Our IVF Journey

Mar 14, 2017

 ivf journey

 

I just wanted to say thank you for all the sweet and heartfelt messages you shared with me after last week’s post. It was undoubtedly one of the most difficult blog posts I’ve ever written, but my hope is that by sharing our story, I’ll perhaps provide some hope and comfort to those who are going through similar experiences right now.

~

Our doctor called a few days after our initial appointment and told us that all the tests had come back as “normal,” and that we were good candidates for IVF: In Vitro Fertilization. It was then that we started to hash out a game plan.

Before we started our personal journey with In Vitro Fertilization, I knew a bit about IVF, but not a ton. I obviously didn’t know what it would be like to actually go through it, so today, I thought I’d share just that.

 

The first step was regulating my cycle and starting the stimulation process with shots.

Oh, the shots.

My cycle “calendar” arrived with several larger-than-life boxes of medications. I organized a nice little pharmacy on our kitchen table and tried to mentally prepare myself for my first injection. Since Trevor usually worked late, I was going to be on my own for this.

I remember pacing around my home in tears, and then finally holding that scary-looking needle to my stomach. I’d thought it would be easy, but turns out my brain isn’t really wired for self-inflicted pain.

 

Okay, doing it NOW.

Hmm, no let’s call Trevor. 

Okay, but really he’s not coming home so let’s get it over with!

Nope, can’t do. Seriously can’t do it.

 

This internal dialogue continued on for longer than I’d like to admit, but after quite the long pep talk, I took a deep breath and did it. Not exactly enjoyable, but also not as bad as I thought it would be.

Here’s the thing, though: it wasn’t just that one injection. There were hundreds of them over the course of our first round of IVF. And what seemed doable in the beginning wore on me as we progressed with our journey. By the end of stimulation, I felt like a walking pin cushion.

On day seven of my medication cycle, I had to fly back to Colorado to finish preparing for the “retrieval,” which is when the eggs are surgically removed so that they can be fertilized in the lab. Due to work, Trevor wasn’t able to come with me, so my mom did.

I’m not sure I could ever repay my mom for all she’s done for me in life, but this act of love might take the cake. Basically, retrieval can only happen when the body is ready, so it was a difficult waiting game. My mom did everything in her power to keep my mind off things while we waited it out at an extended stay hotel and I continued injections. We took walks, went shopping, tried new restaurants, and watched endless movies in bed together. Remember this post? Yea, she was really excited to shoot photos and did such a good job! 

Every day, I went into the clinic for an ultrasound, and hoped and prayed that it was time for the trigger shot and retrieval procedure. Several days after our anticipated retrieval date, we got word, and Trevor flew out. For a brief moment, I felt a sense of peace.

 

Things were happening.

 

The next morning, I woke up feeling a tad nervous but also incredibly hopeful and excited. We arrived at the clinic and made our way up to the surgical suite where serene music and friendly nurses helped to calm my nerves. Katie, my sweet nurse, put the IV in place, and I remember then that I suddenly became terrified. I’d been in hospitals and sedated several times before, but this was totally different.

 

Soon, I’d find out whether a family was in the cards for us.

 

The procedure was fairly easy for me since I was completely knocked out! When I woke up, Trevor was right by my side. I couldn’t have been happier to see him, but boy, was I out of it. I recovered for a few hours at the clinic, and then we headed back to the hotel. We had takeout in bed, enjoyed a few days of bed rest and then finally flew back to Chicago.

Over the new few weeks, time seemed to move to an agonizing pace. But here’s what occurred:

We received a phone call the day after my retrieval telling us how many eggs had been fertilized. After that, we had to wait five days to find out how many eggs had made it to the “blastocyst stage,” which simply means maturity. After that, we waited two long weeks for genetic test results to come back.

I haven’t mentioned this before, but the miscarriage we’d had the previous year was due to genetic abnormalities in the egg. Because of this, and because getting pregnant had taken us so long, I’d always been fearful about the quality of my eggs, so those two weeks were the worst. When we finally got the call telling us that we had some good embryos to work with, we were over the moon!

We couldn’t have been more excited to move forward and try a transfer. But first, more needles. Medications arrived on our doorstep, and I endured another week or two of playing voodoo doll with myself. Once we’d completed the “prep work,” we headed back to Colorado for a much shorter trip. And this time, together!

The transfer procedure was calm and, honestly, beautiful. We were able to meet the embryologist and watch our embryo be placed, which was one of the most awe-inspiring things I’d ever seen. Our baby was “hatching” while the procedure was being completed, and seeing that flicker on the ultrasound was all the hope we could have asked for.

When the embryo was safely inside me, we returned to Chicago and started the next waiting game: it would be nine long days before we could determine (via blood work) whether I was pregnant. You’re supposed to wait, as blood work is the most accurate way to test for pregnancy but I knew I would never last that long, haha. I didn’t want to take an at-home test too early for fear of a false negative, but at the same time, it was driving me nuts. So each morning I would weigh my options before using the restroom, and the internal dialogue continued.

