Just as I did with my studies, my husband and I had postponed trying to start our family when my mother’s diagnosis came to light. We both knew that time with her was fleeting, and it was important that we focused on her treatment and care.
It was a year after my mother’s passing when we decided that we were ready. We never considered it a possibility that we would not get pregnant right away. After one full year unsuccessfully trying to conceive, we finally decided to seek answers. The first appointment consisted of a comprehensive evaluation for both my husband and me. We each underwent bloodwork to assess hormone levels, completed genetic testing, and had physical exams to help identify the possible causes of our infertility. While my husband was referred to a urologist to evaluate his sperm levels, I was scheduled for a laparoscopy to address my endometriosis. Together, we did whatever we could to improve our chances of getting pregnant. As a starting point, my doctor suggested trying intrauterine insemination (IUI), also called artificial insemination. We were optimistic that this simple and cost-effective procedure would be the answer to issues. But after the ninth attempt, that optimism started to slip away. I continued the oral medications, and my husband handled the fertility injections. The pregnancy test was still negative. My emotions were high and shaky.
As an alternative approach, I started seeing a holistic practitioner. I began biweekly acupuncture sessions focused on infertility, along with daily herbal supplements, during my final two IUI cycles. At that point, we decided to pivot and explore in vitro fertilization (IVF). It was going to take some planning and budgeting.
IVF is substantially more costly than the procedures we had been trying. Insurance would not be covering any of the process, and therefore the cost would be fully out-of-pocket. Because the process is done in stages—fertility injections, egg retrieval, sperm donation, fertilization of the sperm with the egg, and transfer of any successful embryos back into the mother’s uterus—we knew that there was going to be a small break while we gathered the funds to start the process.
Our last unsuccessful attempt was in February 2014, and our plan was to start the injections in May in preparation for the egg harvesting. My husband sold his Harley-Davidson to put towards the Baby Orr fund. On April 8th, 2014, my husband’s 41st birthday, I was late starting my menstrual cycle and decided to take a pregnancy test on my lunch break. After all the tests, procedures, longing, and tears, we finally had the result that would change our lives forever. We were pregnant and months away from having the family we had dreamed of.