Allison's Fertility Journey

Have you sought fertility treatment before? Why did you choose Dr. NeeOo W. Chin as your fertility expert? 

Yes - our journey started with IRH (Institute for Reproductive Health) where we did 3 IUIs and 1 IVF cycle (1 retrieval, 2 transfers). The egg retrieval yielded 4 embryos that made it to blastocyst. All embryos were untested as there was no reason to believe they needed to be tested based on our background. We underwent two transfers (one fresh, one frozen) - both with the same medication regimen - both were unsuccessful. When it came time to discuss the next steps and next transfer, the doctors at IRH wanted to continue with the same regimen which was proven unsuccessful. I understand there are a lot of variables and it's not always the medication regimen, but I wasn't happy about the idea of more of the same hoping for a different outcome. A couple we are friends with had success with Dr. Chin and recommended we schedule a consultation. We were ready to take a small break anyway, so the timing worked out between the end of our cycles with IRH and the first consultation with Dr. Chin. 

What were your expectations going into it? 

Because we had already started treatments with another fertility clinic, we had some understanding of the process. My expectations going into IRH were that I would get pregnant right away. I don't know why - I just figured that once we sought assistance, it would happen quickly. I didn't consider the possibility that it might never happen (something I now know is a reality for so many people). After no success with IUI and embryo transfers, I was a little shaken and didn't have "high" expectations but was willing to try anything. Additionally, my friend had suggested adding the acupuncture treatment offered by Dr. Chin, so I was curious and optimistic about that. 

Can you summarize what treatments you received and your experience with Dr. Chin and the team? 

We had already tried some fertility treatments without success, so we knew we didn't need to start with "the basics" or IUI. My questions to Dr. Chin were basically, when can I start an IVF cycle and is there a "limit" to the number of cycles I can do if I have remaining frozen embryos from a previous cycle (IRH had a policy that all embryos from an IVF cycle/retrieval needed to be exhausted before you could do another retrieval cycle). He indicated there wasn't such a policy with Fertility Wellness Institute, so I wanted to get started right away. We had our consultation in January and started a retrieval cycle in February. During that cycle and one of my checkup visits, Dr. Chin noted that my follicles/eggs weren't progressing the way he would like. He suggested we cut our losses, stop the meds, and wait for my next cycle. I was devastated. I was already 35 and had been in fertility treatments for over a year. Additionally, we were opting to pay for meds out of pocket, so we were out the money for the meds during the stopped cycle. I understood his position and obviously wanted to give myself the best chances to retrieve as many eggs as possible, so I agreed. I stood around the nurse's area waiting to discuss next steps with Hailey (Katie was my nurse, but she was out that day) fighting tears. As soon as she started telling me what was next and providing the paperwork, I just broke down. She immediately stopped, looked me in the eyes and said, "ya know what, we don't have to do this now - why don't I just give you a call later and we can discuss all of this." I said no, I wanted to get the information before I left. She suggested we go sit in the waiting area on one of the couches and talk there. She walked me through everything - next steps, new meds, etc. and assured me it would be okay. They would do everything that could to get me pregnant. In that moment, I believed her. I knew this was the right place for me. It felt right. Dr. Chin recognized the regimen I was on was not working and didn't yield the results we wanted, so for the next cycle, he changed it. That felt like the right choice to me and I was happy we were on the same page. My retrieval cycle yielded 5 embryos that made it to blastocyst. Dr. Chin recommended we opt for the embryo testing given we hadn't had success with IRH and our previous, untested embryos. We agreed and had the testing done - of the 5 embryos - 2 were abnormal, 1 was low-mosaic, and 2 were normal. I was elated! Two normal embryos?! That sounded liked exactly what we needed. We opted to freeze all of the embryos and not do a frozen transfer. For the first embryo transfer cycle, Dr. Chin started me on the medications and we went in very hopeful. Unfortunately, that transfer did not yield a pregnancy - another failed transfer. I was starting to lose hope. Before going into our next transfer cycle, Dr. Chin suggested a hysteroscopy. Basically, this is where he goes in and disturbs the lining of the uterus to hopefully dislodge and remove anything that might be getting in the way of an embryo implantation. I had been doing a LOT of reading on the fertility treatments and had seen this as a suggestion in some support group discussions. Like I said, I was ready to try anything and didn't like the idea of trying the same thing over and over as we had with the prior clinic. We did the hysteroscopy in August 2023 where Dr. Chin did find I had a polyp on my uterus that he removed. He said that could be the reason why the embryo wasn't implanting in all of my cycles. He also likened the hysteroscopy to tilling a garden. It seems strange, but it makes sense. Even if there isn't anything "problematic" in the garden, sometimes just tilling up the soil and moving things around will create a more sustainable place for growth. This made sense to me. After my recovery, we started meds for another transfer cycle. I was NERVOUS to say the least. I wasn't incredibly optimistic, but again, I knew I had to exhaust my efforts or I would regret it. Dr. Chin transferred our second (and last) normal embryo on 10/21/22. I resolved that I would not be taking any pregnancy tests during the two week wait (this is advised by Dr. Chin and most fertility experts anyway, but you do what you have to do to try and make yourself feel better). I kept myself busy at work and with friends and two weeks later I got the call from Katie - I was pregnant! It was hard to believe, but I was and it stuck! Our baby boy arrived via C-section in July 2023 - 2 weeks after his due date. Dr. Chin made him so comfortable in there, he didn't want to come out! I still look at him and can't believe he's here and he's mine - after everything. When you're in treatment you talk to so many people and the people who have been successful will tell you it's all worth it in the end. In those moments, it's really hard to see that and really hard to keep moving forward, but now that I'm on the other side, it's the same thing I say to people I talk to now who are going through treatment - it's all worth it!

Were you able to conceive? 

Yes 

Did you opt for additional treatments like acupuncture or hormonal treatment? If so, tell us about them. 

Yes - acupuncture. It wasn't my favorite experience - I didn't find it to be relaxing like I had heard it might be, but it wasn't horrible.