After three years trying to conceive naturally and two rounds of IVF, a young mother has shared her journey with the world via a video that's been viewed over three million times.
In a post to Facebook last week, Jade Hartley uploaded the video, 'When 2 becomes 3', to announce to friends and family that her and partner Brett Crisp had successfully conceived.
Also uploaded to YouTube, Hartley added the message:
"Myself and Brett would like to share a small clip of our struggle with infertility and our IVF journey. I want to show the world a fraction of what it is like to struggle with conceiving. I want all those who are fighting this to know it does work and it is hard but don't ever give up on your dreams."
The footage documents the pair's battle with infertility and their IVF experience, including bruising from injections and receiving acupuncture - said to help boost the chance of falling pregnant.
Following the first round of IVF, 25-year-old Hartley says she came away with "swollen ovaries, lots of bruises and a broken heart."
After a second attempt she shares an image of several pregnancy tests with the caption: "The scariest wee I ever did."
Speaking to the Daily Mail, Hartley expresses her concern for others undergoing treatment: "I know there are people out there going through this and thinking they are doomed and I just wanted to say I know how it feels and to never give up hope."
She also described the lack of conversation around the treatment.
"It's usually not something people talk about.
"When you go in the clinic you are all there for the same thing but no one talks to anyone else, it's like a morgue."
Hartley and Crisp are expecting their first child on April 9, 2016.
- nzherald.co.nz