The Waylands’ long journey to parenthood

Alyssa Wayland learned in her early 20s that she had polycystic ovary syndrome, also known as PCOS. At that time, this native Texan had no way to know that she would meet and marry an Oregonian named Josh, nor how much PCOS would affect their lives years later, when they were both ready to become parents.

After settling down in Elgin, Texas, near Austin, the couple began trying to conceive. But with no baby after years of trying, Alyssa took the advice of a friend who had conceived her own child through fertility treatment, and reached out for help.

The Waylands found their way to Texas Fertility Center on the recommendation of another fertility specialist. On their first visit to TFC, they met with Anthony Propst, MD, who sees patients in both Round Rock and Central Austin.

“We immediately fell in love with Dr. Propst,” Alyssa says. “We really clicked. I felt so comfortable talking with him, and his nursing staff is amazing, too. When we told him my husband worked for Apple, we learned we could add on insurance and spend up to a certain amount on fertility treatment, and it would be covered.”

The treatment plan that led to their PCOS success story

Based on the results of the Waylands’ fertility testing, and with the insurance coverage secured, Dr. Propst recommended starting out with intrauterine insemination, or IUI, as a front-line treatment to overcome ovulation issues caused by PCOS. The next two years included 11 IUI attempts, including one with two back-to-back inseminations in a single day. At that point, Dr. Propst recommended moving on to IVF with intracytoplasmic sperm injection, or ICSI, to help ensure fertilization.

“We ended up getting two embryos, but I felt mentally and emotionally exhausted, so we took a year-long break,” Alyssa recalls. “Our nurse, Jamie, checked up on me to make sure I was OK, which was just wonderful. We didn’t feel like we were just a number, and we really loved that.”

When they felt ready to move forward, the Waylands returned for their first frozen embryo transfer. Sadly, the joy of a positive pregnancy test was followed by a miscarriage a few weeks later. The cause was a rare and unexpected complication caused by a uterine hematoma.

“We went for a follow-up appointment after that, and Dr. Propst’s bedside manner made us feel like we were talking to a friend,” Alyssa says. “We learned he had talked to the other TFC doctors about our case and the rarity of what happened with the hematoma. He was so empathetic and wonderful. He encouraged us to take some time to recover. During that time, his nursing team was emailing and texting me to check in. We really appreciated that.”

Two months after that visit, Dr. Propst called the Waylands personally and told them that the best timing for another embryo transfer would be about a month later. He said that if they felt emotionally ready, they should consider trying again.

“We were on the fence, as we were grieving,” Alyssa says. “But Josh said, ‘You know what, Dr. Propst has not sent us in the wrong direction through all of this, and we need to trust him and do what he says. He just knows.’”

Three-and-a-half months after the miscarriage, the couple returned to TFC for another embryo transfer. Two weeks later, the pregnancy blood test was positive, but hCG levels were low, so they tried not to get their hopes up. The second blood test showed a quadrupling of hCG levels, which was great news, but the couple soon learned that there was another hematoma. This time, though, it was in a different location. Dr. Propst ordered two weeks of bed rest, just to be on the safe side. After that, all was well.

Gratitude to Dr. Propst and TFC at the end of an eight-year journey

Alyssa and Josh’s daughter, Magnolia Rae, born in December 2024, is now the light of her parents’ lives.

“We named her for my late grandfather, whose favorite trees were magnolias,” Alyssa says. “They are the hardest trees to grow and take care of, but once they blossom, they are the most beautiful trees in the world. It was so hard to have her, but now that we have her, we are so happy. Eight years is a long time to try to have a baby, but I would do it 900 times over.”

After seeing Dr. Propst roughly every other week for three years for the fertility care they needed to overcome PCOS, Alyssa and Josh are filled with gratitude for the compassion and care of the TFC team.

“It’s hard to put into words how thankful we are,” Alyssa says. “Dr. Propst always went above and beyond for us, but that’s just him as a doctor. I never had a doctor like him before, where I just felt comfortable and thankful to go and see him. One of the best things was seeing him hold her and smile. It was such a full-circle moment. He’s the reason she’s here.”