It's the tale as old as time in the infertility world: My husband and I were trying for a while to get pregnant and had no success.
We pursued testing to see the reasons behind the infertility (as my husband had an adult child from a previous marriage) so we were looking into all the options.
That's when we met the amazing Dr. Steven Bayer! The "infertility" was deemed on my side (female factor) through diagnostic testing. It confirmed PCOS w/insulin resistance and hypothyroidism.
Dr. Bayer worked with us for six years and we went through sixteen cycles together: 8 IUI & 8 IVF.
At the end of that journey, we walked away with three beautiful, healthy, happy boys!! One singleton boy born in 2012 and fraternal twin boys born in 2014.
We were beyond blessed with these wonderful children that we so desperately wanted.
How did your boston ivf physician and nursing team help to make your journey a success?
There are SO many wonderful things to say about Dr. Bayer. Right from the first meeting, we knew we picked the right doctor for this process. He was patient, kind and treated us like we were a member of the team.
There is this calming presence about him. He gave us complete control of our infertility treatments. Dr. Bayer's team was nothing short of amazing! The dedication, understanding and reassurance they offered every step of the way through those six years is something I will forever be grateful for.
After the birth of my twins, we decided that our family was complete. I had a printing made as a gesture of our gratitude for what he did for me and my family.
It reads "Some Superhero's Wear Capes, Others Wear Lab Coats. The Miracle Worker, Dr. Steven Bayer!"
That's exactly what he is to our family; our superhero.
Did anyone/anything else help you through your infertility journey?
I did a LOT of reading on my medical conditions and how it affected my fertility.
I dedicated myself to losing weight as it shows that women with PCOS respond better to cycles with a lower BMI, so I bore down and lost 64 pounds in 6 months to get pregnant with my singleton son.
It was harder to lose the weight the second time around, but I found a system that worked for me. I knew my body needed a lower BMI to have the best outcomes for a cycle response, so I waited to do a fresh cycle and lost 35 pounds in 3 months.
That next cycle I got pregnant with my twins! If I was asked to do something to improve my chances, I did it. I spent a lot of time researching diet, lifestyle changes and stress reduction methods to help aid in the success of conceiving.
Take care of your mind, body and soul to get you through this process. Listen to its needs. It will tell you what you need to know.
What were some highs or lows of your treatment(s)? What is unique/different about your story?
Excellent Question! A few of the things that make our situation unique are:
1) The length of time/number of cycles of treatment we pursued.
2) The age difference between my husband and me (note: he's 16 years older than me with an adult son).
3) Our cycling philosophy as a married couple. No matter what kind of appointment we had to go to (egg retrieval, D&E from a loss etc.) we both agreed that we would go forward with a positive attitude.
Whatever the circumstances at hand, we treated each other (and others) with love, patience and kindness.
--> Always. Be. Kind.
You never know what struggles others are facing.
THE HIGHS:
1) Getting the "You're Pregnant" phone call!!
2) Seeing the fruit of your efforts for the first time on an ultrasound scan!!
3) Finally holding that precious baby (or babies) in your arms at the end of that journey.
THE LOWS:
1) The "waiting" for the pregnancy test results - that part is HARD.
2) Having reoccurring miscarriages for 5 cycles,
3) Feeling like we may never have a successful pregnancy and being in that dark place of fear and the unknown.
What advice do you have for other struggling with infertility?
Trust in yourself and your ability to overcome hardship.
That was the most valuable tool for me as we pursued parenthood. I held onto my faith, the strength of my marriage and built a core within myself that allowed us to cycle as long as we did. It was this journey of infertility that taught me this skill.
I'm forever grateful for that gift of self discovery.
When asked about our IVF journey, I often say, "My greatest struggle became my greatest achievement".
And man, it was true! If you want something, don't give up hope!
Just keep swimming...
Tell us about your experience with boston ivf
It became another home to me.
From the moment you walk in the door and meet the smiling face of Debi at the reception desk, to the phlebotomists, the nurses, ultrasound techs, OR staff, they all had kind words of encouragement and want to see you succeed.
I've made some lifelong friends on my IVF journey there and can honestly say that I miss seeing everyone and hearing about their lives. They are always happy to see you, offer warm hugs for those really hard days and expert advice to get you to the next phase of treatment.
I enjoyed every minute of my experience there and keep in touch with many of the staff to this day.
YOUR REQUEST HAS BEEN SUCCESSFULLY SUBMITTED
We look forward to speaking with you, and will be in touch as soon as possible!
