“So…my cholesterol test is good!” was what I first heard the day we found out that we would struggle to get pregnant.
Paul had gone for a physical to investigate a “feeling” he had about an old teenage soccer injury being the cause of 4 months of us not getting pregnant. They did some tests and yes, his cholesterol was fabulous, but we learned that his sperm was not. I’ll literally never forget the feeling in the pit of my stomach knowing that we would struggle to become parents.
Our next step was to investigate all that we were up against as we tried to get pregnant. Our first visit to the fertility specialist helped us discover that my cycle was really off and would never allow me to ovulate at the right time. After charting and taking my basal temperature for months, we also found out that I had polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a very common cause of female infertility but a new diagnosis for me and yet another obstacle to us becoming pregnant. The reality was that we would NEVER conceive naturally. Not only that, at age 30, we should not bother wasting our time or money with drugs or more monitoring or even intra-uterine insemination (IUI). In vitro fertilization (IVF) was our one and only chance to have biological children. Waiting any longer could impact our chances and we were already only given a 50% chance that we would be successful.
After days and nights spent crying, yelling, aching, screaming and wondering “why us”, we started our IVF journey. While we were terrified to imagine that this may never happen, we were forced to stay positive. I really had no friends who could relate to my situation at all. It seemed like all of my friends were pregnant around me, with no issues at all. I felt isolated, scared and totally alone. I had no one to turn to, except a few women on message boards in the U.S. (this was before Facebook of course). Infertility can be isolating, such a difficult topic to share, embarrassing and horribly personal to disclose such intimate issues in your marriage.
Infertility is defined as not being able to get pregnant after 1 year of regular, unprotected sex if a woman is under the age or 35, or after 6 months if a woman is 35 years or older. For the 1 in 6 couples facing infertility in Canada, egg health may be a key factor affecting their ability to conceive. We are 1 in 6.
There are so many more options for women today to find their inner power and take control over their reproductive health, including their egg health. If you are having difficulty getting pregnant, there is a new fertility treatment that is designed to help boost your eggs’ energy levels by tapping into the inner power of your own egg precursor (EggPC®) cells. EggPC cells are immature egg cells found in the protective lining of your ovaries. Using mitochondria from Egg PC cells may give your eggs the energy levels needed for successful in vitro fertilization (IVF). To find a fertility clinic that specializes in breakthrough EggPC treatments, visit EggHealth.com.
Thirteen years ago, on my 30th birthday, I received the most incredible birthday gift. After one full year of undergoing tests, treatments, taking drugs and ultimately doing an expensive round of IVF, I learned I was pregnant. Our dreams had come true. I was pregnant! We were parents…from the very beginning. We already loved this little person who had made us believe in miracles and who had helped me realize just how strong and resilient I was. Our prayers had been answered. Four years later, at age 34, when my egg health was now in question, we started all over again (we had no embryos frozen) and we were blessed again…with twins.
What can you do, if you’re struggling to become a parent? Find a clinic that can help you explore everything that you can do to optimize your chances of getting pregnant. Follow the #MyInnerPower campaign to feel less isolated and celebrate the resilience and strength of those who are experiencing fertility challenges.
I love sharing my story so that other women can feel connected to a larger community of women who have struggled to become mothers. OvaScience® will make a donation to Fertility Matters Canada for the first 500 people who submit their #myinnerpower story, video, photo, or artwork representing their infertility journey at http://egghealth.com/myinnerpower/. In sharing their stories, women and couples who are facing infertility will provide inspiration and solidarity to others who are also struggling with building their families.
Disclosure: This post is part of the #MyInnerPower sponsored program with YummyMummyClub.ca and OvaScience. I received compensation as a thank you for my participation. This post reflects my personal opinion about the information provided by the sponsors.