KRISTEN & NATHAN

I will never forget the day my husband got the results of his semen anaysis.

He texted me while at work saying we needed to talk later.

Being as anxious as I am, told him that he couldn’t do that to me. I needed to know right then and there what was going on. Then the text came through.

“It’s me. I’m the problem. There was nothing. Zero sperm.” I audibly gasped at lunch with my colleagues. I waited until I was alone to let the tears flow by myself at my desk.

Even with this diagnosis, I knew we were meant to be parents. I immediately
got in problem solving mode. I wanted more answers and a plan.

That’s when I called Dr. Kristen Wright’s office.

I got an appointment the next week and we were off on our journey! Another more thorough semen analysis revealed a small amount of sperm. Three thousand to be exact.

That was the most wonderful news I had ever heard.

Dr. Wright suggested my husband freeze several samples, have several tests to see if she could determine the cause and start me on the process toward an IVF cycle with ICSI. A biological child for us was still possible! After we both went through many tests it was determined that my husband had a y-chromosome Microdeletion that caused his sperm count to be very low and even non-existent at times.

But there was hope.

I started my cycle the middle of May, 2017. I went in for my retrieval as my husband gave his fresh sample. We retrieved 15 eggs (not bad for a 34 year old), but Nathan’s sample was without sperm.

After thawing the two vials of frozen sperm and a 6 hour search for sperm by the amazing Boston IVF embryologists, they found enough to fertilize 11 of them. 3 of which were successful.

We scheduled a day 3 transfer of the two best quality embryos and prayed that the third embryo made it to blastocyst-level so that it could be frozen.

7 days later, on a Thursday, I saw the most amazing (and faint) second pink line on a pregnancy test. I was in shock and so thrilled! That Sunday I started spotting – and even though the following day my hcg levels were good I knew something was wrong. My hcg levels were over 100 on Monday and down to 10 by Wednesday.

I was no longer pregnant. Two weeks later I got the email from the embryology team that our last embryo had made it to a AA quality blastocyst and was frozen. On September 15th my husband went in for a testicular extraction procedure to see if we could get more sperm. The doctor searched for two hours and found nothing.

We were putting all of our hope for a biological family on the one last embryo we had frozen. Four days later, I went in for my frozen transfer.

I was hold the embryo thawed beautifully and my transfer was perfect!

On May 19th, exactly 8 months later TO THE DAY, I gave birth to our beautiful baby boy!

We are so grateful to everyone at Boston IVF for making our dream of a family come true!

HOW DID YOUR BOSTON IVF PHYSICIAN AND NURSING TEAM HELP TO MAKE YOUR JOURNEY A SUCCESS?

Dr. Wright was so incredibly knowledgeable about all of our issues.

I always left her office knowing that we had a solid plan. I cannot day enough about the fabulous nursing staff in the offices as well as the Waltham surgery center. The number of times the nurses calmed me down when I called in tears is more than I can count.

DID ANYONE/ANYTHING ELSE HELP YOU THROUGH YOUR INFERTILITY JOURNEY?

Acupuncture! Not only did acupuncture prepare my body for all of the medications, procedures and pregnancy but it helped control my anxiety about the process.

The fact that the Domar Center for Mind/Body Health in their Waltham office offers acupuncture for before and after transfers allowed me to be as prepared as possible.

WHAT WERE SOME HIGHS OR LOWS OF YOUR TREATMENT(S)? WHAT IS UNIQUE/DIFFERENT ABOUT YOUR STORY?T

he hardest part of the process for us was the feeling that we would take one step forward and then feel like we were taking two steps back.

We were lucky enough to have IVF covered by insurance, but had to fight to get particular medications covered. We definitely had to learn to let go and succumb to the process. It is not something that happens overnight, but I urge people not to give up hope. The high of our journey was the first ultrasound after our positive hcg beta test. Seeing the little heartbeat and our little “bean” growing in there was a magical moment I will never forget.

WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR OTHER STRUGGLING WITH INFERTILITY?

Never give up hope!

I know it sounds incredibly cliche but it’s true. Often times the most amazing miracles happen right on the edge of giving up.