Stepfanie & Scott

Prior to seeking fertility support, our life seemed pretty ordinary. Scott and I are dedicated to our work and careers. In our spare time, we love to travel to different places, hike, and spend time with our two fur babies. We always dreamed of being parents. It is something that we always wanted and spoke often about. 

In 2015, we began trying to start our family. I would use ovulation tests to find my ovulation window. After a year with no success, we decided it was time to seek help. I first went to my OB/GYN, who ordered a few labs to complete. I got some lab work done and I completed an HSGtest, and thankfully, everything came back within normal limits. My husband then got his sperm tested. His results were on the lower end, but still within normal limits. We decided that our next steps were to find a fertility specialist. 

Before seeking help, we never really heard of the word infertility. I came to find out that two of my co-workers were currently going through treatment or had completed infertility treatment in the past. They both recommended Shady Grove Fertility, sharing how they had great experiences and that the staff was personable and exceptional. My husband and I were both very nervous about the unknown and starting this new journey, but were comforted knowing that people close to us had good experiences.  

Finding strength in the unknown

When we met with Dr. Roth for the first time at the Frederick office in 2018, we were both so nervous and didn’t know what our diagnosis would be. Dr. Roth was very compassionate and explained everything in detail. Yet, after reviewing all our lab work and testing, we were told that our diagnosis was unexplained infertility.

Our hearts sank.

We were devastated that we couldn’t receive a definitive answer as to why we could not get pregnant. It felt like everyone else’s world around us kept moving, and ours came to a complete halt. Would Shady Grove Fertility be able to help us? Would our treatment work?

As you embark on an infertility journey, you must become this brave and positive person even when the outcome is unknown. Deep down, we kept our hope, and were thankful that there were scientific advancements that could help us! 

Our infertility treatment would last over the course of 2 years. We first started with intrauterine insemination (IUI) treatment, which consisted of long, early morning drives for bloodwork and ultrasounds, followed by afternoon call updates and nightly medications and injections.

We sat down with Dr. Roth and decided on a treatment plan: in vitro fertilization (IVF) with intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). Scott and I were scared — would it work? What if we go through with the treatment plan and it isn’t successful in the end?

We already had our hearts broken three times with IUI, but our hearts were still committed to having a baby. Again, we repeated the early morning long drives for bloodwork and ultrasounds,but this time I always looked forward to seeing our eggs grow and develop. I don’t think you ever get used to giving yourself those nightly shots. There are no words to explain the feelings and emotions that you go through during this process. Your life is a whirlwind of ups and downs. All you can do is hope and pray.

All it takes is one embryo

When it came time for our egg retrieval, they retrieved 23 eggs! Of those 23 eggs, 16 fertilized, and from those 16 fertilized eggs, we were left with one embryo.

One strong, little embryo.

We were both grateful and very sad at the same time — sad for all of those eggs lost, but so very blessed for our one embryo. We waited a month to have our frozen embryo transfer (FET). On September 23, 2019, we went into the office where we were able to see our little embryo. With the longest two-week wait ever, we were given the news that we were indeed pregnant!

We all have our own journey and mountains to climb but know that you are never alone. Don’t ever give up on your dreams. Miracles do happen!

How our hope became our hero

My husband was my saving grace who kept me positive and hopeful. There is no way I could have gone through all the injections, appointments, and blood draws, without him. Every night, he would tell me that no matter what, everything would be okay – we would be okay. Scott was a believer that you had to keep your focus on that only good things will happen. I held onto that hope. I would replay what he told me over and over in my head anytime I felt uneasy to give me the strength to move forward.

After 1,460 days of praying to become parents, Lucy Mae entered our lives.

As of November 2020, Lucy Mae is 5 months old. She is such a happy-go-lucky little girl. She makes us so happy and overflows us with joy. Her laugh and smile are contagious. I look down at her and still can’t believe that she was that one little embryo. She is stronger than she will ever know, and she is my hero for it. Right now, we don’t have our sights set on further family planning. We’re taking this time to enjoy our little blessing every moment of every day.

If you’re struggling with infertility, don’t be afraid to reach out for support. Know that you are not alone. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. And whatever you do, never give up on your dream of becoming parents. Everyone has their own special and unique journey.

This quote kept me motivated during my journey and I hope you find strength in it, too: “Be a pineapple, stand tall, wear a crown and be sweet on the inside!”