Left: Mardi and Michael Van Den Berghe are thankful for their IVF child, Zac.By Sarah Schwager
A BERWICK couple who conceived through IVF said they gave thanks each day for their miracle child.
After eight years of trying to fall pregnant, and six IVF treatments, Mardi and Michael Van Den Berghe had Zac, who is now three and a half years old.
When the Gazette last reported in 2002, Zac, a healthy seven pound, two ounce baby, had just been born.
The couple was over the moon at finally conceiving through IVF and wanted to spread their success story to other couples.
“It was a hard time,” Ms Van Den Berghe said. “But we’d do it all again tomorrow.”
Mrs Van Den Berghe, 38, said she and her husband, also 38, had tried to have another child since but with no luck, and had decided not to do IVF again.
“As much as I’d love to have another child, it’s a lot to go through.
“We thank ourselves every day that we’ve got one healthy child,” she said.
Mrs Van Den Berghe took 12 months maternity leave and a twoyear career break from the Commonwealth Bank after having Zac, but resigned in February.
She said she had no plans of working in the near future.
“I haven’t missed work at all. I’ve really enjoyed being a stayathome mum.”
She said a positive of having a child later in life was being better off financially.
She said they would not have been able to do a lot of things if they had had children when they first planned.
She said now she could not help but spoil Zac.
“Before I had a child I used to judge people. But when you have this child you can’t help yourself,” she said.
“It’s not material things; you just let them get away with things.”
Mrs Van Den Berghe said if parents had three or four children, they did not have the privilege of spending as much time with them, but she would still like Zac to have siblings to play with.
“There are fors and againsts.”
Mrs Van Den Berghe said Zac would go to kindergarten at the new Beaconsfield Kindergarten on O’Neil Road next year.
“We wanted to wait until he was ready. Being a stayathome mum, he’s a bit clingy and shy. He doesn’t like to stay with other people unless he knows them,” she said.
Mrs Van Den Berghe said they would probably still try to have another child but weren’t hopeful.
“We’ll wait for a miracle but I can’t see anything happening,” she said.
“We’re thankful for what we’ve got. We enjoy each other every day and have moved on.”
