An unexplained infertility diagnosis eventually led Claudia and Christopher to IVF.

Claudia and Christopher are proud parents and lifelong members of the Texas Fertility Center community. Their journey to conceive included IUI and IVF for an unexplained infertility diagnosis before having twin girls.

Bringing home their angel babies was the fulfillment of a lifelong dream. “I came from a Catholic family of 12, so motherhood was on my mind all my life,” Claudia explains. “We are forever grateful to Dr. Vaughn and TFC for giving us our angel babies.”

Beginning the journey to conceive with Clomid at Claudia’s OBGYN

The couple married in 1996 and started their fertility journey a few years into their marriage. At first, the couple didn’t realize they even needed help conceiving. “We were trying to prevent pregnancy early in our marriage, so we didn’t even know there was even a problem until we started to try,” Claudia recalls.

Before coming to our Austin fertility center, Claudia first worked with her gynecologist for several years. “My gynecologist had me take Clomid for three or four years. This was very frustrating and rough on my body,” Claudia recalls.

When she was picking up her Clomid prescription one day, her pharmacist noticed how discouraged Claudia was. They talked about how long Claudia had been taking Clomid, and the pharmacist suggested visiting Dr. Thomas Vaughn.

When Claudia mentioned this recommendation to her gynecologist, her doctor fully supported the pharmacist’s recommendation. “She said that Dr. Vaughn was exactly who she would recommend for more advanced fertility treatment,” Claudia says. “I made an appointment the same day.”

Starting the journey with an unexplained infertility diagnosis at TFC

When the couple first came to our Austin fertility center, they met with Dr. Vaughn. They immediately felt at ease with him because he’s an “excellent doctor and an exceptional person.”

Claudia appreciated the way that Dr. Vaughn took his time getting to know the couple. Very quickly, she started to view him as a “parental figure” guiding them on their journey to conceive.

Testing revealed that Christopher had a low sperm count due to a varicocele. After having a procedure to correct it, the couple was still unable to conceive. That’s when Dr. Vaughn gave them an unexplained infertility diagnosis.

After discussing their fertility treatment options, the couple decided to start with intrauterine insemination (IUI). “We loved that Dr. Vaughn always gave us choices after explaining our options and the likelihood of conceiving,” Claudia recalls.

Making the move from IUI to IVF makes parenthood possible.

After IUI was unsuccessful for Claudia and Christopher, Dr. Vaughn suggested moving to in vitro fertilization (IVF). The couple ended up with three healthy embryos. They transferred two of them and found themselves pregnant with twins. Their prayers were answered in God’s perfect timing.

Except for morning sickness that “didn’t just happen in the morning,” Claudia had “a wonderful pregnancy” that “was very easy.”

Claudia was committed to her babies, so she ate healthy and was very active throughout the pregnancy. Her hard work paid off, and she delivered her twin girls by C-section at 41 weeks of gestation.

Alexandra was seven pounds, and Audrey was six and a half pounds. The couple was completely in love with them. “Our prayers were answered,” Claudia says.

Offering advice for other hopeful parents trying to conceive

Claudia and Christopher didn’t let an unexplained infertility diagnosis put an end to their dreams of parenthood, and they don’t think couples should give up either. “You might feel down at times, but don’t give up and don’t get discouraged,” Claudia advises.

She also recommends setting boundaries with well-meaning family members who can sometimes cause more stress. “This is a journey for you and your spouse. Families can mean well, but they can also be intrusive and add more stress by questioning your choices, so boundaries are important.”

Surrounding yourself with a support group is also very important. “For us, our church family and friends who supported us in this difficult journey were extremely helpful. We had our close community praying for us. Prayer brought so much strength in our marriage and unexplainable peace,” Claudia says.

Finally, Claudia highly recommends visiting Dr. Vaughn. “Dr. Vaughn’s compassion and knowledge are amazing. He cares so much and was the best expert to help us on this rollercoaster of a journey,” Claudia says. “Everyone at TFC is so professional and caring. Every encounter at TFC was positive for us.”

The couple was so happy with their experience at TFC. They recommended the clinic to four other couples. According to Claudia, “They also had amazing experiences. It shows that the wonderful care and results are consistent.” Would you like to have your own fertility success story? Contact us to learn how our Austin fertility center can help you on the path to parenthood.