My husband, Tino, and I first met in early 2009. We met through mutual friends and after a nervous start (on Christina’s part), we started dating shortly thereafter. In October 2013 we got our first apartment together, followed by adopting our beloved shelter dog, Rylie, in April 2014. By February 2015, I thought we might be having difficulty conceiving, and was diagnosed for the first time with PCOS. A few cycles of clomid and metformin were attempted, and then put on pause. We went on with everyday life and got married in April 2017. We had a lovely honeymoon period, then refocused on our family building plans.
By early 2018, we started seeing a fertility specialist, who by ordering an HSG, diagnosed me with one blocked fallopian tube. This dramatically reduced our chances of getting pregnant naturally each month (it was at 4%). With my advancing age, the blocked tube, and the amount of time we had been trying at that point, the fertility specialist strongly recommended a cycle of fully-stimulated IVF to get pregnant and “bank all our embryos for life”, with a 70% chance of this being successful. As common as it is post-HSG to become pregnant, we did, and had a horrendous miscarriage right on Mother’s Day. A hysteroscopy & polypectomy and another HSG later, I was diagnosed with bilateral tubal blockages (both fallopian tubes are blocked), and again fell pregnant, but again miscarried. This time during COVID and this time needing a D&C in April 2020.
Natural conception was pretty much impossible, so we started our IVF cycle in July 2020 with our egg retrieval. We had our first embryo transfer in August, but it failed. I had a polyp in my uterus that probably inhibited implantation. So we had a hysteroscopy to remove it, recovered, and then transferred another male embryo on November 20, 2020.
This was successful, as I knew I was pregnant 10 days later, having tested way earlier than the traditional “Two Week Wait). This pregnancy was smooth sailing, un-complicated, and most importantly— full term! I was induced on my due date, and our son Leo was born a day and a half later, on 08/11/2021!
My delivery was very difficult and with complications. Sparing additional details, as soon as Leo was out and it was time to deliver the placenta, there was difficulty. It was not coming out easy, and it was coming out in shreds. It was retained. I had hemorrhaged. The doctors had exhausted the standard of care time-limit to deliver the placenta, so I was taken into emergency surgery for a D&C. Without anesthesia like my 2 previous ones. Just slapped a fentanyl patch on me and that was it. It was traumatic to say the least.
They got all the could appreciate at the time but with being very vascular and abnormal from just having delivered, it was hard to determine if there was any placental tissue remaining. I followed up with my post-op appointment earlier than usual— 2 weeks after delivery and an ultrasound determined significant placental tissue remaining in my uterus. An emergent MRI was ordered which revealed placenta increta. On the PAS spectrum, this is where the placenta is imbedded very deeply in the uterine wall. I was advised to get a second opinion (which I got a 2nd and a 3rd at Georgetown University Hospital as well) to determine if a recommended hysterectomy is what needed to be done. And it was. Another D&C would be too dangerous and most likely unsuccessful, as would a myomectomy or expectant management. We opted for the total hysterectomy (ovaries remain).
This was done 2 months postpartum, and we were optimistically advised we could pursue using a gestational carrier to have any future children with our remaining embryos. Upon further researching the inns and outs of using a GC (different than surrogacy), we found the costs associated with this journey to be so out of reach for us. It seriously blows a cycle of IVF out of the water, and we are at a loss to figure out how to fund this.
Ar this time, we are still very much wanting to expand our family. With our son Leo turning 4 years old, we so want to give him a sibling before he gets too much older. Our dreams of having a biological daughter are still hanging over our heads. We know that when we first realized we needed to pursue IVF in order to have a child, the road was challenging, but worth it. If we had turned our backs back then, Leo would not be here. So we cannot turn our backs now. Another heartbreaking turn of events and obstacles will not deter us from building the family we would love to have. We are asking for financial donations to bring us closer to realizing this dream. We would be so grateful for anything received.
