“Each month ended the same way, despite careful tracking and effort,” said a San Francisco-based patient in her early 30s, when discussing her struggle to conceive her first child. After nearly a year of trying and mounting disappointments, she realized something wasn’t right. “Ultimately, it was pregnancy test fail after fail after fail,” she said. Driven by uncertainty and anxiety, she decided it was time to see a fertility specialist.
That first appointment at RMA of Northern California brought clarity. Through testing, Dr. Jonathan Kort delivered a diagnosis of an underlying issue that had gone undetected for years. The patient had polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a condition that can disrupt ovulation and affects about 1 in 10 women of reproductive age, according to the U.S. Office on Women’s Health. With an explanation in place, her care became more structured, moving into a treatment plan that included medication to support ovulation and regular monitoring.
“A lot of times, our patients with infertility have been trying for months and even years at home,” Kort said. “Often, they’re told to just keep trying. But the majority of patients with PCOS are not ovulating regularly or at all. So, continuing to try at home without any treatment is not really effective.”
That treatment changed everything for her—not once, but multiple times. With the help of a reproductive specialist, she conceived and later returned when she was ready to grow her family again, this time with a clearer understanding of her diagnosis and her care plan. The patient has since had her third child with infertility support and now shares her experience to encourage others to seek answers sooner when something doesn’t feel right.
Her story reflects a broader reality. The World Health Organization estimates that approximately 1 in 6 people globally experience infertility at some point in their lives; a reminder of how common these experiences are—and how often the right care can help people move forward and build the families of their dreams.
When Things Start to Make Sense
For another patient, severe symptoms were repeatedly explained away and misdiagnosed— once as irritable bowel syndrome by her general practitioner—until a fertility consultation changed everything. In her early 30s, the patient raised concerns about symptoms she now recognizes as common signs of endometriosis: paralyzing menstrual cramps, bleeding severe enough to soak through clothing twice a month and persistent fatigue. At one point, she was simply advised to wear dark clothing.
After two years she finally got answers during a fertility consultation. An ultrasound revealed very low ovarian reserve, and she was diagnosed with advanced endometriosis. The diagnosis provided an explanation for what she had been living with and a clearer understanding of her fertility. From there, care centered on planning, timing, and next steps aligned with her health history and goals.
The patient completed her first IVF cycle in 2021, but the resulting embryo was not viable. Exhausted but steadfast, she continued, adding weekly acupuncture and undergoing laparoscopic surgery to remove extensive endometriosis from her ovaries, bladder and rectum. However, within weeks of surgery, symptoms began to return.
In her final effort, after two years of trying to conceive, she transitioned to a coordinated care approach between Dr. Kort at RMA Northern California and a monitoring team at RMA Southern California –her third (and final) fertility care team. She underwent a second egg retrieval, which resulted in a genetically viable embryo. That embryo—the only viable one she created—has since become her son.
To better understand and process her experience, the patient turned to writing, exploring themes of healing, trauma, betrayal, trust, and grief. Through sharing her story, she hopes to normalize conversations around reproductive health and reduce the isolation many women feel when facing infertility. As she explains, “We need to be talking about infertility, miscarriage, IVF, egg and sperm donation, surrogacy, the choice to have children later in life, and the choice to not have children at all. We need to be more open, and we need to be sharing more, without fear of judgment or shame, in order to educate and support each other.”
When Fertility Care Comes Full Circle
As IVF has evolved over the past several decades, it has begun to shape not just individual families, but generations within them. Decades ago, a couple turned to IVF at a time when the technology was still emerging—less widely used, less predictable, and approached with a mix of hope and uncertainty. It was a path that led to the birth of their daughter.
That child grew up knowing her story—but it was not something that impacted her day-to-day life.
Until, as an adult in her 30s, her pregnancies turned into repeated miscarriages. Each pregnancy loss carried emotional weight—grief , sadness, and a shift in what she imagined was possible in building her family. She turned to fertility care herself at RMA New Jersey, coincidentally working with the same fertility clinic that helped her parents conceive her. Now, she was able to benefit from decades of scientific and clinical advancement, accumulated knowledge, refinements and personalization in care.
Her evaluation included comprehensive testing for both partners, including chromosomal and genetic screening, and an assessment of her uterus; an example of how much reproductive medicine has advanced, with greater precision in diagnosis and treatment. Families like hers exist because of science, persistence, and trust passed forward one generation at a time.
What These Journeys Reveal
For many, their fertility stories bring an understanding of how moments shaped a path—and how care, timing, and information built their families and their health. Across these journeys, the role of care remains central.
Seeing a fertility specialist provided a picture of their fertility health, along with a path forward to make informed decisions throughout their family-building journey.