 

Let’s just try it today!

Be responsible, Shaheen. Wait. It’s not that much longer.

Are you being serious? You’ve waited for years, and the pregnancy test is right there. It could always be a false negative so don’t stress. 

Okay, maybe let’s wait.

 

By day six, I gave in and peed on the stick. Trevor was in the shower, and I distinctly remember throwing open the curtain and screaming. And then, suddenly, I was soaking wet: a combination of the shower but also tears of joy. We were so, so excited.

Of course, we were also scared.

The miscarriage, which occurred the previous year, changed our perspective on everything. We’d taken the “fun pictures” and imagined our little baby and made plans for the future before, only to wind up completely devastated. This time, to protect ourselves, we were a bit more guarded. We couldn’t allow ourselves to get as excited as we’d been the first time around; how could we survive another heartbreak? We knew this embryo was “normal,” which definitely helped to ease our fears. But, very honestly, we weren’t prepared for how scared we’d be. Instead of joy (the expected reaction to a positive pregnancy test!), every day was filled with intense worry.

On the ninth day, we had blood work done and waited for the call from our doctor to confirm the pregnancy. And despite the “+” sign we’d seen on the at-home test, we just couldn’t believe what we heard.

 

It was official. We were pregnant!

 

The next few weeks were scary for me. With Trevor’s work schedule, he wasn’t able to make it to my 6.5- or 8.5-week ultrasounds, and before each one, I’d sit in the car and cry in fear of what I might see. Luckily, though, I saw the heartbeat every time.

By week 12.5, I was “transferred” to Rush for OB coverage, and since Trevor worked there, he was able to pop over for our appointments. That first one with him was so incredibly special. It was also the first time we saw our baby look like an actual baby. It was a real human who waved at us and moved all over the place. Even if I tried, I don’t think I’d be able to describe how it felt to see our baby, so I’ll leave it at this:

Our hearts were bursting, and suddenly, everything we’d been through had been worth it.

At the end of the day, I’m thankful for our journey. Do I wish it had been a bit easier? Yes. But Trevor and I grew together and learned so much about each other, and our love and admiration for our families became endless. The support and kindness our close friends showed us was unbelievable, too.

 

I think that our child will grow up knowing just how much we wanted him. That we prayed for him, and did everything in our power to have him. That he’s a miracle.

 

IVF is a very personal and emotional journey, and I totally understand why so many people keep their stories private. But as I’m lucky enough to have this public outlet, we wanted to share our story with those who are in need of something positive right now. I also thought it was important to be transparent about what we went through, since it can sometimes seem like everyone just blinks their eyes and ends up pregnant. And if I hadn’t shared this, perhaps it would seem that way to the woman who’s currently in the middle of her battle with infertility. You are less alone than you feel.

If you have any questions about IVF or CCRM, or are simply looking for someone to talk to, please feel free to reach out. (It’s worth mentioning that Trevor and I couldn’t recommend CCRM more. We also have family and friends who went through the clinic and, like us, expressed that they’d never felt more cared for while they were there.)

 

 

If you’re still reading, thank you—from the bottom of my heart!—for making it to the end of this post and for all the love and support you’re shared. I put together a little video for Trevor and I and thought I would share it here too. Note to self: you are not supposed to film videos vertically on your phone (who knew?!) and snapchat filters are the most fun when on bed rest. 

Lots of love from us and Baby T!

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  1. Thanks for sharing! That sounds so hard and scary, but I know it will encourage someone to read an IVF success story! I agree that there are no words when you see your baby on an ultrasound. We just had our 20 week one, and the baby was waving to us too! 🙂
    xoxo,
    Catherine
    Classic Catherine

  2. Lauren Nolan says:

    Oh, you know, just casually crying at my desk ???? I can’t wait to meet the lucky little guy!
    xoxo,
    Lauren | http://www.lakeshorelady.com/

  3. Nicole Regan says:

    Loving these posts about your journey Shaheen. I can’t even imagine. And to think! You get to hold little baby T in your arms in just a short time. You’re going to be such a great mom and how exciting he will be able to read your story one day! A priceless gift 🙂

  4. Lindsay Alberts says:

    Doing good work here, Shaheen! 🙂

  5. Katie Skahan Kochenour says:

    Congratulations Shaheen and Trevor!!! You hit the nail on the head with these entries from the injection convos to the emotions of it all. Nick and I went through this same journey and now 3 months into being a mom, the sleepless nights, public meltdowns, blowout diapers and loads of laundry are so much less stressful knowing how bad we wanted children and what it took to get to this point. I pray the remainder of your journey is as quick, smooth and wonderful as mine/ours has been. I always say, God made up for the front end of things on the tail end and I thank him for that daily!!!

