Much Anticipated & Long Awaited

I was diagnosed with having a fertility problem when I was 20 years old.  My doctor told me I was going to have a hard time getting pregnant, but with the help of fertility medications like, Clomid, I would probably be able to conceive.  6 years later I was married and I began to realize just how difficult it would really be for me to become pregnant.  It took doctors and the help of an (really nasty and mean) endocrinologist 6 months or so to discover the reasons behind my fertility problem; Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS).  I started on Metformin, a medication known to help women with PCOS conceive.  I also took Clomid 6, 7 or 8 times and it NEVER worked.  In May 2006, just before I was about to take my last round of Clomid, I  I found out I was pregnant.  I miscarried at 6 weeks.  All in all, it took us 2 years to become pregnant with Shelby.  She was our miracle baby.

We thought we had my body figured out by the time we started trying for baby #2 in the fall of 2008.  After 1 full year of absolutely no success we started searching for natural remedies for PCOS.  We learned that a low-carb diet is very helpful with women in PCOS so I started low-carbing in November of 2009.  In January, I learned that PCOSers who run for exercise (as opposed to walking or elliptical training, for example) have more luck achieving pregnancy.  So, I began running - a lot.  In May 2010, I became pregnant, but I miscarried at 5 weeks.   After the miscarriage, we began looking into more natural remedies to help with my diet and exercise routine.  In the fall of 2010, we discovered, Insulite, a series of herbal supplements to be taken 4 times a day.  Insulite, in conjunction with a low-carb diet and exercise has been proven to help many women with PCOS conceive naturally.  In October, 2 months after I started taking Insulite I found out I was pregnant again.  I miscarried at 9 weeks just days before Thanksgiving.

I know I am not the only woman out there who struggles with infertility, but it sure felt like it. The holidays were miserable.  I felt like all the happiness was sucked out of me.  All the hope I had for having more children was pretty much gone.  I started trying to figure out how to become OK with only having 1 child. I was in really bad shape.  I cried a lot.  And I prayed a lot, hoping to find answers or some sort of direction.

In January 2011, still feeling totally defeated and at the end of my rope, both emotionally and mentally, I finally turned to the help of a reproductive endocrinologist (a fertility doctor).  My consultation appointment was scheduled for February 14, 2011.  During our initial visit, Dr. Greenberg talked to me and Travis for a long time about our situation.  She seemed pleased with all the knowledge we had about PCOS and all the steps I had taken on my own to conceive naturally.  Dr. Greenberg decided to put me on Femara for 3 cycles.  Femara is a  medication that stimulates ovulation.  It's similar to Clomid, but has been proven to be more effective in women who do not respond to Clomid, like me.  She said Femara seems to work really well for women with PCOS.  She told us if this didn't work we would  move on to hormone injections which would cost us about $3,500 a month.  We were really praying we didn't have to take that route.

When March 11th came around it was time for me to take a pregnancy test.  I was beyond nervous.  The 3 minutes I had to wait for the test to work was pure torture. 

The test was POSITIVE.  I didn't believe it so I took another pregnancy test.  It was POSITIVE.  Thinking something was up with my urine I waited until the evening to take another test.  It was POSITIVE.  The next day I took 5 more pregnancy tests; all POSITIVE. 

I started freaking out.  The pregnancy tests I was using were purchased online so I began thinking these pregnancy tests were defective.  I went to the store and bought 3 top of the line pregnancy tests.  I took one first thing in the morning; POSITIVE.  One in the afternoon; POSITIVE.  And since I still thought these tests were defective I made Travis test his urine for pregnancy; NEGATIVE.

OK.  I think I'm pregnant.  My follow-up with Dr. Greenberg was scheduled for the next day so she'd be able to confirm the pregnancy.  The blood test came back POSITIVE.  My doctor put me progesterone, a medication to help sustain early pregnancies and to help improve my chances for a viable pregnancy.  She told me I just needed to get past the 12-week mark, which seemed like an eternity that would never come.  I couldn't believe Femara had worked on the first cycle!

I was totally pregnant and totally freaking out.  I just knew that at any moment I was going to miscarry.  The 2-week wait for the 6-week ultrasound was nerve-wracking. I was a basket-case.  No matter what I did, I couldn't seem to relax. 

On the day of the 6-week ultrasound I was convinced we wouldn't be able to find a heartbeat.  I was scared to death.  But, there it was; a strong heartbeat was flashing away.

I was just as nervous at my 10-week ultrasound.  I was, again, convinced there would be no heartbeat and I'd have to prepare for another miscarriage.  But, there it was, a strong heartbeat pounding away. My doctor told me that my chance of a miscarriage at this point had dropped to just 10%.  Still, I was very nervous and I was still trying to prepare myself emotionally for another miscarriage, even though my doctors didn't seem to be worried. 

On July 7th I had another ultrasound. I was 21-weeks pregnant and so very nervous.  My doctor said everything looked good and the baby is healthy.  I am having a BABY!  I feel so BLESSED.

The baby was laying sideways so we had a hard time getting the traditional profile baby picture.  We were just really glad everything was OK and that there was a good, strong heartbeat.  I am due on November 17th.  (My last miscarriage occurred on November 16th).  This Thanksgiving we will have much to be thankful for.