Shelby & Edward

Life before baby was always spent together! We loved to travel when we could — mainly places in Texas. We loved checking out museums or walking around shops in new towns we had never been to before. We enjoyed going on river trips with friends. We loved going to see a new movie in theaters! We also enjoy trying new restaurants anytime we get the chance! 

My husband and I got married in 2011 and shortly after, we moved to Germany where my husband was being stationed in the Army. During our first year there we did not try for kids, because we did not want to have them while living overseas.  

We decided to start trying to conceive our last year there. Nothing happened. Not thinking anything of it we continued to try. We moved back to the states in 2014 and continued trying for two years while living in Louisiana. But still no luck.  

Finding fertility care with SGF Houston and Dr. O’Hern

By the time we moved back to Houston in 2016 and got settled, we decided to find a fertility clinic to find out why I wasn’t getting pregnant. In 2017, I found Dr. O’Hern on Google and something in my gut told me I should go with her.  

My first appointment I was anxious. I was afraid to hear one of my worst fears, that I would never be able to have kids. But after meeting Dr O’Hern — who is the kindest soul I know — and running a bunch of tests, scans, and testing my husband, all we found was I had polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). 

Relieved, we wanted to start right away with the easiest option, timed intercourse. But unfortunately, it failed. So, we tried again the following month. Again, another fail.  

We kept trying the rest of the year not wanting to give up! Finally, by the end of the year I was told I had unexplained infertility. Dr. O’Hern was not sure as to why I was unable to get pregnant.  

Starting a new treatment plan

By 2018 she suggested we try intrauterine insemination (IUI). But after two failed attempts and more months of timed intercourse with no luck, I decided my body and mind needed a break.  

By the time 2020 arrived, I had lost a bunch of weight and I thought we could maybe try again. I went back to Dr. O’Hern, and we wanted to start with timed intercourse again.  

And in July, I finally got the news I have always dreamed of hearing! But after only two days of pure bliss, when I went back to get some blood work, my hCG numbers had not risen that much and it was declared a chemical pregnancy.  

Heartbreak after heartbreak

We were completely devastated but also more hopeful than we ever had been before! So, we tried again in September. And by October we were pregnant again! My numbers were extremely high but Dr. O’Hern was concerned because the numbers weren’t rising at the rate they should have been. After a couple of days, I went back in to find out I was having an ectopic pregnancy.  

We had to terminate the pregnancy and at that point I was ready to throw in the towel. Heartbreak after heartbreak was just leaving me with no hope.  

Finding the right treatment plan

I decided to hold off on trying again for a while, until I received a phone call in January of 2021 that seriously changed our lives forever! Dr. O’Hern believed it was possible for us to get pregnant, so she put in a recommendation for the IVF study at the Webster location and they called to tell us we had been selected to try the study! This was such a relief because we had been wanting to do IVF, but our insurance unfortunately didn’t cover it and we couldn’t pay out of pocket!  

After several months of paperwork, tests, and trying to be patient, we finally started the journey. On egg retrieval day they retrieved 24 eggs! Of those 24 only nine were worth keeping! When the day for the embryo transfer came my body was so exhausted that the embryo did not stick.  

After some more testing, Dr. O’Hern saw that six embryos had the highest chance of survival and so we froze them! After a month of rest and a month of being on birth control we were ready to try once again!  

Welcoming Jameson

On July 13, 2021, we transferred our highest-numbered embryo and on July 27 at 10:30 am I received a phone call that truly changed our lives forever! We were finally pregnant!! My hCG levels were high and rising rapidly and we were so grateful!  

On March 19, 2022, at 9:30 pm we welcomed a strong, healthy baby boy! Jameson Lee. He is hands down our greatest blessing and it’s all thanks to our wonderful doctor! She never gave up on us and we will be forever thankful for her! 

Something I learned along the way

Something I’ve learned about myself through my fertility journey is I never knew how strong I truly am. No, I don’t mean physically strong but mind over matter.  
 
So many times, I wanted to give up, we just kept running into one dead end after another after another! I felt physically done all the time!  
 
But I knew there was a goal and that goal was a baby!  
 
I had to remind myself I am supposed to be a mother and there was nothing that was going to stop me from doing that! I pushed myself to keep going even after negative tests and failed IUI’s and two D&C surgeries and two miscarriages.  
 
My heart was breaking into so many pieces at that point but with the support of my husband and never giving up, I made it through all those rough nine years of heartbreak! 

Advice for other fertility warriors

Be patient.  
 
I know, I know. This is a phrase most people going through infertility (me included) hate hearing! Especially when you’re getting no good news. But with the right doctor, the right medicine, and the right timing everything can start to fall into place. You just have to be patient. 
 
Something else that is highly needed during this time in your life when you feel you have no answers is to have the best support system out there! For me, it was my husband, my sister, and a few close friends. Without them, I don’t know if I would have or could have kept going.  
 
On my hardest days, they were there. On my saddest days, they were there to lean on and they let me cry. On the happiest days, they were always the first to call! All you need is one person!