OVA's Power Couple Series: Camilla & Charles
Read time: 4 minutes
In our next edition of our Power Couple Series, we spotlight Camilla and Charles - a couple whose unwavering strength and determination carried them through a five-year IVF journey. It wasn’t easy, but their journey shows that even the messiest chapters can lead to the most beautiful endings.
Can you introduce yourselves?
CAMILLA: Hi, I’m Camilla, 36 and a VERY proud mama to two miracle Irish twin boys, Teddy (18 months) and Beau (6 months) - and before they came into our lives, my husband and I were (and are) devoted cat parents to our girls, Kiki and Coco. We live in London, but we’re both half American.
CHARLES: I’m Charles, I’m 38 years old. My professional journey has taken me from a six-year stint as an infantry officer in the British Army to investment banking which I’ve been doing for eight years. When not spending quality time with my family, I can often be found on the golf course (when I am allowed).
Do you mind telling us a bit about your fertility journey?
CAMILLA: Our fertility journey was anything but straightforward.
We started trying to conceive shortly after getting married, and before we began, we actually did fertility tests just to be proactive - everything came back normal, so we didn’t initially feel too concerned. But as the months went by and we weren’t falling pregnant naturally, the anxiety began to build. That’s when we started seeking answers - both through the NHS and privately.
We went through what felt like every test and investigation available. And yet, time after time, we hit dead ends. Nothing gave us a clear answer as to why we weren’t conceiving. Eventually, we made the decision to try IVF. Incredibly, we got pregnant on our very first round — it felt like such a huge turning point after years of heartbreak and never even seeing a positive pregnancy test. But sadly, that pregnancy ended in miscarriage, which was utterly devastating.
After two rounds of IVF through the NHS, we moved to another mainstream hospital to go private for a third attempt. When that failed too, we knew we needed a more maverick approach — something more personalised, but also that tested more experimental protocols. That’s when we found The Evewell Harley Street, a clinic that really supported that level of deeper investigation, alongside protocols from Dr Shehata at his clinic in Epsom.
It was a five-year journey overall, and five rounds of IVF.
What lifestyle changes did you make that you feel *actually* made a difference?
CHARLES: I made a series of small but meaningful changes that really added up. First, I reduced stress by making some important changes in my work life, which gave me more space to focus on my health and trying to start a family. I also became much more aware of what I put in my body — cutting out caffeine and alcohol made a noticeable difference in my overall health (Guinness 0.0 was a game changer and just as good). I also started taking supplements (which I still keep up a regime even now), and even made a switch to drinking water from a metal bottle—turns out the little habits matter.
On the physical side, I got back into swimming after a few years away, in addition to pilates, both of which have been great not just for fitness, sleep and energy levels, but for mindfulness.
CAMILLA: One of the most powerful parts of our story is that after five years of never conceiving naturally — and going through five rounds of IVF to have Teddy — I actually fell pregnant with Beau just three months postpartum. It was something I truly never thought possible, and I’m convinced that some of the lifestyle changes I made played a role in that unexpected miracle.
The biggest shift was work-related. I moved from full-time roles to freelance and fractional marketing. Whilst I continued to work just-as-many hours, the nature of the way I worked took a huge amount of pressure off. I genuinely believe the stress of high-pressure jobs had been holding me back physically and emotionally.
Another important piece was being consistent with a tailored supplement protocol — for both of us. I’d started using Ova a few years earlier as part of their early test trials, and I honestly believe our boys are “Ova babies.” Having that level of nutritional support felt empowering during a time when so much felt out of our control.
We also leaned into complementary therapies like acupuncture and reflexology. While I wouldn’t say they were the reason we conceived, they played a huge role in helping me manage the emotional weight of the journey - and kept my body as balanced as possible throughout.
By the time we reached our fifth round of IVF - the one that gave us Teddy - I took a more all-in approach: only drinking filtered water, avoiding plastics, stopping gel nails, and generally reducing my exposure to anything that could interfere hormonally. I don’t know for sure whether those things made a difference, but at that point, I needed to feel like I was doing everything I could. Earlier on in the journey, I hadn’t wanted to limit my life to that extent — but by round five, it felt necessary.
It was a five-year journey overall, and five rounds of IVF. But now, with Teddy and Beau in our arms, we’d go through those five years all over again in a heartbeat.
