I Didn’t Choose IVF…IVF Chose Me!

I met my husband at the vivacious age of 42. I was single and childless, and so was my soon-to-be-husband; it was a perfect match. We would become one and start a family. I had been in relationships before and had also been pregnant, but neither had blossomed into a happy ending I had recovered and grown through the years, so I knew that when I met this man, he was the one and he would be the father of the child I so desperately wanted and needed.

At that point, I wasn’t aware of how, when, where or why infertility worked. I just knew I could get pregnant but didn’t know why I couldn’t stay pregnant. I just assumed that it wasn’t the right time or the right person. It wasn’t until I started my journey that I would learn that my body, no matter my age, wasn’t willing to cooperate; it was the actual problem. After dating for 11 months, we got married and then the marathon began.

So here it begins, from our meeting place in the Walgreens Hallmark aisle to the alter, straight to the fertility doctor. It was a whirlwind romance if I should say. We did all the preliminary testing and besides my age, all the numbers looked good on both sides. On my side, not so perfect, but good, and my husband…well his little soldiers were ready to march straight to my uterus. However, after doing an HSG test which shows if tubes are blocked. This was enemy #1 a 6cm fibroid tumor located at the top of my uterus where implantation begins, so this monster was taking what blood supply an embryo needed and fueling itself, not growing my precious little embryos.

Well, it had to go, so I had an abdominal myomectomy to remove it and carry on with my dream to become a mom. However, it wasn’t that easy. After waiting 8 months to recover, my doctor had us do an IUI where they stimulate the ovary, take the sperm, and insert it into the uterus to achieve pregnancy. Wow! It worked on the second try! We did it!

I was pregnant at 45 years old, and I had achieved my goal, my dream for 16 weeks and 3 days. On the day of the gender reveal, there was no heartbeat, a missed miscarriage, and I delivered my son, my hopes, my dream, Alejandro Isaiah, July 23rd, 2014. I mourned, I wept, and I released him to God. He was my angel, my sweet baby boy who now would be my guide and my strength on my journey for the next 4 years.

We tried 3 more IUI at no success, so then we were given no choice but to do IVF, and the cost out of pocket with no fertility coverage put us at a standstill. It wasn’t until I came across a doctor in Mexico that could do it for a fraction of the cost the U.S. doctors were asking. So, the plan to do IVF abroad was put into action. We started in April of 2017, and we had a total of 3 rounds. The first round was not successful after transferring 3 embryos with none frozen. The second round produced 7 embryos, and we transferred 2 at a three-day growth and froze 5. Once again, not successful. On our third and final round, we went back in September 2017, and I asked the doctor if we could grow them to day 5. He agreed.

During the thaw and growth, we lost 3 embryos, so we were left with 2. They were favorable five-day embryos that we transferred September 21st at 12:30 pm, and by 5:30 that evening I could feel my little crabby digging in. I knew it. I felt it, and sure enough, five days past the transfer, there were the long-awaited 2 pink lines! I was over the moon. God had answered my prayers. I was Sarah, and my husband was Abraham, and God’s promise was fulfilled. Of course, I had a long way to go. I had to get past the first trimester and 16 weeks 3 days before I was 100% confident, but nothing was stopping me now.

I was 49. I was pregnant, and I was going to give birth to the most amazing human. A true miracle. We had to return to Mexico every 28 to 35 days until 20 weeks to do a special procedure called Lit Therapy which was my husband’s blood mixed with a serum and inject in my forearms because I have elevated natural killer cells. By doing this, keeps my body from rejecting the embryo. Was that the reason I was able to conceive and carry my child or was it just my sheer desire, determination, and God’s promise? Well, I believe it was all of them in one.

I was able to carry her (which I found out she was a ‘her’ at 14 weeks, and I was truly in girl-mode from that day forward) until 33 weeks 4 days. It was a Friday. My water broke at 5:48 am. My husband had just left for work, so I called him from the car and told him I was on my way to the hospital. Then I called the hospital to tell them I was on my way and please be waiting for me. There they were, waiting to bring me to L&D. My awesome team of doctors were all there, and it was decided we would do a c-section that day at 2:00 pm. I was the happiest, please give me a c-section lady, on planet earth. Our baby girl was coming to meet us!

That day at 2:49 pm, Isabelia Alejandra was born, and my IVF journey become mission complete. Here we were, on to the next journey… first-time mom at age 49. What an absolute joy it has been for the past 3 and a half years. I have enjoyed and will enjoy, every second of this child’s life. For this child I prayed, and the Lord answered my prayers!