Overcoming endometriosis and PCOS to bring home two beautiful babies

Angela and Edgar faced a long and challenging journey to conceive with endometriosis and PCOS. After pursuing different treatments, IVF at Texas Fertility Center (TFC) finally made parenthood possible.

Here, the couple shares their story as well as their advice for others who are trying to conceive.

Beginning the journey to conceive with endometriosis and PCOS

Angela was diagnosed with endometriosis as a teenager. To manage it, she remained on continuous birth control for over a decade. At this time, Angela didn’t know she also had polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).

When she and her husband wanted to try for a baby, Angela had her IUD removed. It took six months for her menstrual cycles to resume.

At that point, the couple tried timed intercourse with letrozole and metformin. When that didn’t work, Angela and Edgar did two rounds of IUI. By this time, the couple had been trying to conceive for almost a year.

Thankfully, Angela’s company introduced fertility benefits through Progyny at this time. This would lead her to our Austin fertility clinic.

Finally getting on the path to parenthood at TFC

Angela began looking for fertility clinics that would be covered by her insurance. She did her homework, looking at SART data to understand success rates. That’s not all she considered, though.

According to Angela, “While I followed the data initially, what ultimately mattered just as much was finding a team that would truly listen.”

Angela and Edgar found what they were looking for in Dr. Anthony Propst and his team.

Dr. Propst listened to the couple’s concerns before ordering fertility testing. The results showed that Angela had PCOS.

Due to PCOS, Angela produced a large number of follicles. However, there were concerns about the quality of those eggs. “That became an important factor in how Dr. Propst approached treatment, particularly in being careful to avoid overstimulation during IVF,” Angela explains.

Finding success more than once in the face of PCOS

Angela describes her care team as being “very thoughtful about medication dosing to avoid overstimulation.” Even with a lower dose, the couple ended up with 37 eggs. Many of them developed into embryos. PGT-A revealed six of them were genetically normal.

According to Angela, “It was a really meaningful moment to receive those results. After everything leading up to that point, it felt like we finally had something tangible to hold onto.”

For the first pregnancy, Angela and Edgar chose to transfer a male embryo in 2020. The pandemic pregnancy wasn’t easy, but the reward was the birth of the couple’s son, Apolo.

When the couple was ready to grow their family again, they transferred their only female embryo. Although her second pregnancy was still challenging, it was worth it to bring their daughter Artemis into the world.

Angela describes her children’s names as “very intentional.” Apolo and Artemis were twins born at different times in Greek mythology. This relationship mirrored the couple’s experience with having two children from the same IVF cycle.

Offering advice and guidance to those who are trying to conceive

Angela and Edgar learned a lot from their fertility journey. As a result, they have several pieces of advice to share with other hopeful parents.

First, Angela stresses that you should give your body grace during infertility. “Recognize that your body is doing its best. It is going through so much in an effort to make your wishes possible,” she says.

She also explains the importance of advocating for yourself. According to Angela, “This is your life, your body and your future. You should be able to walk away from every decision feeling informed, supported and at peace with the path you’ve chosen.”

It’s also helpful to acknowledge that fertility treatment and pregnancy can be difficult. “You don’t have to be endlessly positive or extra grateful just because you got there,” Angela explains.

Finally, Angela recommends that other hopeful parents visit our Austin fertility clinic.

“My experience with the TFC team was incredibly positive,” Angela says, “I feel grateful—not just for the outcome, but for the level of care and support I received along the way. It made something that can often feel out of reach actually possible.”

If you’re hoping to have your own fertility success story, we would be honored to assist you. Contact us to schedule an appointment and start your journey with us.