Starting the journey to overcome endometriosis and infertility

“It all started 10 years ago when I was diagnosed with endometriosis,” Hannah remembers. She wasn’t worried about endometriosis and infertility at first. After all, her mother had the condition and she had two children before she had a hysterectomy at age 40.

When she started having more symptoms, Hannah went to her obgyn for an ultrasound. Her doctor diagnosed her with stage 4 endometriosis, which is the most severe.

After her obgyn performed a laparoscopy, he gave her three options. “He said I could try to get pregnant immediately, go on Lupron to induce menopause or get a hysterectomy.” None of these options appealed to her.

At this time, she was also going to the Texas Center for Reproductive Acupuncture. Her acupuncturist told her about Kaylen Silverberg MD, a renowned Austin fertility specialist and an expert on endometriosis and infertility.

Hannah made an appointment, and Dr. Silverberg became her primary doctor for endometriosis. “I knew from the moment I met him that he was the right person to treat me. He is incredibly supportive, knowledgeable and comforting.”

Taking the next steps to overcome endometriosis and infertility

Our Austin fertility specialist helped Hannah get her endometriosis under control. Then, when she was 35-years-old, she met her husband. “I was seeing Dr. Silverberg for follow-up visits, so he knew that I had gotten married and we were thinking about conceiving. We started talking about fertility options for endometriosis and infertility.”

After trying Clomid and three rounds of intrauterine insemination (IUI), the couple moved to in vitro fertilization (IVF) when Hannah was 36. “For my first and only IVF cycle, we got six viable embryos. The team was truly the greatest and everyone was supportive the whole time,” she gushes.

The couple underwent their first transfer, but it was not successful. “Dr. Silverberg and his team helped us through it, but it was still very hard.”

The couple had another transfer the following month, but Hannah started bleeding one evening at dinner when she was six weeks pregnant.

“I was frantic and we went to the hospital. The ER doctor told us we lost the baby. I texted Dr. Silverberg, who was at a concert, and he stepped out to text me. He said he didn’t think I was losing the baby and I should ask for an ultrasound. During the ultrasound, the technician found a heartbeat. Even though it was over text, I felt like Dr. Silverberg was with me the whole time. He was there for me at the scariest point in my life, and I will always hold him in my heart.”

The next day was a Sunday, but the couple went to see our Austin fertility specialist. “Texas Fertility Center always seems to be open,” Hannah says with a smile. Dr. Silverberg found the heartbeat again, and the rest of the pregnancy was uneventful. The couple’s son, Dillon, was born healthy at 41 weeks.

Hannah and her husband had their second son, Hudson, with help from our Austin fertility specialist a few years later. They were both thrilled that the experience was stress-free.

Gratitude for TFC and advice for other hopeful parents

According to Hannah, “There is no other practice we’d want to work with. Everyone at Texas Fertility Center is so understanding and compassionate. They are the gold standard in fertility.”

When asked to share her advice for hopeful parents who are struggling with infertility, Hannah says, “Don’t lose hope. It’s natural to feel discouraged when it seems so much easier for other people to get pregnant, but everyone is different, and there are so many treatment options.”

“I also recommend that parents go to TFC, and rely on other women and couples for support. There’s a lot of shame around infertility, so it helps to know that you aren’t alone. Support is just as important for your partner because men sometimes get left out of the experience, but it’s also hard for them. Just know that, like so many things, infertility is a season in life. There is hope and a light at the end of the tunnel.”

Contact our Austin fertility specialist if you would like to learn more about fertility treatment options for endometriosis, or any other cause of infertility.