28. Ashley's Story: How My Challenges with Endometriosis and Pregnancy Loss inspire me to help others
n this episode, we have Ashley from Florida, who has a 10-month-old daughter after an eight-year fertility journey. Ashley is a licensed counselor.
Ashley and her husband decided to start trying when she was around 25 years old. They thought it was the right time, given that many of their friends were starting the same journey. They assumed it would be easy, like sharing a glass of wine and having a romantic night that would lead to a surprise pregnancy.
However, it didn't work out that way. They tried conceiving naturally for about a year, and then Ashley sought help from her OBGYN.
Feeling unheard and frustrated, Ashley made the decision to change doctors. She was then referred to a fertility specialist. At the fertility clinic, a diagnosis of endometriosis was promptly confirmed.
Various tests also revealed other reproductive issues, such as low ovarian reserve and poor egg quality. Despite attempts with timed relations and IUIs that didn't succeed, they decided to try IVF. However, in the first two attempts, they didn't retrieve many eggs, and the resulting embryos weren't very healthy.
Ashley's doctor recommended considering a donor egg due to the urgency of the situation. This suggestion led Ashley and her husband to take a pause and carefully consider this option. During this period, they also became involved in fostering a boy, though the potential adoption didn't happen. It was at this point that Ashley realized her strong desire to become a mother, regardless of the path taken.
During the time they were already prepared to continue with the process of getting an egg from a donor, another obstacle arose: the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, and their plans were further affected. Despite the challenges, they still managed to build their home and ultimately proceeded with the egg donor process, resulting in a successful pregnancy.
However, Ashley had a miscarriage during her first pregnancy. Despite the pain and difficulties, they didn't lose hope. They persisted, and their determination led to the eventual birth of their 10-month-old daughter.
Ashley encourages others not to give up, emphasizing that the fertility journey isn't sugar coated to be fun or easy. She acknowledges the challenging and sometimes treacherous nature of the experience. It's a tough path filled with expenses and pain, especially when it's expected to be a natural process.
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