First I would like to say thank you to all that left me a comment from my last post. If you haven't seen the last post go here! Each one of them was special to read and I look forward to sharing them with Chad when he returns from NYC. We are loved in so many ways and feel very blessed to have all this love and support around us! As I stated in my last post I am now going to share our story with you. I hope that our story gives those that are seeking to become pregnant HOPE. I just hope you don't get too bored!
Us girls all have fairy tales, dreams, desires, wants, and plans for our future. We feel that if we make these plans that they will come true. My dreams have come true, but the timing of the dreams aren't always when I thought it would be. Let me start at the beginning.
Us girls all have fairy tales, dreams, desires, wants, and plans for our future. We feel that if we make these plans that they will come true. My dreams have come true, but the timing of the dreams aren't always when I thought it would be. Let me start at the beginning.
Our story began when Chad and I got married in September 26th, 2006. We spent our first year of marriage truly enjoying our marriage as a couple. It was a great first year! Towards the end of the first year Chad and I went on a 1st Year Anniversary Trip to Mexico and a month before leaving we decided to go off the pill and start trying to have a baby. We spent the next 10 months trying on our own with no success at all. I was scheduled for my yearly OBGYN appointment and we decided that we would seek additional help. I still remember that day as if it was yesterday sitting in the doctor's office telling my OBGYN that we were having problems and than our world was turned upside down. We both spent the next four months doing every test possible to determine a cause. Chad was sent to a male specialist (sorry I don't know what they are called) and they did additional testing and it was determined that we would go on Clomid for the next 6 months to see if we could conceive on our own. However it did not work and than they suggested that we try an IUI. I just knew an IUI would work and we would be pregnant. Well I was wrong we did a total of three IUI's from November 2007-January 2009. It was disappointing to hear that our next steps were to seek help at the Tulsa Fertility Center. We had our first appointment in February 2009 to review our history with the doctors at the clinic and determine what was the best option for us. Based on our male factor issues our doctor decided that we should go straight to IVF with ICSI as based on our records we had less than a 5% chance of conceiving on our own. This was dramatic for me to hear, but I knew at the time that I had to have trust in the doctor's that they knew best. So we proceeded and began the journey of IVF. After our first appointment it felt as if I would finally get pregnant and all my dreams would come true. I had NO doubt at all that it won't work I just knew that once the doctor's put the egg and sperm together that it would create a embryo and it would implant in me and all would be great. That is what I thought, but boy was I wrong. I began fertility shots in April and we had our Egg Retrieval on April 16th 2009 and my Embryo Transfer on April 19th 2009. During the month of April and a few weeks in May I ended up taking around 60 shots...YIKES! On May 1st 2009 we did our first Beta test and we received news that it was a low positive and so for the next several days I did two more Beta tests and it was determined on May 11th, 2009 that I was not pregnant. It was a very SAD day! I just did not understand why this was happening to me. During the peak of our fertility treatments I was surrounded by some many people that I love that were having babies or pregnant. My twin sister Amie welcomed Drew in May 2009, my friend Ashley welcomed her little girl in June 2009, my friend Kendall welcomed her little girl in June 2009, and my sister Jessyca welcomed her little girl in July 2009. I was around so many blessings, but I was dying inside. I wanted what they had and I just didn't understand why it was so hard for us. I don't want my friends or family reading this to think I was hurt or upset about their pregnancies I was more jealous than anything. Only a few people know this, but since I am telling you our story I am going to be real with you, when Chad and I went to our failed cycle consult in Tulsa in May 2009 we were told that our best option to conceive was donor sperm. Hearing those words and the lost hope our doctor had in us was heartbreaking. I felt completely lost! It was also hard because I felt as if I couldn't talk to anyone about what was going on because I thought that they would not understand and just tell me to be patient and I would get pregnant. And that was the last thing I wanted to hear! After the failed IVF I couldn't do it again as my heart was not 100% into trying again. In June 2009 Kelly and I were walking in the neighborhood and we were discussing the options that we were given and based on our discussion and her faith I just felt a strong feeling that I needed to SIT and BE PATIENT! Thanks Kelly!
So from June 2009-August 2009 Chad and I decided that we would give our worries to GOD and let him lead us. I am not saying that we didn't stop counting days and determining peak ovaluation days because we did do this each month, but we did focus more on our relationship with GOD than on getting pregnant. It was difficult for me to give it all to GOD as I have the personality that wants to control all details and make it happen. But as I continued to grow my faith in GOD I changed. I felt called to the Alter one Sunday in early September 2009 and I talked to GOD and told him that I could not feel this way anymore, I could not continue feeling sad each month that I did't get pregnant and on that day I laid it all down to him so now it was his turn to take care of it. About a week later I was walking with Bella and I just spoke to GOD and asked him to give me some sign that he was with me and taking care of me and I looked up and the sun rays were shining down on me. I felt comfort and strength after that walk that GOD was with me. On September 22nd 2009 I woke up and had a strong feeling that I needed to take a pregnancy test, I was 10 days late. I already knew what it would say NOT PREGNANT! HOWEVER TO MY SURPRISE IT CLEARLY SHOWED PREGNANT. I was completely amazed I didn't know what to do. I have never received a positive test since we started our journey. I didn't want to tell Chad over the phone so I went to his office and he met me outside and I said, "Look at the photo I took this morning."
