Our Reproductive Immunologist Was Still Optimistic
By: Carolyn Dooley Apr 29, 2015
Although our reproductive immunology center felt we were one of the worst cases he had seen, he was still optimistic that he could find the right combination of treatments to allow my body to accept another pregnancy. However, the treatments he was recommending were experimental. One was not typically used for this purpose during pregnancy.
The other was banned in the United States and would require a trip to Mexico or Greece. I decided if I was going to entertain these treatment options, I had to be sure it was necessary. I had to be certain that I was among the 1-2 % of the population who was suffering from recurrent pregnancy loss, even though I knew in my heart I was. In reality, I really felt like I had to prove it to everyone else who would otherwise think I was crazy to consider such drastic measures.
I also needed a break. I figured all those shots didn’t help my last pregnancy, so I decided to try a new OB, have a fresh start, and try again with no medical intervention. Stress could be a big contributing factor, right? I’d see what happened.
What happened was I found out I was pregnant again five months later. At my new OB’s office, I gave her my background with tears running down my face. She didn’t look at me and continued to type my history into her computer. At that first eight-week ultrasound, everything was feeling too familiar.
Swinging the monitor towards my husband and I, she showed us that the yolk sac was enlarged, an indication that there was a problem. She told us that the pregnancy would most likely not thrive, but there was a heartbeat. Leaving the office I now knew for sure that I was in this small population suffering from repeated pregnancy loss. The following week the heartbeat was gone.
This article was originally published online at: http://www.harpersbazaar.com/culture/features/a10726/why-i-chose-a-surrogate/
RSMC is a full service fertility center and can arrange surrogacy services along with all medical reproductive services.