Everyone’s journey to parenthood is different, especially for those individuals faced with infertility. Recently, we had a chance to catch up with one of our patients who found success through the RMA Network. Melissa G, shares her personal experience and provides details on what it took to conceive a child. With many obstacles, she was still able to overcome infertility and is now the proud parent of a beautiful baby boy.
Tell me about your family.
Once my husband and I got married, we had three kids pretty quickly and easily. I also have one daughter from a previous marriage. We both always wanted another child — I felt like my other kids were growing up so fast. About eight years ago, I started my own company and had a lot more flexibility in terms of time. We started trying, but it just wasn’t happening. We had never had problems conceiving before.
How’d you find the RMA Network?
A friend of mine in my town had gone to one of RMA’s Network fertility clinics located in New Jersey and told me that I should also go there. So we went. We have a beautiful baby boy now, who is another blessing to our family. The other kids adore him, and he’s so healthy and strong. I credit a lot of that to the whole process at RMA.
Tell me about your doctor.
Dr. Bergh was great. He was very realistic and professional. I used his ideas on diet and stress, and if I had any questions, he was always available. The first time around, we had trouble getting good embryos. We started with five, they only had one left, and it wasn’t the highest grade. The doctor was very sensitive and compassionate with me about it. It was right before Thanksgiving, and I really wanted to just try it.
But the transfer didn’t work. Afterward, Dr. Bergh had me go on a gluten and dairy-free diet, and also see a local nutritionist.
I credit our eventual success to the RMA Network for sending me to that nutritionist. I liked that they had a different approach, a holistic one, not just trying the same thing over and over again. After changing my diet, and doing acupuncture after the transfer, I had really strong, healthy embryos.
We did genetic testing of the embryos. A lot of people who already have four children do that because they have four boys or four girls. We had two of each. It wasn’t that we wanted another boy or another girl; we had no preference. We just wanted the strongest embryo. We didn’t even want to know the sex. We kept it as a surprise.
I had six embryos the second time. The doctor had said not to try to transfer two because they felt one would have a better success rate and a healthier outcome.
Tell me about some of the people you interacted with at RMA Network.
My nurse Meghan was great. Everything was taken care of quickly and professionally. No one likes getting up that early in the morning to go get bloodwork all the time. Sometimes I’d be in and out of there in 15 minutes.
Injections were something I thought I could never do. Meghan walked me through everything and was very supportive. You felt like they were in it with you. They were always flexible about getting me every medication I needed right away.
Their technicians were amazing. They remember you, they joke with you, and they get you in and out. I interfaced with those people probably more than the doctors and the nurses!
How did you deal with your anxiety during the process?
There’s more anxiety when you’re trying to get pregnant and don’t have help. Because then you’re just waiting and you don’t have any information.
The most upsetting time was the first time the IVF didn’t take. You put a lot of hope into it. That’s when they redid my bloodwork and realized my thyroid was off again and I needed to change my medication. I changed my diet and also became soy-free. Eventually, I was cleared by the doctor to start again. If I was doing this on my own, it would have been more anxious, because I wouldn’t have the answers.
Do you have advice for others?
I tell everyone: go gluten and dairy free to start. Why wait, if it’s been a year, and you’ve been trying? I’ve talked to a lot of women in the city, and they think they can just wait forever. And I was someone who didn’t have any problems in the beginning, and I know that it’s harder when you’re older.
Be prepared. It’s not easy. It’s almost like working out. I even said to myself, why couldn’t I get up and go to the gym every day in the same way I have to get myself out of the house to get bloodwork three times a week? You have to be committed to it.
Anything else about your story you’d like to add?
If you do want other children, and you feel like getting too old, you can do it. If you want something, you have to go after it. Now if I could only get to the gym!
