My Story of Infertility
I’ll try to keep this short, but those who know me know I’m a talker. So forgive me for the long version of my story.
My mother had trouble conceiving and had me at the age of 38. Back in the 80s, that was considered way old. My family didn’t have much money, and my parents weren’t immigrants without as much as a grade school education.
Mom told me stories about how she smoked during pregnancy and drank because, back in the day, we didn’t know as much, as we weren’t as restrictive during pregnancy.
Cut to me at 25. I always had their weird feeling that I may have difficulty conceiving, considering the stories I heard and some health disparities
I went to my primary care doctor and said I had concerns regarding my fertility and wanted to know if I could do anything to explore my fertility. I wanted the information just to be informed and perhaps take charge. My doctor told me that the medical community doesn’t do any testing to evaluate your fertility until you start trying. This is an incorrect statement; you’ll learn why as you continue to follow my journey.
Fast forward ten years. I wanted to start trying because I felt like the clock was ticking, and needed to get moving.
On my first try, it took about four months to get pregnant. Sadly, that ended in a miscarriage. I found out at my 12-week appointment when we couldn’t find the baby’s heartbeat on the ultrasound, but I knew. My symptoms had gone away. They checked the date of the fetus by ultrasound, and it was dated at about 7 weeks, about 2 weeks after I found out.
By then, I was rounding 36. I started thinking about things. I had some mixed feelings. On the one hand, I knew my fertility had an expiration date. On the other hand, I felt like there was so much I wanted to do before becoming a mother. Ultimately, I decided motherhood couldn’t wait, but everything else could.
I contacted my OB/GYN and asked for a blood test, Anti-Muellerian Hormone. We’ll discuss this more, but this test tells you about your egg reserve and how much you have left. I thought at 36; it would be great to know what time was left on my clock. My OB/GYN said this wasn’t a common test and that this would t be ordered until after trying for 6 months and failing. This was the wrong answer, and I’ll explain why I’m upcoming posts.
Flip the calendar to 38 years old. Finally, getting to a fertility specialist. I didn’t know I didn’t need a referral to see them, and I didn’t know that I should have researched some more.
I was told this specialist was aggressive and helpful. After finally getting my levels checked, my doctor told me that some fertility specialists wouldn’t take me because my numbers were so bad, but he would be willing to try. I’ll go into more detail about this experience in later posts.
I started acupuncture and also tried to eliminate harmful chemicals from my life. This was challenging but welcomed because I love preserving the environment.
Ultimately, it was decided that IVF was the best way to go.
Approximately $20,000 later, it failed. No healthy eggs. Then the pandemic hit, and I was encouraged not to get pregnant, so I lost most of 2020.
That brings us to the present day. I’m not 40, and looking at either more IVF or my clock has run out. I’m not sure. I’m waiting for a couple of consultations.
I’ve learned a lot during this journey, and I don’t want you to go through what I did. I don’t want you to accept what happened to me in my younger years.
I want to share resources and tools so that YOU are IN CHARGE OF your fertility! This is what I wish I had. The information I wish I heard earlier!
I want this space to be a safe, positive, and informative place. Let’s make my heartache into something positive.
By no means is anything shared here medical advice. You should always seek the advice of a physician before starting any supplements and have the help of a medical provider to interpret your test result.
Let’s help you be more aware of your fertility! Thank you for listening and joining me!