Ana tells us her story: “If the idea of motherhood has ever crossed your mind….always give it a try!”
Today in our Real Stories section we have a new patient testimony to share with you. It’s a story that came to fruition during one of those visits we enjoy receiving so much and then sharing with our readers, with the intention of shedding light on infertility and showing other single women and couples who decide to undergo assisted reproduction treatment that they are not alone.
A “little princess” arrived from Cordoba and wanted to meet the doctor and see the place where her mom got help to make her dream come true. No dream is too big, and Ana was one of those brave patients who made the personal choice to enter into motherhood as a single female.
Thank you so much, Ana. Thank you for giving us one of those moments that make us love what we do, and thank you for using your story to prove that perseverance is our best friend when it comes to our happiness. And congratulations again on your daughter (or “Minifrozen”, as you liked to joke, given the amount of time she was frozen in our “dream bank”, as we like to say).
Ahead we’ll share your story with some updated information, if that’s OK, as our Assisted Reproduction Unit now offers an emotional support team that works to make sure that all patients who are undergoing fertility treatment with us receive the support they need throughout the process.
Tell us how you heard about URE Centro Gutenberg
I found out about Centro Gutenberg through the opinions of other women who had gone there. Once you’ve made up your mind, the first thing you do is dedicate all your time to researching and reading everything you can find online. Some are comments from professionals, whereas others are the experiences of other women who have gone through the same thing as you.
This clinic’s name came up everywhere I looked (Gutenberg, Gutenberg, Gutenberg…), and they were all positive comments, so I decided to look no further. I didn’t call, request price quotes or even look for opinions about other clinics. Even though the clinic is located almost 200 kilometres away from where I used to live, I chose it for a reason and what a great decision that was!!
After your first appointment with us, what made you choose URE Centro Gutenberg?
It was the 27th of February in the afternoon when I called Centro Gutenberg for the first time. As you initially don’t know much and have only read about it, I assumed that getting my first appointment would take weeks and weeks like with a GP. To my surprise, I was offered an appointment for three or four days later…
That’s when I started to panic… hehehe. I can’t remember what excuse I gave, but I postponed everything for a week so that I could first tell my family about my decision, as it was important to me that they knew.
When the big day arrived I took my mom to the appointment with me. As I had already turned 39 I thought they were going to tell me that I was late to the game and that my eggs were no good anymore, but it was the complete opposite. My doctor gave me hope, told me it would be hard but that it was possible, and that whenever I was ready we could start with the initial testing. They reassured me and encouraged me to embark on this journey that would be, and is, the most important thing in my life.
When I walked out of the clinic through the glass door that day and saw the ocean in front of me I said: “Something good is going to come out of this, I’m sure!” That’s when I started fighting.
Explain to future moms what doubts you first had regarding assisted reproduction treatment.
When you make this decision, the most important decision in your entire life, tons of doubts start to flood your mind and your heart starts to race when you think about them.
You start to think: Am I doing the right thing? Am I making a mistake? What if I’m just doing this on a whim and later change my mind? Isn’t it like buying a baby? Will I know how to care for them? Raise them? Will I still be able to live my life? Will I be able to support them financially? What if something happens to me, who will take care of them? Who will the sperm donor be? Is he healthy? How will my son or daughter take the news? Who am I to deny someone the right to grow up with a father, if I have one myself? Will not having a father figure in their life have a negative impact on them? Will I be able to handle all the responsibility of raising a child on my own?
I still ask myself some of these questions today, but after six years and lots of fears, insecurities, and nothing is ever perfect… I would do it all over again, without a doubt, a million times, because IT WAS THE MOST IMPORTANT AND BEST DECISION I EVER MADE.
What type of fertility treatment did the medical team recommend in your case? Artificial Insemination? In Vitro Fertilisation?
Given my age and the fact that all my test results were favourable (I’m referring to my medical tests, because I wasn’t in the best place psychologically speaking), they recommended that I start with artificial insemination.
I did four cycles of insemination but none resulted in a pregnancy. Trying the fourth time was my own decision, because my gynaecologist was recommending I switch to IVF at that point but I wanted to try my luck one last time and avoid going into the operating theatre if possible (today I’d go about it differently).
I should point out that I wasn’t in a good place emotionally at that time (I had gone through a breakup not even six months beforehand), because I’m sure that my first treatment cycle would have gone better if I had been in a better place mentally.
But then came the second part of treatment, the in vitro fertilisation, and even though I was extremely scared I could always count on the unconditional support of the clinic’s entire medical team.
What fears did you have and how did you overcome them? How did you feel during treatment?
During my IVF treatment I had all the fears in the world. I’m a person that’s confident with the decisions I make and I consider all the possible repercussions, but that doesn’t mean I don’t have fears. I still worry about a lot of things.
My main and most important fear was my phobia of medication. I’m allergic to some medications, and having to medicate myself was an obstacle I had to overcome little by little with the help of the clinic staff, and especially with the encouragement of Dr. Álvarez.
I was afraid it wouldn’t happen for me, and I was frustrated thinking I might end up empty handed. I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to afford it. I had money saved up, but my savings would eventually run out…
Over the course of treatment, because of the hormones, you feel like you’re on a roller coaster. At times you’re euphoric, you start to make plans, you see the positive side of everything… and other times you feel so low, frustrated, misunderstood, alone…
I had never felt so alone surrounded by people who love me, but loneliness is what I felt. I guess that it was due to the hormones I was putting into my body, because I’ve always had, and still do have, the unconditional support of my family. Before, during and after, and here I’d like to thank them all for their support.
What is true is that I always felt like I was missing out on being in touch with other women or couples who were in the same boat as me and, especially, who had been successful. I’d encourage the clinic to create this type of contact among patients as it would be beneficial to women and couples going through fertility treatment. It would also be a great idea to offer patients and their partners a psychological support team to help them deal with the different stages of treatment. If I can be of any assistance I’d be happy to help.
A NOTE FROM URE: when Ana was with us more than six years ago we didn’t offer this service. We now have an emotional support unit focused on our patients and their partners, thanks to the feedback and comments we’ve received from patients like Ana.
What advice would you give to other women and couples who are considering fertility treatment?
Just one straightforward piece of advice: if the idea of motherhood has ever crossed your mind, ALWAYS GIVE IT A TRY. You may or may not be successful, but at least TRY. It is important to give your future life a chance.
Most of the time, by putting yourself in the hands of professionals, things go well. That’s why it’s so important to have patience and to stay focused on your goal, because if you’re successful it will be THE BEST DECISION YOU MADE IN YOUR LIFE. And, if it doesn’t happen for you, you can be content because you at least gave it a try.
Finally, one final reflection that all women who go to URE Centro Gutenberg must never forget: “A river cuts through rock, not because of its power, but because of its persistence”.
Thank you, team! You’re the most important part of the best thing in my life, my daughter, my Jimena.
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Thank you so much, Ana, for sharing your story with us. And to those of you who are reading this, remember that in our Real Stories section there are many others to read like Ana’s, all of which are 100% real and first-hand accounts from parents themselves.
See you again soon!
