Trying to conceive (TTC) against infertility obstacles was going nowhere, until taking a 100-mile detour in care
Wendy Jacobs’ path to motherhood was marked by resilience, perseverance and the unwavering support of the team at Tennessee Reproductive Medicine (TRM). Her story, filled with both challenges and triumphs, sheds light on the importance of finding the right fertility care when trying to conceive.
Living in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, Wendy and her husband, Jake, ventured to Nashville for treatment, drawn by its proximity and convenience. To their dismay, both clinics they tried dismissed her miscarriages as solely due to her age. Wendy was in her early 40s. Even basic medical interventions such as a RhoGAM injection, which is needed by pregnant women like Wendy whose blood is negative for Rhesus factor protein, were not addressed.
The couple felt disheartened about realizing their dream of parenthood. They needed compassionate support to keep their dream alive.
Empowering care, honesty and personalized IVF treatment
It was through Wendy’s husband’s insurance that they discovered TRM, a clinic approved for fertility benefits. Despite the initial logistical challenges of traveling about 100 miles from Murfreesboro to Chattanooga for appointments, Wendy felt a sense of hope after her first consultation with Dr. Rink Murray at TRM.
The caring attitude of the staff throughout her entire experience, including nurses like Candy and Shan, made Wendy feel like part of a supportive family. She was also encouraged by Dr. Murray’s honesty: He told her directly that her chances of conceiving with her own eggs at the advanced maternal age of 45 were very slim.
She and her husband were willing to try, with Dr. Murray providing the one fertility treatment that was their best chance at having a child: in vitro fertilization (IVF).
Fine tuning fertility treatment for Wendy’s thyroid issue
Dr. Murray and the team focused on the all-important details of her fertility treatments. This included optimizing her thyroid medication, a detail that significantly improved her fertility. TRM took charge of regulating her thyroid levels, ensuring they were within an appropriate range for optimal fertility.
1 chance with 1 embryo without a genetic abnormality
With her thyroid levels properly controlled, it was time to begin IVF. Initially, eight eggs were retrieved, with only six deemed mature enough for fertilization. The resulting embryos underwent preimplantation genetic testing (PGT), which revealed that only one embryo was free of genetic anomalies – a discovery that held profound significance given their struggles.
Genetic issues were always a concern of the couple, so PGT was a must to confirm that at least one of their embryos was healthy for implantation. “We had signed papers to refrain from transferring embryos with genetic issues,” Wendy explains, noting this was done before they came to TRM. “This decision was influenced by our experience raising my husband’s child from a previous marriage with special needs, who has nonverbal autism.”
From PGT relief to a new stress after embryo implantation
Greatly relieved by the PGT report on their one viable embryo, they took the next step in the IVF process: Implanting that embryo for a hopefully successful pregnancy. Then a new, particularly distressing incident arose.
“When they transferred the embryo, I was about 5-6 weeks along. I called the on-call because I was just numb, you know, after experiencing miscarriages and then bleeding after IVF,” says Wendy of the embryo implantation. “Dr. Scotchie assured me, ‘Come in in the morning, and we’ll figure out what’s going on.'”
Dr. Jessica Scotchie, who fielded Wendy’s call, made sure Wendy was seen promptly. This was another gesture that left Wendy feeling heard, supported and very grateful for the attentive care and commitment to her well-being provided by Dr. Murray, Dr. Scotchie and the TRM staff.
A miracle IVF arrival
Not long after she settled down from her post implantation stress, Wendy and her husband were met with thrilling news – they were expecting a baby. After the miscarriages and having only one embryo for a chance at a child, getting pregnant on the first IVF attempt at TRM was a joyful milestone.
The next was even greater: the birth of their son, Emmett. The overwhelming joy and gratitude they experienced were immeasurable, with Wendy acknowledging that without TRM’s expertise and compassionate care, their dream of parenthood might never have come true.
Trying to conceive one more time with IVF
Finding success with TRM, following Emmett’s birth, they embarked on another IVF attempt, retrieving three eggs. However, these only resulted in one embryo, which unfortunately had genetic issues. Having tried for one more miracle that wasn’t to be further reinforced their commitment to the future of son Emmett’s well-being.
Now, years later, Wendy and her family are thriving. Emmett, now five years old, is a vibrant and energetic child who brings immense joy to their lives. Wendy and Jake are grateful for the support they received from TRM, and Wendy continues to stay connected with the clinic, sharing updates and photos of Emmett with the people at TRM who played a crucial role in their journey.