Megan & Michael

Michael and I started dating in September 2018 and were married in June 2022. After we got married, we put it in God’s hands whether we would have children. We didn’t realize just how much we wanted a child until we experienced our first loss.

We have had several miscarriages over the years. Our first loss was in November 2022. At that time, we were told to wait a year before doing any testing to see if we could get pregnant on our own. Then in March 2023, we had another miscarriage, and that’s when we decided to start the process of getting answers.

We began testing at a fertility clinic in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. During that time, we became pregnant on our own, but the clinic told us to return to our regular OB/GYN because they don’t continue care for patients who get pregnant without treatment. Two days later, we had our third miscarriage. They called it a “pregnancy failure,” which made an already heartbreaking situation feel even worse. After that experience, we chose to leave that clinic.

We then found another fertility clinic in York, Pennsylvania. Again, we became pregnant on our own, but this time they continued to help us. Sadly, that pregnancy turned into an ectopic pregnancy, which required surgery to remove one of my fallopian tubes. During that surgery, I was also diagnosed with endometriosis. However, the provider we were seeing didn’t have much knowledge about endometriosis. My pain was dismissed, and they didn’t believe it was connected to our fertility struggles.

Finding fertility care at SGF

My OB/GYN, Dr. Niester, who truly understands endometriosis and fertility concerns, recommended that we go to Shady Grove Fertility — and that recommendation changed everything for us.

We met Dr. Melanie Ochalski for the first time in December 2024. From the beginning, she was incredibly knowledgeable and took the time to explain the differences between intrauterine insemination (IUI) and in vitro fertilization (IVF), along with our chances of success. She reviewed all of our previous testing, understood my endometriosis, and most importantly, made us feel cared for. She reassured us that even if we became pregnant on our own, she would continue to support us. For the first time, we didn’t feel like just a number.

After completing additional testing, Dr. Ochalski recommended IVF and clearly explained why it was the best option for us. We trusted her and decided to move forward.

I was very nervous about IVF because I am terrified of shots — I usually get sick or pass out. The nurse took the time to walk both my husband and me through how to do the injections, and they also provided videos to guide us. My husband gave me every single shot, which meant so much to me and helped me get through it.

Loss, love, and the decision to keep going

We had our egg retrieval on April 17, 2025, right before Easter. Eighteen eggs were retrieved, 10 matured, seven fertilized, and three made it to blastocysts. Sadly, only two became viable embryos. We lost one because he was missing a chromosome. We named him Easton, and he will always be part of our story.

On June 24, 2025 — the day before our anniversary — we had our transfer day. We transferred one embryo and are planning to return in one to two years for our remaining frozen embryo.

In early July, we had a trip planned to Missouri, and Shady Grove Fertility helped us find a Quest Diagnostics location there so we could complete our bloodwork. On July 7, while in Branson, Missouri, we found out we were pregnant.

We were due on March 12, 2026, but our little boy, Miles, arrived a little early on March 8, 2026.

Parenthood is possible

This journey was full of highs and lows. The lows were the losses, the waiting, and the uncertainty. The highs were the moments of hope — hearing positive updates, making it to transfer day, and finally seeing that positive pregnancy result. A typical day during treatment often meant early morning appointments, balancing work and emotions, and leaning on each other to get through.

What gave us hope throughout the process was our faith in God, our love for each other, and finally having a care team that truly listened and supported us.

Looking back, I wish I had known how emotional and physically exhausting this journey could be, and how important it is to advocate for yourself and find the right doctors who truly understand your situation.

I didn’t make drastic lifestyle changes, but I focused on doing everything I could to take care of myself physically and emotionally throughout the process.

Our story ends with the greatest blessing — our son, Miles. After everything we went through, holding him made every step of this journey worth it.

To future patients, I would say: don’t give up. Shady Grove Fertility truly cares about their patients. They don’t treat you like a number — they support you every step of the way, whether you get pregnant on your own or through treatment. Trust the process, advocate for yourself, and hold onto hope.