"Try, Try, Try Again!"

I recall a particular Sunday in church when I almost felt hopeless; I thought we would never have a baby. Then, the congregation began singing, "God will make a way where there is no way," and I suddenly knew I had to try, try, try again.

I'm a 31-year-old housewife who lives in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. My husband and I met on a blind date and have been happily married for 13 years. We were married for seven years when we began trying to have a baby. Unfortunately, I experienced an ectopic pregnancy that ruptured my fallopian tube and nearly killed me.

One year later, we were still trying. I finally became pregnant again, but had another ectopic pregnancy in my other fallopian tube. The fetus was removed before the fallopian tube ruptured, but now I lost both tubes. After three more frustrating years of trying to conceive and desperately wanting to have a baby, we moved from Florida to Oklahoma and saw a fertility specialist.

After the move, I began the hormone treatment which causes the ovaries to produce more eggs than usual. IVP Pharmaceutical Care sent me all the necessary medication by overnight delivery. When an ultrasound showed that the eggs were ready, it was time for retrieval. Five eggs were retrieved. Next, the eggs were incubated with the sperm. Four of the eggs were fertilized. Once the cells divided, the embryos were implanted in my uterus. It was heartbreaking news when I learned that the first time was unsuccessful.

My husband and I were distraught. We considered giving up and moving back to Florida, but I desired a baby so badly that my heart ached. We considered adoption, but that didn't feel very satisfying to me. After talking to my doctor and hearing the inspirational song in church, we decided to try again. It was a rush decision, but IVP Pharmaceutical Care was very responsive in sending us the medication immediately.

Once again, five eggs were retrieved. Three eggs were fertilized and all three were implanted. At this point, we had to wait two long weeks to find out if I became pregnant. When the two weeks were complete, I took a pregnancy test at the doctor's office and a very faint pink line showed up. We could hardly believe our eyes! The doctor told me to come back the next day. This time, the line was more prominent and we knew I was pregnant! I was in shock! I immediately called my husband and he was ecstatic. This was the first time a baby was in my uterus, not in my fallopian tube. The baby had a chance to survive.

The pregnancy went well until labor. The baby was four days late and after six hours of labor, she was still not coming down the birth canal. A cesarean section was performed and my daughter was born on January 29, 1998, weighing 9 pounds. She is a very healthy and beautiful baby. My husband and I are very blessed that science enabled her to happen for us. In the future, we want to have more children and hope for two boys. To accomplish this, I would definitely try IVF again.

For anyone who is in a similar situation to the one I've experienced, please never feel that you are inadequate because you're not a mother yet. I remember seeing mothers with babies all the time. At church, I had to leave the room during baby dedication because it tore me up so much. Those are natural feelings and you should not feel guilty for hurting when you see a child. If you desire a child that strongly, never give up. Science is there to help you. Try, try, try again.