Shauni and Kyle's Infertility Story

 

 
      Being a mother is something I had dreamt about since I was a little girl. As my husband would say, it is in my DNA. It was no secret that I wanted to have children. As my friends began having children of their own, I would snuggle up their sweet babies and they would jokingly comment on how I have wanted to be a mother since I was like twelve. I would laugh and agree, but secretly I was insanely jealous. Finally, my husband and I felt as if we were ready to start a family of our own. To say I was excited would be an understatement. We already had our kids names picked out and I could not wait to hold our little one in my arms. However, month after month went by and still there was no baby on the way. Every passing month seemed to get harder and harder. I often called my mom bawling, because, yet again, I was not pregnant. I remember one particular time about a year and a half after we had begun trying to have a baby. I had discovered another month had passed and I was still not pregnant right before my brother’s football game. When I got to the game, I looked around and could not stop the tears from pouring down my face. There were so many little ones running around everywhere and I so desperately wanted one of my own. I felt defeated, angry, and hopeless. I called my mom on my way home that night. She then suggested that my husband and I make an appointment with an OBGYN just to make sure that everything was okay.

     The next morning I immediately began calling around until I found a doctor who could see us right away. I will never forget our first appointment. My husband and I were sitting there and in walked the doctor. He started talking to us and seemed like he was about to give us the low down on how sometimes it just takes time and to make sure that we were timing everything correctly. When he asked us how long we had be trying, I watched his expression change, his eyebrows raise, and then he excused himself for the room (not really the best sign). When he came back he presented us with multiple handouts and information regarding what testing could be done to make sure there were no issues.  I was to complete an HSG exam and my husband was to complete a sperm analysis.

Based on the testing, we discovered that my husband had slow motility and really low sperm count. As much as this diagnosis was devastating, it also brought some relief. There really was something wrong. We weren’t crazy and now we could do something about it.  We were referred to a Urologist and my husband was diagnosed with Varicocele. We were provided with information regarding treatment and surgical options. However, after doing some research and considering how low my husband’s sperm count really was, we weren’t sure we had found the right answer yet. Ultimately, we ended up scheduling an appointment with a Reproductive Endocrinologist. By the time our appointment arrived, I had done enough research (more like scoured the entire internet for every little bit of information) to know that our best, and really only, option was to pursue treatment through In Vitro Fertilization (IVF). Yes, the financial side was scary. Yes, the chance that it might not work was terrifying. Yes, the emotional and physical toll it can take was exhausting. But even worse, was the thought of not trying and not having the opportunity to have a family.

     We began our first IVF cycle the following month. Despite my intense fear of needles, I woke up each morning, stared at pictures of babies, prayed, and my mom or best friend would assist me with my injections.  On the day of retrieval, my doctor was able to get fourteen eggs, seven of which fertilized, which was a lot less than had been anticipated. By day three, we only had four embryos left. I began to panic as as many as fifty percent of embryos don’t make it from day three to day five. However, my doctor assured me that she felt that there would be at least one embryo to transfer by day five. So terrified, I waited and prayed. I so desperately just wanted my babies back in me where they belonged. The morning of our transfer I sat in the waiting room shaking as we waited to see if any of our embryos had made it. Thankfully, all four had survived. We watched as the doctor transferred the two healthiest embryos into my uterus. It really was an amazing thing to see. Our little girl is now eight months old. My husband and I love and adore her so incredibly much and we are so incredibly grateful for medical advances and the opportunity we had to begin our family through IVF.