This week is National Infertility Awareness week. What a great way to promote something that is looked as embarrassing or shameful. Infertility causes so many women heartache and pain. During all this heartache, there is so much confusion and questions. I believe it to be one of the most difficult things to go through.
I started sharing my story "anonymously" online back in 2011. I figured I could stay anonymous as I wanted all while sharing the details of my infertility journey. It wasn't until May 2013 that I started becoming vocal about the hardships my husband, Brian, and I had trying to conceive.
Brian and I had tried for 7 months to conceive a child before my OB suggested we look into alternative ways to conceive. Since getting off the birth control pill in March, my body never resumed it's regular cycle. When we were told to try alternative ways, sure we did! We tried the Sperm Meet Egg plan. This plan basically requires you to use Ovulation Predictor kits and have sex every other day until you get that smiley face on the ovulation stick. It's almost a guarantee that the sperm will come in contact with your egg and fertilize..unless there are other issues.
Every alternative trick we tried didn't work. Sex became more of a chore, it wasn't fun anymore, and to be honest, I was starting to think something had to be wrong with me.
In November, after 2 additional months of alternative methods, we began seeing a fertility doctor. I had called my aunt who also struggled with conceiving, was this really the way I needed to get pregnant? She gave me hope because although her journey took 8 years, she had two successful pregnancies. Brian and I had our first consult meeting a few days after my talk with my aunt.
Dr. Trolice from Fertility CARE would guide us through our journey. After some initial blood work, we met with Dr. Trolice. We talked with him and started a casual conversation. We wanted to make sure there was a connection between us all, because let's face it, we were entrusting him with our next step in trying to conceive. After about an hour discussion, Dr. Trolice diagnosed me with with PCOS, poly-cystic ovarian syndrome. Basically, my eggs start to grow but never release and they turn into cysts. We had an ultrasound done to confirm his prediction and much to our dismay, my ovaries were filled with cysts.
We then sat down and talked with Dr. Trolice again. He gave us a few options as to what we could do next. We wanted to get pregnant at the end of our journey with Dr. Trolice, so he wanted to check everything.
During the next month, Brian and I went through what felt like hundreds of different tests. I had my tubes checked for any blockage with a hysterosalpingogram (HSG for short). Basically, blue dye was injected into my uterus and then he used an x-ray machine to verify that the dye was running through my reproductive organs. Brian had a semen analysis done. I had blood work every week to monitor different levels such as my thyroid levels.
Once all of the testing was complete in December, we began a medicated cycle and timed intercourse in January. Everything was scripted and calculated out for us. I was checked even more than I was in December with ultrasounds at almost every visit.
We began the medicated cycle with the lowest dosage of clomid (a medicine that promotes egg growth). You take this medicine for five days. Although you're supposed to take it on specific cycle days, since I wasn't ovulating, I could take it whenever during the month. After taking the medicine, I received an ultrasound to ensure my eggs were growing...which they weren't. I asked my nurse if we could try an additional supplement for another week before just scrapping this cycle and waiting another month. Thankfully, the nurse and Dr. Trolice approved.
Our next step was to wait another week, while I took soy isoflavones. This pill is basically a natural version of clomid. It does the same thing as clomid, you can just purchase it over the counter.
At our next visit, we thankfully had 1 mature egg to get us started. We also had another egg that was beginning to grow, but the nurse told us it most likely wouldn't be ready by the timed intercourse.
We went on the hope of 1 egg being mature enough! The next day, Brian had to give me the Ovidrel shot. This shot helps my ovaries release the egg. Generally, after giving the shot the egg will release within 24 hours. So, with the Ovidrel shot in my system, we were instructed to have timed intercourse that evening and 2 additional nights.
Then we wait.
A lot of infertility is a waiting game. You try a new technique that you think will help you get pregnant, then you wait and pray that you will get a positive pregnancy test.
Well, after 13 days of giving the Ovidrel shot, I was tired of waiting. I took a pregnancy test. I was devastated to learn it was negative. After all our hard work, after seeing one good egg and potentially another, it didn't work. The only encouragement I had was that after 13 days, the accuracy rate of a pregnancy test is around 60%.
So we waited some more.
After 17 days of giving the Ovidrel shot, where the accuracy rate of a pregnancy test is more in the upper 80%, we tested. We got our first positive test! Oh blessed day! I remember taking the test and Brian waking up to wait for the test results.
We confirmed 2 days later with our doctor that I was in fact pregnant. But the doctor had additional news...I was pregnant with two babies, twins! I just remember laughing at God's humor!
Month after month of negative pregnancy tests, God had blessed us, actually, double blessed us! I went on to have a very successful pregnancy, I carried the twins to 38 weeks. The girls were both born at perfect weights (7 pounds and 8 pounds!).
Although I had a great support system with my husband and nurses, I had to learn what was next all by myself. I had to educate myself about medications, terminology, and infertility. I share my story with others to let them feel comfortable with asking me questions.
I want others to know they are not alone in this journey.
I want people that brush off infertility as "stressing about it" to know that infertility is a medical concern.
I want to help educate people in this journey about different options they can take.
I am passionate about infertility and supporting those around me with a listening ear or advice!
If you have any questions regarding National Infertility Awareness week, please visit:
- http://www.resolve.org/infertility101 (Basic understanding of the disease of infertility.)
- http://www.resolve.org/national-infertility-awareness-week/about.html (About NIAW)
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