I have been very blessed this past year. I never thought I would struggle with infertility but the end of 2015 my husband and I decided when he came home from deployment. It felt like an eternity every month to wait to see if we had conceived. Each month the time between menstrual cycles became longer and longer until they stopped coming all together. I was convinced we had done it, we were pregnant this time. But over and over the tests came back negative.
It was my birthday that I went out with a close friend. We had a blast at a concert and came home late that night. On a high of the night we just had, I was ready to hit my pillow and get some sleep. My body had other plans.
Pain.
The pain was indescribable. Like something just stabbed me over and over.
ER trip.
Stayed in the hospital for hours and hours only to find out that they couldn't verify what was causing the pain. Just a guess but not a confirmation.
Ovarian Cyst.
Now I go back to the doctor that I had been to many times to figure out what exactly was happening to me. No periods. Now strange hairs. Gaining weight way too quickly. Feeling frustrated.
No help from them. They wouldn't diagnose me with any issues. Just a fluke cyst was the explanation given. I asked about not having periods and if I could expect more of the same. Did I have something wrong with me?
Moved to San Antonio.
I convince myself to go to the doctor in a new state. Right away they start testing me to see what was happening. They come to a conclusion.
PCOS.
Now what?! I can now blame all the troubles on something but what are we going to do to fix it. The doctors sent me to infertility with high hopes that they could help us conceive.
The first meeting I had with my new doctors went amazing. The consensus was that they were determined to put a baby in my belly. And they weren't joking. They had laid out a very strict plan for my husband and I to follow without deviation.
Medications and scheduled sex.
My hormones didn't know what to do. They were forced back into a normal pattern and my ovaries got a nice push to do what they are supposed to do, ovulate.
28 days of working towards one goal. Pregnancy.
November 16, 2016. 2AM. Two pink lines show.
We are finally pregnant. Only one round of meds.
Blessed doesn't even begin to cover how I felt.
We never gave up on our family. All we could think about was having a baby and we finally were granted this wish. Our family was just starting this journey.
The first trimester was rough with sickness multiple times a day. Even with losing 15 lbs and being scared that it would never end, we were beyond excited. Sickness would not stop the joy.
The second trimester was amazing. I felt beautiful and awkward all at the same time. Feeling like you're never alone but that you have another human growing inside you. The most amazing bond ever has been created in this exact moment.
The third trimester is where I feel a little torn. It started great but by the end it felt like she would never come out. I was afraid of the pain but I wanted to meet my little girl. We also moved to upstate NY in this time and that was a little rough on my body.
Many months pass with the fear of never being able to achieve this great gift for a lot of people. Sharing in this journey and being able to talk openly with friends and family who may or may not know the same struggles is quite amazing. I couldn't have asked for a better gift. Not only do I have the most amazing daughter but I have the opportunity to shed light on a subject that many don't feel comfortable talking about.
Infertility is not the end of a dream. It is an obstacle that can be overcome.
