FOX 43 Reporter, Lynda Weed, opened up to viewers about expecting a baby boy this month. However, the pregnancy did not come easy.
Lynda and her husband, Tom, knew they wanted to add to their family right away, but it didn’t happen as quickly as expected. She started using ovulation kits to help predict her most fertile days. After a year of trying and still no pregnancy, Lynda and Tom reached out to a fertility specialist.
Their physician ran the proper tests, and all came back normal. Lynda fell into the unexplained infertility category.
Unexplained infertility is the failure to determine a cause of infertility after a thorough evaluation of both the male and female partner. Approximately 10 percent of infertility is unexplained. True unexplained infertility may be related to egg and sperm dysfunction, among other causes. These conditions are difficult to establish through conventional testing.
Lynda was able to get pregnant through intrauterine insemination (IUI), a process that involves sperm being placed directly into the uterus during ovulation. Two weeks later, Lynda and Tom received the good news that they were pregnant, but the pregnancy didn’t last for long. At five weeks, Lynda suffered a miscarriage.
Losing that pregnancy was devastating for Lynda and Tom. To make things even harder, Lynda hadn’t told anyone in her family that she was having problems getting pregnant.
Lynda’s sister, Heather, was dealing with similar trials. Heather and her husband, Justin, spent over 3 years trying to get pregnant. Like Lynda, Heather tried IUI, but it didn’t work for her. She moved onto in vitro fertilization (IVF) and found out she was pregnant, but unfortunately miscarried.
“It was our first pregnancy and we were so excited,” said Heather. “We told our family. It didn’t last and it was really hard.”
Heather leaned on family and her husband to help her through this heartbreaking time, but it wasn’t enough.
“I would be out at the store and I would have to go home because I would start having a panic attack.”
Heather found a support group of other women dealing with the same struggles.
Two failed IVF attempts later, and Heather knew she needed to make a change. She switched fertility specialists and began seeing Dr. Sasson at Shady Grove Fertility’s Chesterbrook, PA office.
Heather went through the IVF process and five out of six embryos came back normal.
“For Heather, from the group of eggs we got for her, I was expecting only to find 2 or 3 normal ones. She was super lucky. She got 5 normal ones to be able to work with,” says Dr. Sasson.
At the age of 37, Heather now had 5 more chances to get pregnant.
“We put one in, and we are pregnant. We are finally pregnant!” Heather has a baby girl coming this January.
As for Lynda, it did take some time to heal emotionally and physically after her miscarriage. Once ready, Lynda and Tom attempted a second IUI cycle. She is now pregnant with a baby boy coming in October.
Lynda said her one regret through the entire process was suffering in silence.
Infertility is More Common Than People Think
You are not alone—more than one in eight couples have struggled with infertility. It is likely that many of your family or friends have dealt with similar issues, but due to social pressures they have not disclosed their struggles. Rely upon your inner circle of friends and family and remember that you do not owe anyone an explanation.
Many people who struggle with infertility experience self-blame, feelings of hopelessness, depression, anxiety, and sexual difficulties. Please know that in addition to seeking fertility care there are several reproductive mental health specialists who can provide great help to those in need. You can learn more about SGF’s patient support program here. Also, Our Facebook community of 30K strong is a wonderful way to connect with past and current patients and to share stories, tips, and offer words of hope and encouragement.
To learn more or to schedule an appointment with an SGF physician, please call our New Patient Center at 1-877-971-7755 or complete our online form.
