After a year of trying to conceive, I was diagnosed with “premature ovarian failure” at the age of 26. Devastated, my husband and I thought our chances to have a child were over. After much soul-searching and research, we decided in vitro fertilization (IVF) was the path we wanted to take. IVF is an expensive procedure, not covered by our insurance, so it took us a while to save up the funds and to identify an egg donor.
In the spring of 2009, I was now 32 years old and we were ready. Two fresh embryos were transferred in March. The two-week wait for the results was agonizing but we were confident that it had worked. We were shocked to receive a negative result. Once again, we revisited the emotions of loss, disappointment, and hopelessness. Unsure if we could continue emotionally, we put our plans on hold while we re-evaluated. After a couple of months, we met with our fertility specialist to discuss the next steps. We inquired if there was anything we could do to improve our chances of success if we decided to try IVF again. We were a bit surprised when he suggested acupuncture.
I had never tried Eastern medicine before and didn’t know what to expect, but considered that it couldn’t hurt our chances so why not give it a try? He referred me to Acubalance, where I began a treatment program with Acubalance to prepare my body and mind for transfer. After a few months of treatment, we were ready to try again. On the day of the frozen embryo transfer, Lorne from Acubalance came to the fertility clinic and gave me a treatment before the procedure, and another after. Then we went home to wait out the two weeks for the results but this time we were careful not to get our hopes up….
We were delighted when we received the phone call telling me that I was pregnant! I am now 25 weeks and still have moments where I can’t believe it! When I feel the baby kicking, I am filled with joy and gratefulness. The process was long and difficult but it will be worth every moment. I am continuing with acupuncture throughout my pregnancy to support my physical and emotional health.
We can’t wait to meet our baby and introduce him or her to all of the people who have helped us realize our dreams of having a child!