    • Thank you Katie! That is so nice and reassuring to hear and I am so happy everything worked out for you guys. It’s such a crazy reminder how lucky we are and I’m already looking forward to those things people dread just like you said haha. I hope you guys are doing well and I really appreciate you sharing your story <3

  6. So proud of you Shaheen and so excited to meet Baby T! This had me bawling even though I already knew the whole story—Love you!

  7. You’re so brave for sharing this story Shaheen! I never realized all that was involved with IVF until one of the OC Housewives (definitely a guilty pleasure of mine) was undergoing the process for the majority of the season. I’m good with pain, but the idea of giving myself shots in the stomach every day terrifies me!

  8. Stephanie A says:

    Shaheen – I don’t think I will ever get tired of hearing your story of Baby T!! This was such a long journey for you and Trevor and I could not be more happy that we are weeks away from meeting your nugget 🙂 Love you all so much and I cannot wait to meet him!

  9. JR says:

    I have 3 friends that went through IVF and thankfully all have healthy babies (2 of them have twins 🙂 It’s helpful to so many to have you share your story! Thank you!

  10. Kiki Khan says:

    Thank you for sharing your journey Shaheen…may Allah bless you with an easy pregnancy and healthy baby iA! It’s amazing how everyone has their own struggles beyond the lens that no one can even fathom. You’re absolutely so brave and inspiring, and I wish you the best!
    Xoxo -Kiki

  11. raziakassam says:

    this made me hopefully and cry.. I am going trough this right now and scared to shit.. thank you for giving me the hope I need..

  12. Jennifer says:

    Unfortunately infertility disease is rather common problem nowadays. Different statistics can be seen. But all statistics show the same awful figures. Every seventh family in the world faces with infertility. Surrogate motherhood and also egg donation programs has become a kind of unique and sometimes the only solution. You can look at the European countries. Well-developed states fight actively with infertility. People even often go abroad. They look for surrogacy or something like that. Such procedure is banned in most European states. That’s why infertile couples and families look for needed solution abroad. It is an urgent topic. And we must talk about more. I think ART will develop more and more. Now in Europe the leader in this field is Ukrainian clinic Biotexcom. It is one of the leading clinics in assisted technologies of human reproduction. It is so popular because in Ukraine many healthy women who are ready to become donors or to bear a child for somebody. And I can say for sure that these people who help us infertile women and men to have healthy children must be blessed but not accused.

  13. Margo Lake says:

    Amazing story! I have also my successful IVF story. After a miscarriage in 2015 we kept trying to conceive naturally for one year. But unfortunately all our attempts didn’t give any positive result. My husband and I were in despair on that time. But despite all our previous attempts we decided that it was time to see fertility specialist. After numerous labs and visits I got diagnose infertility. The fertility specialist said that IVF procedure might help to get desirable pregnancy. But he also mentioned that IVF doesn’t guarantee swift and positive result. After all we decided that it was time to find proper clinic. As my husband and I didn’t have big saving we decided to look for a list of clinic somewhere abroad. After numerous online researches we finally found a good option in Kiev. One of the Ukrainian clinic for human reproduction provides 5 attempts of IVF for around 30,000 euros. Moreover, the feedbacks about this clinic were rather positive. So, we sent all the medical documents and after a while the manage asked us to come for free consultation in 2 months. She explained that this clinic always loaded with people and that’s why we had to wait such a long time. Anyway we agreed to come for free consultation. We were at the clinic at the appointment day. This clinic is smth amazing. The doctors the professionals in the sphere of reproduction. The stuff was always attentive to us. The manager said that we could start the IVF process in 5 months. Because the already had a list of patients on that time. Quite long but we agreed because we were so exhausted and didn’t want to start everything again and on top of this the clinic was amazing. And I was lucky to get pregnant from the first attempt. This definitely made our journey easier and more positive. Now we have lovely Adam.

  14. Nbb says:

    Thanks so much for sharing this story. The fertility journey is grueling with unease and loneliness and I think it’s so important to highlight sticking close to your partner rather than drifting away. It’s so easy to blame one another.
    We had one unsuccessful IVF and are in processs of 2nd one. Hoping for great news. Baby love and dust to all. Baby Zain is absolutely adorable

    • shaheen khan says:

      Of course, it is so nice to feel less alone on the journey and connecting with other women has been so amazing. It really is and it’s not easy on a relationship but I am hoping for great news for you all and thank you so much 🙂

  15. Jen says:

    Such an amazing story you’ve shared! I am going through my IVF journey right now. Just had my egg retrieval for my first cycle. It’s so nice and encouraging to hear someone else’s story, and it makes me happy that your outcome was a positive one! My fertility clinic is CCRM in California. I agree with you that they are wonderful and I would recommend them as well. Thanks for sharing your journey and giving people like me hope! 🙂

    • shaheen khan says:

      Hi Jen! Oh I’m so glad me sharing helps 🙂 I hope your retrieval went well and sorry for my delay this comment got lost in my notifications for some reason! I am so glad you love CCRM as much as we did and I am thinking of you!!!