Kristy and Mike had always wanted to have a family but with irregular cycles and an unhealthy weight, this proved to be more difficult than either of them expected it to be. Just as they were starting to give up all hope, a call to Shady Grove Fertility gave them the answers they needed and brought their dreams to a reality.
Let’s Wait and See
When they first got married, they figured if they got pregnant, great, if not, it would surely happen at some point. After 12 years, Kristy got tired of waiting and decided to see her OB/GYN for some testing to see what was going on, why had they not conceived after all these years? “I had done some research and realized that my irregular cycles, bulging middle, and unwanted facial hair just might be the red flags of Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS),” says Kristy. Her doctor was a bit taken aback that Kristy had never mentioned those symptoms before, “but when you only see your OB/GYN every 6 months, it’s easy to overlook minor inconveniences”, says Kristy, that you may not think have anything to do with your ability to conceive. She was diagnosed with PCOS and prescribed Clomid to help her ovulate regularly. Success! After a few months they were able to conceive on their own, only to have the pregnancy unfortunately end in miscarriage at 9 weeks. After a few more months on Clomid, her doctor referred her to Shady Grove Fertility for more advanced treatment.
The PCOS Effect
They met with Dr. Eugene Katz at the GBMC location in March 2010 and Dr. Katz advised Kristy, who was overweight at the time, to consider losing some weight. “I can remember Dr. Katz telling me “The more weight I lost, the higher my chances of success would be,” explained Kristy. Willing to do whatever it took and having tried every fad diet on the planet to try to lose stubborn pounds, Kristy made the decision to join Weight Watchers. “Due to my PCOS I followed the weight loss plan best suited for diabetics”. She figured the PCOS would also mean insulin resistance, so a plan focusing on the right carbohydrates and foods low in sugar was the right combination to start the scale going down. She learned how to eat healthily and instead of seeing it as a “diet”, she accepted it as a new way of eating, a way of life. She liked the plan because it allowed her to eat healthy food without feeling deprived. By April, Kristy was down a whopping 25 pounds and they did their first Intrauterine Insemination (IUI) at the Bel Air location, but the cycle, unfortunately, did not end in success.
The ups and downs of dealing with infertility put a strain on the Hyatt’s marriage. Kristy blamed herself for their inability to conceive and felt that her body was failing them both. Mike remained supportive and encouraging, but it was difficult knowing there was nothing he could do to “fix” what was wrong. So they pulled together and focused on the task at hand. Kristy knew “any little thing could make a difference; every little bit helps, so any bad habit I could change, I did.” Like quit smoking, which she did as well to increase her chances of success with fertility treatment.
Gains and Losses
During Kristy and Mike’s fertility journey, Mike’s Grandfather had become ill. The Hyatt’s found it challenging during such an emotional time for their family but Kristy and Mike did not quit, they knew how much growing their family would mean to Mike’s Grandfather. Kristy stayed on her plan and remained positive and by their next planned IUI in May, Kristy was down another 6 pounds and on June 4th they received the news they had been waiting for, their pregnancy test was positive. Mike rushed to tell his mother so that she could pass along the amazing news to his grandfather. Shortly after hearing the news of the impending blessing, Mike’s grandfather passed away. His mother to this day believes that was the last piece of unfinished business he had on this earth and was able to pass away at peace knowing his great-grandchild would be coming into the world.
Their son, Matthew, will be one year old on February 11th. Kristy is working on the last bit of baby weight from Matthew before her planned return to Shady Grove Fertility in July. “I plan to go back to Weight Watchers to help me reach my goals, I know every little bit helps” explained Kristy.
At Shady Grove, our goal is to help you not only conceive a baby, but that you also maintain a healthy pregnancy and give birth to a healthy baby. Weight can be an obstacle that most women try to overcome throughout their lifetime; usually it’s more of a superficial battle, for example, to lose five pounds for swimsuit season. But being even slightly overweight can lessen your chances of conceiving a child and maintaining that pregnancy. The doctors at Shady Grove will do everything they can to increase your chances of a successful pregnancy, but, with the appropriate education and tools, the ability to lose weight may be within your own control.
