Our Baby Story

Mark and I have been hoping for children for several years. We both knew that we wanted to be parents someday and everyday that passed, that dream seemed to be getting father away. So after 3 years of trying many different fertility treatments we decided to try one last option, IVF. It was always there in the back of our minds as our last option.

So in January of 2013 we went to a specialist in Overland Park, KS and began the treatments. The Dr. told us that our odds of conceiving were about 65% - the best odds we had heard since we began this journey. We were very hopeful as we started this process.

After many rounds of shots, pills, and doctor visits - we had the egg retrieval in February. It was an outpatient procedure. They retrieved 34 eggs. After fertilization, we ended up with 14 Embryos - very successful!

In the hospital before the egg retrieval 

The Embryo Transfer was scheduled for 5 days later. While home recovering from the first surgery, I became very sick. Throwing up, unable to eat or drink. Mark took me back to the hospital at 4am. I was diagnosed with Ovarian Hyper Stimulation Syndrome (OHSS). I stayed for 3 days. This was the sickest I had ever been in my life!

Not feeling too good

My belly began to swell with extra fluid trying to protect my enlarged ovaries. A very cruel joke to someone trying to get pregnant! This was extremely uncomfortable - so they performed two paracentesis. Below is the fluid they got from one draining!

Fluid from one paracentesis

I was so sick from the OHSS, that we weren't able to proceed with the embryo transfer. They had to freeze the remaining embryos - and we ended up with 9 frozen embryos.

It took two months for my health to return and my cycle return. So we scheduled the next embryo transfer for May 20th. I was promised that this would be a painless procedure!

On the way to the hospital we found out that one of the embryos didn't survive the thaw. They did get two thawed in time for the procedure and then the waiting game began.

We got a call 8 days later with the best news ever! We were finally PREGNANT!!! Yay!!!!

My first Positive Test!

A few weeks later we went in for our first sonogram and found out some more amazing news!! We were pregnant with twins!!! Only one of the two embryos took and that one split!! So we ended up with Identical Twins (Monochorionic-Diamniotic Twins) They share a sac with a dividing membrane and they also share a placenta. 

Our two little miracles!

We feel truly blessed to have been so successful on our first round of IVF. These little guys are due January 14, 2014!! Can't wait to meet them person :)