Overcoming male & female factor infertility to have baby Bennett

Why do you want to share your story?

We want to share our story because we feel it is important to help other people that are dealing with infertility struggles. We want to show that infertility doesn’t define a person and/or couple and that they are not alone during their own journey. By sharing our own story, we want to show that couples and individuals do not have to give up on their dream of having a family of their own no matter what avenue they take.

What led you to the Fertility Centers of Illinois?

What led us to have treatment at FCI was the trust of our OBGYN and friends that had success at FCI. We also did our research and we felt that FCI used a family approach to help individuals and couples to achieve their dream of starting a family by using the latest research and technology.

How would you describe your experience with your physician?

Our experience with Dr. Asima Ahmad and the FCI team was very positive. The doctors were very compassionate, caring, and focused on our case. He truly cared about how to tackle our case with a very concise treatment plan. When we voiced our concerns, he really took into account our opinion on how we wanted to proceed with our treatment. During our IVF cycle, Dr. Asima Ahmad took over our case due to Dr. Alvarez leaving the practice. Instead of changing our treatment plan, she followed Dr. Alvarez’s approach. With working as a team, both physicians helped us achieve the greatest gift of all, our son Bennett.

What fertility treatments did you undergo?

Over a course of three years we tried several treatment options. For the first year, we just tried to get pregnant the old fashion way. Once we discussed options with our OBGYN, we started TTC (clomid) with timed intercourse for over a year. At that point, our OBGYN decided to refer us to a specialist. After we got the initial testing done, our doctor recommended IUI for the first course of action. At this time, Jason started taking several types of vitamins to help with his morphology.

I started taking Clomid to help regulate period cycles with timed intercourse and then IUI. After the transmission, I was on Endomometrin and Estrodial to help with estrogen levels. However, with three failed attempts of IUI (two complete IUI and one cycle that was aborted due to low egg count) we decided to go to in vitro fertilization (IVF). We were only able to retrieve four eggs during this cycle. As a family, we decided to go with the procedure called intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) to increase the odds of creating embryos. At the end of the process, we were able to get two embryos and transferred one of those fresh five days later.

What helped you get through treatment?

During treatment we relied on family and friends to help us emotionally and physically. We both talked to other couples that undergone IVF to get tips and advice. We also relied on each other by supporting each other especially during times of heartache. We also reached out to support groups on social media and talked to other couples across the country. Without the support, we would of have not remained positive and have gotten to this point of parenthood.

Do you have any words of wisdom for others?

Our words of wisdom for individuals and other couples is first don’t give up. Even when you feel like you there is no hope and you feel like there is no end in sight, there will be a light at the end of the tunnel. Infertility doesn’t define a person or couple, it is just a chapter in your journey to parenthood. Also do not be afraid to talk about your struggles. We both found it comforting that we were not alone in this journey and people were very supportive.

Tell us about your little miracle!

Bennett was born a healthy, strong boy at eight pounds even and twenty-one inches long. He is almost 6 months old and has quite the personality. He loves listening to music of any type, but his favorite artist is Kane Brown. He loves his cat fur brother Buddy, but his fur brother isn’t so sure about him.

Bennett loves to smile, laugh, and snuggle with his parents. He is already curious about the world and loves learning new skills. Many friends and family say that he is a clone of his daddy, and we would have to agree. But we hope he gets his mommy’s height. Recently, he started solid foods and loves sweet potatoes. We love our little champ so much and we are forever grateful for FCI for helping us bring our little miracle. 

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