"Keep your goal in mind"

"Keep your goal in mind" is a special motto of mine. That thought has helped me through my experiences with difficult pregnancies, multiple miscarriages and In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) procedures. I did what I had to do, with my goal in mind, and now my husband and I have two beautiful children.

I'm a 37-year-old wife and mother of two from Yorktown, Virginia. My husband and I have been married for five years in May, although we wanted to be together so desperately that we eloped a few months prior to our official "big wedding day." By profession, I'm a nuclear engineering training instructor. And now, I'm thrilled to be a stay-at-home mom.

Unlike most women who seek IVF due to infertility problems, my story is a little different. I never had a problem becoming pregnant, but I do have a genetic problem, which led me to experience four miscarriages. I was able to give birth to my son in July 1994, but when we tried again when he was 18 months old, the translocation genetic disorder which runs in my family caused me to endure multiple miscarriages. The disorder means that if the ninth and eleventh chromosome that I contribute to the beginning fetus are unbalanced, then a miscarriage will occur.

My obstetrician/gynecologist/geneticist was very informative and supportive. He informed me of a method called the FISH procedure. So, rather than endure another mentally and physically difficult miscarriage, we decided that the best option would be to have my eggs examined first. With a dye used as a marker probe, we could choose the good eggs and bypass those with a problem. The procedure is not done everywhere, but I called around and found Dr. Munne in Livingston, New Jersey.

In February 1997, the physicians began the procedure by stimulating my ovaries. Unfortunately, my ovaries were not responding well. I tried again in April; no luck again. With the goal of a baby in mind, I drove to New Jersey one more time on May 8 -- our wedding anniversary. This time, six eggs were retrieved. Four of those eggs matured. Two became fertilized. I remember wearing my hospital cap and gown, ready to have the implantation, and waiting to find out if I had a viable embryo. Dr. Scott came in and told me we had good news and bad news. The bad news was that there was only one surviving embryo, but the good news was that it had the correct chromosomes. The embryo was transferred to me and I had two weeks to wait to find out if I was pregnant or not. Two weeks later, YES, I was pregnant!

I did have some complications during my pregnancy, but these were regardless of the method used to conceive. First, I experienced some blood clotting at four weeks. Then, at 18 weeks, we discovered that the baby had a cardiac condition. At seven months, bilateral notching occurred on the uteran artery and the placenta was not becoming profused well. At 33 weeks, I experienced high blood pressure and was admitted to the hospital where both my baby and I could be monitored. When it came to a point where it was either my health or hers which would decline, they induced labor at 35 weeks. After trying for two days in a row with no results, a cesarean section was performed. My beautiful 4 lb. 4 oz. baby was born.

Without IVF, I would not have given birth to a genetically sound baby. If I were to try for another baby again, IÕd certainly try IVF. I thank my physicians and clinic for their support. Also, the professionals at IVP pharmaceutical care were always so kind and knowledgeable. Every person I spoke to there was helpful and they provided me with all the important information I needed. I have graciously passed their number on to many women. IÕd like to urge anyone who wants to have a baby badly enough; DonÕt give up! Keep your goal in mind.

Now, other than the heart condition, my baby daughter is doing very well. Her surgery will soon pass and I know she will be fine. At eleven weeks, she is 9 lbs. 1.5 ounces. My 3 1/2 year old son, my daughter, my husband and I are a very happy family.