Iliza & Eric

Eric and I got married pretty young. I was 23 and he was 25. We enjoyed married life for two years before trying to start a family. We were beyond excited and figured we would be the cool young parents on the block.

Four months after I stopped birth control, I still hadn’t had a cycle and I felt something was wrong. I went to my doctor who simply told me to “be patient.” Two months later, I returned, and still nothing. I knew something was off but because of my age (26), they told me again to be patient. I pushed and got referred to Shady Grove Fertility.

Coming to SGF

Our first appointment was in December 2017, seven months after being off the pill with no luck. We met with Dr. Katz, who performed a variety of tests on my husband and me. I was diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and I wasn’t ovulating. I felt relieved and validated, and Dr. Katz assured us that we could have a family. We just needed science.

The SGF offices in both Bel Air and Towson were a pleasure to work with. The staff knows how emotional this process is for everyone who walks in and we were always greeted with a smile. Dr. Katz and his staff always made us laugh and smile with each little victory, and we always left feeling confident in our next steps.

The good news

We started our ovulation induction treatment paired with timed intercourse almost immediately and on April 17, 2018, we found out WE WERE PREGNANT!

Our son, Jack Elliot, was born December 18, 2018. Almost a year from our first SGF appointment! I know everyone’s journey is not as easy as ours and we are beyond blessed! SGF was the best at keeping us focused on our goal even when our minds were only seeing negatives.

Now, looking back as a new mom, every struggle (and needle) was worth it. We have never been happier! Every time our son reaches a milestone, it is a simple reminder of how lucky we are, and we are enjoying life as a family of three.

Advice to future patients

Throughout the process, I was lucky enough to have the support of both Eric’s family and mine. There is so much taboo and negativity when it comes to discussing fertility, but we had been very open about our struggle and the process we were going through. It was nice to share our ups and downs with the people who loved us most.

My advice to anyone starting the journey is to trust yourself, be open with people and DO NOT BE ASHAMED. You are your best advocate. If you are open, Shady Grove Fertility will do the rest.