Megan's Case Study
Fertility, PostPartum Support
Megan came to Phoenix Rising after a failed round of IVF.
At age 33, Megan was told she should freeze her eggs because she was getting to the point of diminished supply and lower quality eggs. No tests were ever done to confirm this. She decided not to do it, and at age 38, she decided she was ready to have a baby. Megan and her husband, who’d had a vasectomy, went to a fertility clinic. Due to her age, they recommended IVF, again without completing preliminary testing.
She took daily shots. Had daily doctor visits. They received conflicting information throughout the process– including whether or not her husband’s sperm was viable. The process took a physical and mental toll on them, and they paid nearly $25k out of pocket for the procedure. In the end, the single embryo did not survive. They were left with more questions than answers and felt like they had been scammed.
Confused and exhausted, they decided to try conceiving naturally. Her husband reversed his vasectomy, and per a recommendation, they visited our clinic at Phoenix Rising for fertility support. We began weekly acupuncture, herbal supplements to support various stages of her cycle and egg quality and supply, and moxibustion therapy. She began taking BBT daily and tracking her cervical mucus and periods. Her husband also started with suggested supplements to improve his sperm.
Between COVID in 2020, taking her BBT daily and not seeing the results she wanted, and scheduling sex only in ovulation windows, Megan was overwhelmed. Dr. Lori advised her to drop everything that was stressing her out, take a breather and relax about the process. After years of taking birth control, it would take time for her body to adapt.
In Megan's words:
"I had been told since I was 33 I would have a hard time getting pregnant due to my age. That my egg count was diminishing and insinuating that the quality was also affected as I age. All the doctors brought me was more stress, more frustration, and more uncertainty. I believed them and doubted myself and my body. It wasn’t until I started acupuncture with Dr. Lori that I thought it was even possible. She saw me as a person. She saw what I needed and didn’t need. What stressed me out and when it was time to change direction.
I waited a long time for my baby boy and know that the support of Dr. Lori and Dr. Jordan helped make it possible. Dr. Lori implemented a treatment that worked for me physically and emotionally. They made me realize I wasn’t a broken over the hill woman who would only be so lucky if I got pregnant. "
The Results
Within a few months, Megan was pregnant. It ended in miscarriage, unfortunately, as many first pregnancies do, but they didn’t give up. They knew it was possible now. They visited a fertility specialist in 2021, only to find out that her egg supply was above average for a woman her age (41), there were no blockages in her fallopian tubes and everything looked normal for both Megan and her husband. The doctor even said, “I don’t know why you haven’t been able to get pregnant.”
The fertility doctor recommended IUI and we supported their decision to try it, designing a new program to fit her needs. However, they never had to proceed with the IUI. Megan got pregnant just one month after finding out everything was normal and carried a healthy baby boy to 37 weeks. She delivered in March 2022 at age 42. Dr. Lori and Dr. Etters continue to support Megan in her postpartum phase.
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