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The table was already full when Mia and Daniel arrived.
A heartfelt meal, pastel decorations, and bowls of brightly coloured chocolate eggs filled the table. Easter had always been Mia’s favourite holiday, a time for family, hope, and new beginnings.
But this year felt different.
“Any news from you two yet?” someone joked from across the table.
Mia laughed politely.
They had heard the question countless times.
What no one knew was that the past three years had been filled with doctors’ appointments, blood tests, quiet tears, and difficult conversations.
Infertility…
About 1 in 6 couples worldwide experience infertility.1
But at family lunches, the silence around it can feel heavy.
Halfway through dessert, Mia’s younger cousin stood up, beaming.
“We have an announcement,” she said, holding her partner’s hand.
A phone appeared. A tiny ultrasound picture filled the screen.
“We’re pregnant!”
The room erupted in cheers.
Mia clapped. Daniel smiled.
But beneath the celebration, a quiet wave of emotion washed over them both, happiness for their family, mixed with the familiar ache of longing.
A few months earlier, they had experienced something few people knew about.
A pregnancy that ended before it truly began.
Pregnancy loss is more common than many realise, yet it is rarely spoken about.
About 1 in 4 pregnancies end in loss, and approximately 50% of these losses are due to chromosomal abnormalities.2
For couples like Mia and Daniel, the grief can feel invisible.
But the journey through infertility has also brought them something else: knowledge, support, and hope.
When they began working with their fertility specialist, they discovered how much reproductive medicine had advanced in recent years.
Before starting IVF, they underwent CarrierScreen. Carrier screening is a genetic screening tool that allows couples to assess the risk of passing on a genetic condition to their children. Knowing this information early can help support informed reproductive decisions.
During their IVF journey, their embryos were tested using preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidies (PGT-A). This test screens embryos for extra or missing chromosomes, which is a common cause of failed implantation or miscarriage. By selecting embryos with the correct amount of genetic material, the chances of achieving a healthy pregnancy are significantly increased.
The use of PGT-A has grown dramatically in modern fertility care, increasing by more than 600% over the past two decades as more clinics incorporate genetic testing into IVF treatment.3
Their doctor also spoke about testing that could help answer difficult questions if another loss occurred. Products of conception screening (POCScreen), analyses pregnancy tissue after a miscarriage to determine whether chromosomal abnormalities caused the loss, offering couples answers, closure and a guide to future reproductive options.
When they fall pregnant, non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT – TriScreen) could offer further reassurance into the health of their baby early in pregnancy. This simple blood test analyses tiny fragments of fetal DNA circulating in the mother’s blood and screens for common chromosomal conditions as early as 10 weeks of pregnancy.
And beyond birth, there were even ways to invest in a child’s future health.
Some families choose stem cell banking (Netcells), where stem cells from the umbilical cord tissue and cord blood are stored at birth. These cells can potentially be used in future medical treatments for various conditions.
Mia didn’t know if their story would include all of these steps.
But for the first time in a long time, she and Daniel felt something they had almost lost.
Possibility.
As the family gathered outside for an Easter egg hunt, Daniel wrapped his arm around her shoulders.
“You okay?” he asked quietly.
Mia nodded.
“Yes,” she said, watching the children run through the garden. “I think I am.”
…
Easter is often associated with renewal, hope, and new beginnings. For many couples' navigating infertility or pregnancy loss, the path may be longer and more complicated than expected.
But they are not alone.
Advances in reproductive medicine, growing awareness, and supportive communities are helping more families find answers, options and hope. Next Biosciences is part of the conversation this Easter.
References:
- World Health Organization (2023). 1 in 6 people globally affected by infertility. Geneva: WHO.
- Howard J. A. Carp. (2019). Recurrent Pregnancy Loss: Causes, Controversies, and Treatment. CRC Press.
- Kucherov, A., et al. (2023). Trends in the use of preimplantation genetic testing in assisted reproductive technology.
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