Today’s success story is about a woman named Evan. Like many women, she had a specific vision of her perfect family: two kids by 32, a boy and a girl. But by the time she was ready to begin her family, she was already in her late 30s and knew the road would be difficult. After an IVF cycle that revealed just how poor quality her eggs really were, she began to lose hope that her family might ever happen. Join us to hear how she persevered and finally learned she was going to be a mother.
What you’ll hear in this episode:
- Before infertility: Evan was an easygoing, adventurous, friendly, active elementary teacher
- How a lost tent led to meeting her husband around a campfire
- Evan’s elaborate plan for children and motherhood
- Trying to conceive: the beginning of the treatment journey
- Initial optimism about an easy path to pregnancy
- Bad news about ovarian reserve and FSH and AMH levels
- Learning to advocate for yourself
- The first IVF and losing hope
- Considering embryo adoption, donor eggs, and traditional adoption
- Non-medical treatments: meditation, yoga, acupuncture, changing diet, and a magical glass egg
- The value of support groups, like RESOLVE, Beat Infertility, and the app community
- Good news, excitement, and relief!
- Balancing work and treatments
- Financial sacrifices to afford treatments
- How infertility has changed Evan to be more open with feelings and emotions and a better advocate for herself
- Evan’s advice to her earlier self: “Things will work out, one way or another. Find a community who understands your struggle.”
