Donor eggs, after years of setbacks: a patient story

My husband and I were married in September 2018 and started for children right away. It didn't come easy; we were getting negative pregnancy tests month after month. Then July 2019, we got our first positive; we were over the moon. Then, heartbreak happened in September 2019 when we suffered a miscarriage. I had a D&C, and we started trying again as soon as we were given the all-clear. But my period wasn't coming. Instead, I was getting cyclic cramps, something was wrong, and my OB was not concerned.

I decided to go to Boston IVF [Everleap Fertility] for a second opinion, and then it was found that I had a band of scarring in my cervix, which was removed. I also found out I had low AMH. We decided to do a round of IUI, but due to COVID was pushed back. In April 2020, my first IUI was successful, but in June 2020, I again had another miscarriage. Fast forward from August 2020 to Feb 2021. I had a round of IVF which only yielded one embryo. I had surgery to remove endometriosis and fix a hydrosalpinx. We transferred that embryo in Feb 2021, and it failed. It was realized that my hydrosalpinx came back, and in March 2021, I had my left fallopian tube removed.

In May 2021, my husband and I decided to go with donor eggs due to the miscarriages and to be a terrible responder to IVF. Our first batch yielded no embryos, and we got a replacement lot. In July 2021, we bought a lot of 8 donor eggs, and 6 became blasts! Our first transfer was a success, and our daughter Logan Charlotte Bull was born on March 19, 2022.

How did your Boston IVF [Everleap Fertility] physician and nursing team help to make your journey a success?

Dr. Bove and Kim, RN at the Albany office, was nothing but supportive through the many lows and the highs.

What were some highs or lows of your treatment(s)? What is unique/different about your story?

We had a lot of setbacks; when you think you are ahead of the game, something happened to put us back. Our high was having the support of the IVF team and finally having our daughter.

What advice do you have for others struggling with infertility?

My words of advice are to be patient with the process. Things might not go as planned, but the result will be worth the wait.