Unexplained infertility didn’t stop Michael and Casey from seeing a positive pregnancy test

Sometimes a couple has trouble getting pregnant but fertility testing shows that everything is fine. It can be frustrating to get a diagnosis of unexplained infertility, but it’s not the end of the road. Just ask Michael and Casey.

The couple wanted to have a baby, but they were having trouble getting pregnant on their own. They wanted answers, so Casey visited her OB/GYN (Women Center) and Michael visited the men’s center. “We both had testing, but the tests came back and said there should be no issues,” Michael explains.

As the couple wondered what to do next, Casey’s doctor suggested that the couple make an appointment at Texas Fertility Center (TFC). According to Casey, “My doctor strongly recommended them.”

Taking the first step to overcome unexplained infertility at TFC

When Michael and Casey scheduled their first appointment, they learned that Dr. Lisa Hansard had the first available opening. She ended up being a great fit for the couple. “We were so nervous before our first appointment, but Dr. Hansard made us feel better. She has so much experience. She also has a great sense of humor that put us at ease,” Michael says.

Casey also appreciated that Dr. Hansard and her nurses gave them the information they needed. “We had a lot of questions at our first appointment, and she answered them all. I felt like I was calling every day with questions once I started treatment. Everyone was so nice and helpful.”

After meeting with Dr. Hansard, the couple had some more testing. The results confirmed that they had unexplained infertility. That’s when Dr. Hansard recommended in vitro fertilization (IVF).

Moving forward with IVF and genetic testing

The couple did one cycle of IVF, and they had 13 eggs after the egg retrieval procedure. After fertilizing the eggs, Michael and Casey had five embryos. They decided to do preimplantation genetic testing (PGT) on them. The results showed that only one embryo was abnormal.

The couple ended up having to wait a little while to have the frozen embryo transfer because Casey developed an ovarian cyst right after the holidays. However, the couple finally had their embryo transfer on February 25.

After the 10-day wait to take a pregnancy test, Michael and Casey got the happy news that they were pregnant. “It was around my mom’s birthday, so it was a great gift for her. She’s going to be spoiling the baby,” Casey says.

Because the couple did PGT, they know they will be having a baby boy. “We’re going to name him Maxwell after a character from a video game that we used to play together and an anime character from my childhood,” Michael explains. “The waiting and work was worth it.”

Giving advice to other couples who are struggling to get pregnant

The couple didn’t realize how many people have fertility issues until they started going through IVF. “When I let my work know what we were going through, I found out that five or six people there have gone through infertility too,” Michael recalls.

Now that Michael and Casey have experience with fertility treatment, they have advice for other hopeful parents. “We always tell people to see a doctor and get checked out if they’ve been having trouble for six months to a year. We also let people know that IVF can be a lot with the waiting and medications, but it’s important not to stress and to take it day by day.”

Finally, the couple wants everyone to know how happy they are with their experience at TFC. “We love all the doctors and staff, but we want to send a special thank you to Dr. Hansard as well as the nurses (Lisa, Pam and Bethany) for going above and beyond the call of duty to support us in our new future with our first child. It was an honor and privilege to go through this experience with Team Hansard.”