First person born through IVF speaks out as Netflix doc hits screens

When Louise Joy Brown was born in 1978 she hit headlines globally, not with her name but with the title "first test tube baby". Although she never spent much time in a test tube, Louise was the first person to ever be born through in-vitro fertilisation, or IVF, which has since given life to millions of people across the globe.

Her birth in Oldham, England is still considered one of the most remarkable breakthroughs of the 20th century and a new Netflix docu-drama shares the story of the decade-long battle the pioneering scientists behind IVF had to fight. While Louise supported the film and even ventured onto set to speak to the writers and director, all of whom have personal experience with IVF in a variety of ways, but the mum-of-two revealed she’s far less supportive of the modern IVF treatments.

This is largely due to the price tag they hold with treatments in the UK usually costing up to £5,000 for a single cycle and it can take anywhere from 3 months to 3 years for eager parents to start their IVF journey. Speaking to ITV, the 46-year-old highlighted that the current state of IVF treatment is far from what she knows the inventors Patrick Steptoe, Jean Purdy and Robert Edwards would have wanted.

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She shared: “I know the 3 pioneers wanted it to be used by everybody who needed it, and it breaks my heart that not everybody who needs it can use it. Mum and Dad didn’t have any money; they were normal working-class people, and I think that was one of the reasons Mum was chosen.”

Louise’s parents, John and Lesley Brown, have tragically died but the film has given her a renewed perspective on their lives leading up to her birth. She reflected on her own blog after walking the red carpet for the film’s premiere at the London Film Festival where she was joined by her long-time friend Alastair MacDonald, the second IVF baby and the first ever boy born through IVF.

She confessed: “Seeing the film has made Alastair and I realise how much our mums went through. It was lovely that his mum Grace MacDonald - who helped Jack and Rachel with their research for the film - was on the red carpet too.

“Women, like her, who went through the programme in Oldham not knowing if it would ever work are real heroes as they paved the way for all those who can access support today. They brought hope to millions and joy to those who have been successful in having children.”