In a post honoring my daughter on her birthday, I mentioned that we had gone to Boston IVF to conceive her. Even as I wrote the words, I did not think about the fact that I had never before mentioned our experience prior to that posting. It’s funny, I forget sometimes that there are people in my life who read my blog and already know my story; and others who learn a little more with every post. A reader asked me to write about that time in our lives. Although quite a few years have passed and the emotions surrounding the process have faded, I am happy to share what I remember.
I knew from the time I was a teenager that I would have trouble conceiving a child. My cycles were always erratic. Doctors put me on the pill at a very young age in attempts to regulate my cycles, but any time we tried to go without medication, many months would pass without menstruation. Too much information? Perhaps, but that in a nutshell is why we needed fertility assistance. With no way to predict a small window of ovulation, we could have tried for years without getting pregnant.
I do not want to over dramatize our experience. There are many couples out there who try for years without success. We were told in the very beginning stages of the process that we had a high likelihood of achieving conception. My medical issues were not as dire as those who can not carry a pregnancy or have tubal or cervical abnormalities. I had an ovulation disorder, and ovulation could be assisted by medication and conception eventually achieved by intrauterine insemination.
The hardest part for me during the whole process was the side effects of the fertility medications. During the three months I was on the drugs I gained 20 lbs. With the added stress I was actually eating less than normal, yet the weight gain persisted. Also, add the hot flashes. Those wow, I really shouldn’t know anything about what my mom’s generation is going through right now but here I am pitting for the whole world to see, hot flashes. I could be sitting in my cube at work programming away and suddenly be drenched. There were days when I was too embarrassed to emerge from my desk due to the fact that I looked as though I had just run the Boston Marathon. Good to know those will be back some day.
The self injected needle required to stimulate ovulation was definitely not fun, but I got through it. We were prepared that it was possible we would have to repeat the process several times. Finally one afternoon, with me in a stirrup chair and my husband and our doctor’s nurse nearby, in the most unromantic of settings (I think she actually did offer to light a candle…but I can’t remember if she was joking), we had the procedure. After two more weeks of waiting we found out we had conceived; all it took was one try. It was all told about six months of hell, and then just like that it was over. Then the stress and worry was replaced by total elation, and oh yeah, more worry.
Pregnancy is truly an amazing thing. Beyond everything that has to go just right to have a successful embryonic implantation and the miracle that allows all cells to duplicate as they should and create a little person; it can also kick start the mother and fix things that were wrong. After I gave birth to my daughter my system regulated enough that we did not need assistance to conceive my son. I was told this could happen, but given my history I would never have believed it.
So there you have it. It was awful for us to go through at the time, but we were so very fortunate. I remain eternally grateful to the doctors and nurses at Boston IVF who helped us through that short lived yet harrowing emotional journey, and of course for the end result which was my healthy daughter in my arms.
On a side, yet important note, thank you to those who participated in my Boston Medical Center Halloween Town giveaway contest. By a random generator, the winner is Maria! Be on the lookout for another contest coming up in December.
