and think about whether they want to take part.

If they decide to go ahead, Margaret will be there to support and advise them throughout and there are follow-up sessions every two weeks.

"The thing that makes us so different is that we work so closely with the couples. We build up a relationship with them and I think they really appreciate it.

"One aspect many people don't think about is the effect it can have on the couple. Infertility can be very stressful and divisive. It can severely test their relationship and I don't think any other programme offers the kind of support we do."

But not everyone is successful. Margaret and her colleagues continue to offer support if the couple fails to achieve pregnancy.

"We don't stop looking after people even when they've finished the programme. We can support them in terms of thinking about adoption or, just accepting they're not going to have their own children and help them move on."

For more information about the Life Fertility Programme, send a SAE to Virginia Griffin, Life Health Centre, Yew Tree Lane, West Derby, Liverpool, L12 9HH or call 0151-228 0353 for an informal chat.