Rainbow Baby Maternity Pictures | Sara & Trask’s Infertility Survivor Story

After a long and difficult infertility journey, Sara and Trask recently welcomed their rainbow baby boy!  I am so happy for them and their little IVF miracle!  This fall I got to take maternity pictures for them at the Gilbert Riparian Preserve and I really enjoyed meeting Sara and Trask and getting to know them better.  Sara is such a beautiful mama and you can just tell that she and Trask will be the most amazing parents to their little guy.  I hope that if anyone reading this is experiencing infertility, you will find solidarity and hope through this couple’s story.  Thank you for sharing your journey, Sara and Trask, and congratulations on your perfect baby boy!

Sara & Trask’s Infertility Survivor Story
written by Sara

A little background about you as a couple
Trask and I have been together for nearly 15 years,  married for 10 1/2 years. We met in college at Colorado Mesa University in Grand Junction, Colorado. We had a class together and you could say it was love at first sight. We started dating and got married about 5 years later. Trask works in technology sales which has moved us from Colorado, to California and finally settling in here in Arizona. I have been a Registered nurse for 8 years. 

Your infertility story
Trask and I got married at 25 years old and decided to wait a few years before starting to try for a baby. Around 27 years old, I was diagnosed with PCOS. I went on medications to regulate my cycle etc. It wasn’t until after nursing school and moving to California that we decided to start trying for a baby. This was nearly 7-8 years ago. We tried everything naturally that one can and I never got pregnant. About 4 years ago we met with our first reproductive endocrinologist while living in San Diego, CA. He advised I start acupuncture and change my diet in preparation of IUI treatment. After taking his advice, about 6 months later I got pregnant naturally but it ended in an ectopic pregnancy. It took some time to heal physically and emotionally but our doctors told us we would be more fertile if we tried shortly after the ectopic. We got pregnant about 3 months after naturally. We were very excited but very cautious. We were also in the midst of a move to Arizona. Five days before our move, I started bleeding and went to the doctor. It was still early in pregnancy but they told me all of my levels were okay and to try and rest and that spotting is common in early pregnancy. Hard to rest when you’re moving! Fast forward to Arizona, a week later and I started bleeding again. I found an OBGYN right away that would see me and it was confirmed I was miscarrying. At this point I needed some time to heal and decompress. I continued acupuncture and met with #2 reproductive endocrinologist here in AZ. I started with medicated cycles and got pregnant November 2015. This pregnancy also ended in miscarriage. More unanswered questions as to why I could not hold a pregnancy. I went on to have 3 failed IUI cycles. We looked into adoption and started to get finances in order. Then last October 2016, I found myself on the Arizona IVF support page and found a new reproductive doctor. We met with him and instantly our positive outlook and hope returned after years of heartache and disappointments. He advised we go straight to IVF with genetic testing of embryos. It was his hunch that my miscarriages could be due to poor egg quality and genetic issues. March 2017 we had our egg retrieval and got 14 eggs, 12 matured and 7 fertilized, ending with 3 genetically healthy embryos. We transferred one embryo in April 2017 and are currently awaiting the arrival of our baby boy In January 2018.

What would you say is the hardest thing about infertility?
The unknown or unanswered questions. We have come so far with technology but we still find ourselves sometimes at a loss for why things occur. Also, it’s hard to hide your struggle or put on a brave face to family, friends, coworkers. Unless you are an open book to everyone, you are constantly asked “why don’t you have kids.” It’s a hard question to answer sometimes and one you might not WANT to answer.

Are there any ways you have grown stronger as a person/couple as a result of infertility?
I am no longer afraid to tell my story. Infertility has been my journey and I have learned to talk about it and not hide the pain and heartbreaks we have endured. I truly believe by talking about it, I have healed in so many ways. I’ve also gained friendships from other infertility survivors that I likely would not have met had I remained quiet. There is no way I would have survived without my husband. He has been a constant rock and positive energy that I needed to keep the faith.

Are there any resources that have helped you emotionally/spiritually through your infertility journey?
My church and faith in God definitely helped on this journey. The IVF support group pages kept me emotionally sane through some trying times.

Is there anything you wish people who don’t struggle with infertility knew?
Please don’t give advice unless you have been through infertility yourself. Those of us on this hard journey, have usually endured several doctors, tests, procedures etc. We have become experts in all things fertility. Telling us to relax or stop stressing will not make us miraculously pregnant. 

What advice would you give to someone else who is currently going through infertility?
1. Do your research and interview several reproductive endocrinologists. They are not created equal and one may have a specialty or an area they are more educated within. 2. Find a support group (online or in person). 3. Acupuncture!! Do it! I did acupuncture before and after transfer and all throughout my pregnancy.