Why do you want to share your story?

We are forever grateful to Dr. Rodgers for her helping us get our miracle baby. She was our third doctor and we wish we had started with her right away. Picking the right doctor during this difficult time is so important. We have recommended her many times to friends who needed fertility services and they have all been so happy with her and her staff.

What led you to the Fertility Centers of Illinois?

We first heard Dr. Rodgers on the Beat Infertility podcast. She was so compassionate and also up to date on the latest research, which is exactly what we wanted after poor experiences at two other clinics. I knew at our consultation with Dr. Rodgers that we found the right fit – finally. I was worried about feeling like just a number in a big clinic, but Dr. Rodgers and her team give such personalized care and were so responsive.

How would you describe your experience with your physician?

Dr. Rodgers and her nurses are so supportive and compassionate. We had many setbacks throughout our journey and they kept us hopeful. They were all so responsive and worked hard to get us in as quickly as possible for consultations and procedures. I loved that Dr. Rodgers would always call with results herself, and she would call throughout the cycle to check in if she wasn’t scheduled on my retrieval/transfer days. We felt comfortable asking her any and all questions, and she always had a good perspective based on the latest research.

Can you tell us about your fertility treatment?

At my first two clinics, we had three rounds of IUI, one laparoscopy, and two rounds of IVF, one of which was canceled for poor response. The second round which only yielded one Day 3 embryo that didn’t work. We were devastated, as we were only 29 and couldn’t understand why I wasn’t responding to their protocols.

Our first round of in vitro fertilization (IVF) with Dr. Rodgers had by far the best results in the number of eggs and embryos, but neither Day 5 embryo stuck and we didn’t have any extras to freeze. After that, we decided to move onto donor eggs through the FCI donor program after much thought and consideration. We knew that the baby met for us would find their way to us- regardless of genetics. We were able to get a lot of embryos from our fresh donor cycle, but our first transfer with two embryos failed.

After that, we decided to do the endometrial receptivity analysis (ERA) test, which showed I needed to transfer on day 4 instead of day 5. We repeated the ERA to confirm this rare result. Our next transfer worked!

After three years of infertility and hundreds of shots and many procedures, we were finally pregnant!

What helped you get through treatment?

I enjoyed listening to the Beat Infertility podcasts and hearing other’s stories. I was also a part of the local Resolve group and made some lifelong friends as we walked the path of infertility together. I was also in some Facebook groups for diminished reserve and learned so much from other’s journeys. There were a lot of hard days, but we knew once we got on the other side, all the tears and costs and pain would be worth it. And it was!

Do you have any words of hope for others?

Keep searching until you find the right doctor and clinic. It is so important to find the right fit. We cannot recommend Dr. Rodgers and FCI enough! While the journey may not go how you expect, it will turn out better than you could have ever expected. Push through the hard days and have faith that you will get your miracle – one way or another!

Tell us about your little miracle!

Elliott is now 1 year old and has the happiest personality. His smile lights up our lives every day. We honestly couldn’t imagine a more perfect baby for us. We feel thankful and blessed every day that we get to be his parents. We are lucky to have frozen embryos to hopefully give him a future sibling!

Need-to-know fertility resources and guidance

Diagnosis and treatment

We understand you may have questions about infertility and how it’s treated. Gain answers from the diagnosis and treatments shared in this story.
Diminished ovarian reserve
In vitro fertilization (IVF)

Receiving care

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Dr. Allison K. Rodgers
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