Fertility medications helped Melissa and BJ become parents

Melissa wanted to be a mother since she was five years old. However, she and her husband BJ were struggling to conceive. According to Melissa, “We weren’t able to have kids on our own. We had two separate friends who went to Texas Fertility Center, and they gave glowing reviews.” The couple decided to make an appointment with Kaylen Silverberg, M.D., at our Austin fertility center.

At her first appointment, Melissa was worried about needing intrauterine insemination, IUI, or in vitro fertilization, IVF, but Dr. Silverberg eased her mind. According to Melissa, “He has such a good energy and he’s so sweet. He answered all of our questions.” When she asked if it was possible for her to get pregnant, Dr. Silverberg told her that he didn’t have a doubt.

Dr. Silverberg gave the couple a list of tests that he wanted them to undergo and the couple left the appointment to go on a “fertility fact-finding mission.” In addition to the tests, Melissa also visited Dr. Silverberg for surgery to treat polyps and endometriosis. “No one likes surgery, but it was a worthwhile procedure and Dr. Silverberg put me at ease,” Melissa said.

Dr. Silverberg ultimately determined that Melissa was not ovulating, so he prescribed the fertility medications Clomid and Ovidrel. She got pregnant but lost the baby at eight weeks. “It was difficult, but everyone was so supportive, even the nurses who weren’t my nurses.”

After trying to get pregnant again while taking fertility medications, Melissa and BJ experienced a chemical pregnancy. The couple was beginning to feel discouraged, but Dr. Silverberg wasn’t out of ideas yet.

After losing weight, Melissa and BJ tried fertility medications again

Dr. Silverberg recommended that the couple take a break from fertility treatments to attend the weight loss program at the Austin Diagnostic Clinic. “I was 315 pounds and my husband was overweight, too,” Melissa said.

After completing the program, Melissa and BJ lost over 100 pounds each. According to Melissa, “You’re so focused on appointments, medications and ultrasounds that you forget to take care of yourself, but you need to take care of your physical and mental health.”

When they came back to our Austin fertility center, Dr. Silverberg almost didn’t recognize the couple. “He gave us a huge hug, and he told us that he was so proud of us and that he loved us. We don’t have a big family in Austin, so Texas Fertility Center became our family.”

Dr. Silverberg prescribed the same fertility medications again and the couple conceived. However, they miscarried early on because their baby had triploidy, a rare and deadly chromosomal abnormality. “It was just bad luck,” Melissa said.

The couple and Dr. Silverberg waited for Melissa’s system to reset. Then, two months later, Melissa tried Clomid and Ovidrel again. This time she got pregnant with twins. “We were surprised because all of our other pregnancies had just been one baby,” Melissa said.

During Melissa’s pregnancy, she was fortunate not to experience any of the problems that can occur with multiple births. The twins were born healthy at 38 weeks and the couple named them William and Victoria.

Melissa and BJ are “forever grateful” to TFC and Dr. Silverberg

According to Melissa, “We wouldn’t have our babies without TFC.” She again emphasized that the team at our Austin fertility center became their family during the couple’s five-year journey. “Every single doctor at TFC is great, and Dr. Silverberg ended up being our best friend.”

Melissa and BJ always felt like a priority at Texas Fertility Center. “They put us first and the fertility treatments second. Not only are they fantastic doctors, but they are wonderful human beings,” Melissa said. “They walked us through the process, and they even carried us when we weren’t up for the challenge.”

Melissa has some advice for women and couples who are also struggling with infertility. “You need to have patience and trust that the doctors and nurses know what they’re doing,” she said.

She also stressed the importance of not being hard on yourself. According to Melissa, “As a woman, you feel like it’s your biological purpose to create and carry life, so you feel like less of a woman if you can’t. But, you aren’t a failure. Sometimes things break, but it’s not your fault. You just need to do what you can to get them fixed.”

If you would like to learn more about fertility treatments at Texas Fertility Center, please contact us today to schedule an appointment. Our team of physicians can help you become a parent.