He looked at my iPhone and there was a picture of the test. He was completely in shock and he told me that I made his entire year! I was still in shock and couldn't believe that this was happening that I went to Walmart and bought three more tests and over the course of the next three days I took five tests to confirm I was in fact pregnant. On September 25th, 2009 I went to my OBGYN's office to confirm I was in fact pregnant and on that day all our dreams came true. It was the best third year anniversary present we could give each other as the next day was our anniversary and WE WERE PREGNANT! It is surreal to think that on our 1st anniversary we began the journey to become parents and on our third anniversary we were blessed with the miracle that is growing inside of me. Dreams do come true and I know this because of the miracle that God has given me.
I hope that our story gives each infertility couple faith and hope that you can get pregnant on your own. We bet the odds and with MANY prayers from MANY people around the world we are expecting our MIRACLE in May 2010. If anyone has any further questions or comments that they would like to share with me personally you can email me
at mlstafford26@yahoo.com
Sorry for the LONG post! I hope you enjoyed! Tomorrow I will share our story of us telling our family and friends! Each day sharing the news with our family and friends will be a memory I won't forget and I can't wait to share it with all of you.
at mlstafford26@yahoo.com
Sorry for the LONG post! I hope you enjoyed! Tomorrow I will share our story of us telling our family and friends! Each day sharing the news with our family and friends will be a memory I won't forget and I can't wait to share it with all of you.
God is Good!
With Faith, Hope, and a Miracle I feel Blessed!
05/17/2010 Week 39 Baby Appt
05/11/2010 Week 38 Baby Appt
05/04/2010 Nineth Baby Appt
04/21/2010 Eighth Baby Appt
04/17/2010 Baby Shower
04/06/2010 Seventh Baby Appt
03/19/2010 Sixth Baby Appt
03/09/2010 3 hour Glucose Test(passed)
03/08/2010 2nd 3D Ultrasound
03/05/2010 Fifth Baby Appt and Glucose Test(did not pass)
03/04/2010 3D Ultrasound
02/18/2010 Breastfeeding Class
02/05/2010 Fourth Baby Appt
01/06/2010 Third Baby Appt and Gender Revealed Ultrasound
12/04/2009 Second Baby Appt
11/03/2009 First Baby Appt - Heartbeat 168
09/25/2009 Confirmed BFP @ doctor's appt
09/22/2009 BFP Home Test
06/2009-08/2009 TTC Naturally
5/14/2009 Failed Consult Appt
5/11/2009 Beta Test #3 - results 29 - Not Pregnant (BFN)
05/04/2009 Beta Test #2 - results 98
05/01/2009 Beta Test #1 - results 17
04/19/2009 Trip to Tulsa Embryo Transfer
04/16/2009 Trip to Tulsa Egg Retrieval
04/14/2009 Trip to Tulsa U/S and Blood Work
04/13/2009 Trip to Tulsa U/S and Blood Work
04/11/2009 Trip to Tulsa U/S and Blood Work
04/10/2009 Continue Follistim and Dexamethasone and add Ganirelix shot... three shots a day plus one pill
04/09/2009 Trip to Tulsa U/S and Blood Work
04/05/2009 Start AM Dexamethasone pill and AM and PM Follistim Injections for the next five days
04/02/2009 - Baseline Appointment - All is good :)
04/01/2009 - Last BCP
03/25/2009 - Trial Transfer Test and Counseling Session
03/11/2009 - Started BCP
02/18/2009 - consult appointment at the Tulsa Fertility Center
01/02/2009 - second IUI - no luck...BFN
12/07/2008 - Sister Jessyca Jacobson - announced she is pregnant!
12/06/2008 - first IUI - no luck...BFN
11/15/2008 - BF Kendall and Shawn Jones - announced pregnancy
09/19/2008 - Sister Amie and Brian Hansen - announced pregnancy
08/2008-11/2008 - Clomid and Ovalution Predictor Kits to try to conceive - no luck!
08/2008 - Chad's appointment to determine if he has any male fertility issues - suggested that we try Clomid to conceive
07/2008 - MANY appointments to determine if I have any female fertility issues - all is good here!
06/2008 - Appointment with Candy Birch to discuss why we have not been able to get pregnant
08/07-06/2008 - TTC Naturally
08/2007 - NO MORE BCP TTC Naturally
09/26/06 - Married the love of my life
