The Sweetest Surprise: An Infertility Update

I have some very special, and quite surprising, news to share. As you know, I have been open about undergoing fertility treatments. Whenever anyone is going through infertility, you are told stories of someone who knew someone who got pregnant after they stopped trying or decided to adopt. It’s the urban myth of, “It will happen if you just relax.” And, for anyone who endured the heartache of pregnancy losses or infertility, relaxing is simply impossible. The hope and desire doesn’t just relax.

Last summer, I was forced to share the news of my third miscarriage. I had announced my pregnancy publicly because we’d passed the 12-week mark and, at my 12-week appointment, we’d heard a heartbeat. But a few days later, at a routine ultrasound, we were told there was no heartbeat and we’d lost our baby girl.

My fertility already waning was actually found to be half that of women my age. My amazing doctor at Boston IVF told us to keep our expectations low but to remember we only needed one good egg to make one healthy embryo. I underwent back-to-back-to-back IVF cycles. I was once afraid of needles and, after giving myself well over 100, that phobia was long gone.

Other friends of mine who underwent IVF had numbers 5 to 20 times that of mine, but I tried to stay positive. I believed that we are meant to be parents to more children and I regularly told God or the universe or random women at playgroups that I would welcome those children in my life, however they came. My motto throughout my crazy life has always been “life can surprise you if you let it.” So, I remained positive.

At the end of our three cycles, we had two healthy male embryos. As you know, I’m already a boy mom and, when they gave me the results, I laughed and said I suppose I’m meant to raise boys. I decided to give my body a break, enjoy the summer, and scheduled a transfer for July.

A couple of months later there were a lot of changes going on in my life. My morning cohost, Ralphie, had decided to move to Florida to be with his kids, so I was taking on more responsibilities at work and I was feeling exhausted and overwhelmed. At least twice that week I fell asleep on the sofa with my phone in my hand. Laying on the sofa one afternoon watching an episode of “The Handmaid’s Tale” and bawling my eyes out at how much June wanted to be reunited with her daughter, Hannah, I was thinking about how badly I wanted this to work out and have another child, and I suddenly thought, “What if you’re already pregnant?”

Two minutes later, after a quick trip to the restroom, my premonition proved correct! I called my nurse at Boston IVF, who had been the most amazing ally throughout my IVF process, to tell her the “em’bros,” as I had dubbed them, would need to be patient because a transfer wasn’t happening any time soon. Of course I had fears. I have had three miscarriages – most recently at almost 13 weeks. I was simply thankful for what I considered a bonus chance at a baby.

From the morning sickness to the prenatal testing, this has all proved to be a very strong pregnancy. I never in a million years thought I would be one of those urban myths of women

who got pregnant as soon as they stopped trying. Part of me felt guilty or felt like it was too good to be true.

And then we received the news that our dream that we had given up had actually come true – we’re having a baby girl!

I have never cried as many happy tears as I have in the past few weeks. My husband says he has never used the word “blessed” as much as he has in the past few weeks. We have never felt such joy. I can’t wait to introduce the newest member of the Feel Good family next February.

About Rebecca Romo

Rebecca Romo hosts Feel Good Mornings weekday mornings from 6-10 am on 99.9 The Q. Originally from New Orleans, she moved to Cape to be with her husband a second generation Cape Codder.



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