Delighted parents today welcomed plans to fund three cycles of NHS IVF treatment for eligible couples trying to start a family.

From next month, new patients referred for IVF treatment on the NHS in Scotland may be eligible for three full cycles rather than two, increasing their chances of conceiving a baby.

Public Health Minister Aileen Campbell announced the move at the Assisted Conception Centre in Edinburgh, where she met new parents who conceived through IVF.

Innes and Yolandi Messer turned to IVF after they gave birth to Sophia, now four, who suffers from a serious medical condition.

After two years of trying through IVF, Yolandi, originally from South Africa, gave birth to Reece who arrived two months premature December 28.

The 35-year-old welcomed the government's decision.

She said: "I think it is fabulous. The more cycles and more tries that couples can get, the better.

"That little extra chance can be the difference between having and not having a baby.

"It's a little bit of hope for families who are desperate."

Yolandi and Innes, from Eskbank in Edinburgh, had a difficult journey before giving birth to Reece.

The stay-at-home mum had five embryos frozen and with the first two, she suffered miscarriages before finally succeeding with the third.

Yolandi said: "It is a very difficult process. After the miscarriages you lose hope. It is very difficult for both the woman and of course the man."

Giving birth to Reece, who weighed just 3lbs 7oz when born, made the journey worth it, however.

"I was elated when I found out I was pregnant again. I couldn't actually believe it to be honest.

"With the first two being miscarriages I was very stressed for the first three months until I got the scans back.

"After the scan, however, it was the best feeling ever."

Innes, 37, spoke more of a feeling of relief when the baby finally arrived, after Yolandi's waters broke on Christmas Day.

He said: "It was just a relief for the process to finally be over. I know a couple who didn't succeed until the tenth year of trying. So that plays in the back of your mind that it could be the same for you."

Aileen Campbell MSP said she wants to make access to the NHS treatment as fair as possible.

She said: "For couples struggling to conceive it can be a very difficult time and IVF can provide an opportunity to help them have that longed-for baby.

"We want to make access to treatment on the NHS as fair as possible - giving more people the opportunity to conceive.

"Over the last five years, we have invested around £24million to reduce IVF waiting times and improve the outcome for couples.

"These changes make NHS IVF access in Scotland by far the fairest and most generous in the UK."

Susan Seenan, chief executive of leading patient-fertility charity Fertility Network UK welcomed the announcement.

She said: "Scotland stands head and shoulders above the rest of the UK in creating an equitable fertility service for patients.

"The Scottish Government is to be applauded in recognising the clinical and cost-effectiveness of providing a fair-for-all NHS fertility service based on national clinical recommendations."

As more families begin to prepare for IVF treatment through the NHS thanks to the announcement, Yolandi and Innes believe Reece may be their final baby.

Yolandi said: "Well we have two more embryos frozen but perhaps two children is enough. I think we'll be just fine as we are."