"Take Advantage of Modern Medicine"

I've never been very career-minded, but I've always wanted to be a mother. I just did not realize that my dream would end up being a difficult one to achieve.

My husband and I met at Sunday school while we were both in college in Utah. Six months later, we were married. After a year we tried to have a baby, but I wasn't ovulating and was having trouble becoming pregnant. My doctor gave me Clomid and after two months, I became pregnant. At four months, I had a miscarriage. It was extremely disappointing for both of us.

One year later, I tried Clomid again and became pregnant. We were elated, but nervous at the same time. We just wanted to have a baby so badly! Then, I developed gestational diabetes during the pregnancy. I had to be very careful with what I ate. Six times a day, I measured my food and had to eat certain amounts of certain foods. The rules were even more strict than for regular diabetes, but I was willing to sacrifice and do whatever it took to do what was best for the baby.

Because of the diabetes, I had several ultrasounds. During those, I found out the baby was a girl. I really wanted a girl and was so excited. When my daughter was born, both of my sisters had babies around the same time too, so it was a very exciting time for our families. Now, she is three and a half years old and such a joy. When our daughter was 18 months old, we decided to try to have another child. We were living in Japan at the time because my husband, a mechanical engineer, was working on a lengthy project. Once again, I found that I was not ovulating. I kept taking my temperature and trying to predict my cycle, but nothing was regular. I visited a Japanese doctor, but the language barrier made it difficult to communicate. My husband had to come to my appointments to translate and, along with the baby, we had to take a number and wait in very long lines to be seen by the doctor. The doctor gave me Clomid again, but we were still not having any luck.

Finally, we moved back to the U.S. and I went to my doctor here. After a cycle of Clomid, the doctor examined me every few days, but my body was not responding at all. We visited a fertility specialist who gave me injections of Repronex, obtained through IVPCARE. I had to take daily injections for awhile and my two-year-old helped put the bandage on me. She knew it was all a part of "Mommy getting a baby in her belly." I remember there was one time when I panicked. My medication had not arrived and it was a Friday night of a holiday weekend. I called IVPCARE and a representative called me back from her home. She went to the office, called a courier and had the medicine delivered to me. If not, my cycle would have been ruined. That was the cycle that the baby came.

This medication forced my body to ovulate and I was fortunate to become pregnant after just one cycle. Two weeks after the artificial insemination, I took a blood test to find out the good results. Even my doctor seemed surprised that this happened so quickly. He said, "Well, you're efficient!" This pregnancy was a good one and I was glad to not experience gestational diabetes for a second time. I encourage anyone who is having difficulties becoming pregnant to take advantage of modern medicine. Don't give up too easily. If you find that you are emotionally drained, take a break and then try again later.

Now, we have another baby girl. Our first daughter loves her and tells stories to us while I'm nursing the baby. She loves trying to make the baby laugh and I just love being a mom. It is my favorite thing in the whole world. In the future, we will probably try again. My poor husband...he is outnumbered three to one. Maybe we'll have a boy next time!