Erica & Sean

My husband Sean and I have been married for almost 6 years and together for 10. We are outgoing, adventurous, and love to travel and live in the moment. As much as we are travelers and explorers, we really wanted to settle down and have a child. 

About 3 years into our marriage, Sean and I ended up getting pregnant on our own. My periods were always regular, so when I didn’t get it, I had a feeling we were pregnant! We couldn’t have been more excited but were quickly disappointed to find out that I had suffered a miscarriage.

It was a heartbreaking experience, but we had to keep moving forward to try and start our family. Within the next year, we found out again that we were pregnant! But, another disappointment soon after – there was no baby. I had to be admitted to the hospital for an emergency DNC. What an emotional roller coaster. It took me a long time to get over it and sometimes still think about it.

Coming to SGF

My husband and I just wanted to let go and live life. However, we weren’t getting any younger with Sean hitting 40 and me in my late 30s, so we came to Shady Grove Fertility for help and answers. We met with Dr. Rebecca Chason in the Annapolis, MD office and from the very start, I felt like I had known her forever. After reviewing our treatment options, we all agreed that it was best to start with IUI treatment in October of 2017. We went through 6 failed rounds. I was devastated and felt like it just wasn’t going to happen for me.

Switching treatment

As the summer was approaching, I thought about taking time off to enjoy our new home and the warm weather, but realized that we had already come so far, even with all the disappointments. Sean and I decided to go all in and start IVF treatment after speaking with Dr. Chason and her amazing staff. They were like family to us at this point. We felt so comfortable and knew we were moving in the right direction at the right time! A few weeks later, I received my box of needles and medications.

I was overwhelmed and thought, “What did I just get myself into?” But Sean and I weren’t going to let anything get in the way of our dream of parenthood. Of course, it was challenging at times giving myself shots, but we both prayed and knew whatever happened was meant to be. Two weeks later, I had my egg retrieval in the Rockville, MD office.

The doctors and nurses in Rockville were just as amazing as the ones in Annapolis. The egg retrieval only resulted in 7 eggs, which wasn’t as many as I had hoped. I remained positive, as everyone kept telling me it only took one good egg! Ahead of our transfer, we were told that 2 out of our 7 embryos fertilized at grade AA’s. We were beyond ecstatic, and I couldn’t stop crying, even though we still had a long way to go. At least we had 2 good embryos!

Dr. Chason suggested that we only transfer one embryo considering the grade was so good and that is what we did. I cried during the transfer, as so many emotions were running through me. We just wanted this so bad! Following the transfer was the 2-week wait to see if it “took” and wow, what a long two weeks that was. I didn’t think it worked because I know my body so well and felt completely fine, not experiencing any symptoms.

The good news

When I got the call that the test came back positive, I honestly couldn’t believe what I was hearing. To my surprise, it was a yes! I was pregnant! I sat on my bed in complete shock. My husband called just minutes after I received the good news, and as much as I wanted to tell him in person, I blurted out that the test was positive and we both cried together.

Baby Oliver

Fast forward nine months and our SGF miracle was born. I gave birth to baby Oliver on his due date, January 2, 2019 at 3:54pm. He was 7 lbs., 4oz. and 20inch long.

The first week was definitely the hardest, trying to figure out a schedule, breastfeeding, and giving my body time to recover from natural birth. Wow! No one truly told me what to expect. Being a first-time mom is overwhelming, but my husband has been so helpful. Now that we are a month in, getting back to somewhat of an orderly routine is a plus. I can stare at my little miracle every second of the day and cry happy tears and thank the lord above for blessing me not only with my baby, but also with Shady Grove Fertility. I am so grateful for the amazing doctors and technology that brought my baby boy into this world.

I cannot thank the people at SGF in Annapolis enough for all the love and support. They were absolutely amazing and always made me feel so comfortable. Honestly, if it wasn’t for them, who knows if my husband and I would be parents! We are beyond blessed and over the moon with excitement! Thank you, thank you, thank you to Shady Grove Fertility. We are forever grateful!

Erica and Sean’s advice for future patients

We stayed strong knowing that everything was in God’s hands and he was going to bless us in some way. Also, relying on families and the support at SGF was instrumental. Throughout our journey, we have tried to just stay positive and pray a lot.

Stay strong and don’t give up. Just know that everyone at SGF is there to help you. They are all fighting for the same outcome!