Pregnancy Is Not Easy For Everyone: My IVF Journey

Starting a family is one of the biggest dreams for many people, but the journey is far from easy for some. After trying to conceive naturally for years without success, my husband and I turned to in vitro fertilization (IVF) to try and have a baby. Little did I know the emotional rollercoaster that awaited with IVF and then being pregnant with twins.

The IVF process itself was grueling - the injections, constant monitoring, and anxiety over negative pregnancy tests and early miscarriages after embryo transfers. The sense of failure and lost hope was devastating at times.

Amazingly, we beat the odds and I became pregnant with twins on the very first IVF cycle. Our joy was through the roof, but this brought a whole new set of challenges. Twin pregnancies are considered high risk and require careful monitoring.

The morning sickness was absolutely horrendous for me, leaving me feeling nauseous all day for months. The hormone fluctuations and physical toll of carrying two babies were also extremely taxing, causing chronic back ache, swelling, and discomfort as my belly expanded. The constant worry over ensuring both babies were healthy and avoiding pre-term labour added intense emotional stress. While it was the happiest moment of my life, I can't sugar coat how earth-shatteringly difficult the road was to get there between IVF and the high-risk twin pregnancy.

After the twins were born we decided to use our embryos that were stored and continued 5 more cycles which resulted in 2 more pregancies.

Looking back, here are some tips that helped me cope with the stress and challenges:

1. Build your support system...
2. Be kind to yourself...
3. Take breaks when needed...
4. Stay positive but realistic...
5. Make a plan for moving forward or stopping...

IVF and high-risk twin pregnancies are certainly not for the faint of heart. Even with success, there will be traumatic memories and scars from the journey. But if you can muster the strength and resolve to push through, the dream of a child may await on the other side. Wishing anyone struggling to conceive strength during such an intense process.

One thing that helped me stay positive and mark small wins during the IVF process was creating personal "milestone cards." I made cards for milestones like:

• Starting IVF treatment cycle
• Retrieving eggs
• Fertilizing eggs
• Embryo transfer
• Positive pregnancy test
• Reaching 2nd trimester

Whenever I hit one of those milestones, I'd celebrate by treating myself to something small like a massage, fancy dessert, or just reflecting on how far I'd come. Having those little commemorations helped me stay motivated when the journey felt brutal.

Looking back, I'm so grateful I created those milestone cards as a coping mechanism. IVF and high-risk pregnancies can be all-consuming, so having a way to celebrate tiny victories was crucial.

Overall, the road to my twins was earth-shatteringly difficult between years of infertility, grueling IVF cycles, morning sickness, bed rest, and constant pregnancy monitoring. Even with success, there will be traumatic memories and scars. But those memories are balanced by the ultimate prize - my amazing twins.

If you can muster the strength and resolve to push through IVF and high-risk pregnancy, the dream of a child may await. Wishing anyone struggling to conceive strength during such an intense process. In the end I completed 6 cycles of IVF, 3 successful and 3  not successful and I know what it takes to stay positive and to keep going.  

One thing that helped me stay positive and mark small wins during the IVF process was creating personal "milestone cards." I made cards for milestones like:

• Starting IVF treatment cycle
• Retrieving eggs
• Fertilizing eggs
• Embryo transfer
• Positive pregnancy test
• Reaching 2nd trimester

Whenever I hit one of those milestones, I'd celebrate by treating myself to something small like a massage, fancy dessert, or just reflecting on how far I'd come. Having those little commemorations helped me stay motivated when the journey felt brutal.

Looking back, I'm so grateful I created those milestone cards as a coping mechanism. IVF and high-risk pregnancies can be all-consuming, so having a way to celebrate tiny victories was crucial.

Overall, the road to my twins and their siblings was earth-shatteringly difficult between years of infertility, grueling IVF cycles, morning sickness, bed rest, and constant pregnancy monitoring. Even with success, there will be traumatic memories and scars. But those memories are balanced by the ultimate prize - my amazing four children .

If you can muster the strength and resolve to push through IVF and high-risk pregnancy, the dream of a child may await. Wishing anyone struggling to conceive strength during such an intense process.

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