Penn Fertility Care | Penn Medicine

Elizabeth's Story

2011-09-16T10:48:00.002-04:00

"My name is Elizabeth and I gave birth at the age of 41 via in vitro fertilization (IVF) to a healthy baby girl at Penn Fertility Care at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania! I had two retrievals and four transfers. Multiple eggs were transferred the first three times and I had one egg left for the last one—it was a success! I remember asking the doctor if it was worth transferring just one egg, and she said of course!

I look at my daughter every day and still can't believe she is mine. I went through so much to have her and it was worth every bit of it. Never, never, give up!"

Elisabeth's Story

2011-03-21T15:45:00.003-04:00

I had been diagnosed with polysytic ovary syndrome (PCOS) several years ago and knew conceiving might be difficult. We tried, but to no avail. I researched doctors on the internet and came across Samantha M. Pfeifer, MD. I immediately made an appointment to see her. After taking Metformin, Clomid and doing injections, we were still unsuccessful. Dr. Pfeifer took a chance and performed ovarian drilling on me back in December of 2007. To make a long story short, with the help of the surgery and one more round of Clomid, I gave birth to my beautiful son, Justin, the following December. Much to my surprise, I then became pregnant again the following July and gave birth to my sweetiepie, Jacqueline, this past April. Thank you so much, Dr. Pfeifer and Penn Health for Women! I owe you so much!

Jennifer's Story

2010-11-30T10:27:00.015-05:00

My husband and I are both 34. We tried for almost two years to get pregnant. Finally, we went to the fertility doctor. After what seemed like 100 different tests, I was diagnosed with endometriosis. After a couple of months of Clomid treatments, the doctor decided to do surgery. For two months after the surgery, I was taking Follistim shots.

We were pregnant within two months. Our son is now 16 months old. Our only concern throughout the process was why the doctor waited five months to do the surgery. I was told about the endrometriosis in November, and the surgery was not done until March. We feel that five months was wasted on Clomid treatments. If they knew I needed surgery, that should have been on the top of the list.

For anyone with a similar situation, I suggest you ask every question about every treatment, and do not let the doctor delay anything. When dealing with infertility, time is of the essence. We are now trying to conceive a second child, however, we are trying the old-fashioned way this time.

Good luck to all who are trying, and do not give up. We were ready to look in to adoption (which we still might). Congratulations to all who have the little one they were waiting so long for. I thank God everyday for my son.

Nai's Story

2010-11-30T10:27:00.014-05:00

When I was younger I always thought that when I turned 25 years old I would start a family. My sister and cousin both started their families very young and I vowed that would not be me. I was going to do things right - like get a job, find a good husband, get a big house... then comes the family. Well everything took place but the children.

I spent so much time ignoring my body calling for help, I wish I could go back and change things but I know I can't. I found out that I had scared tubes that where clubbed at the ends and were blocked. When I heard this I felt dead inside. All that I could think is that my husband isn't going to want to be with me now and that I'm cheating him out of his life. We both wanted children and I knew he wanted to be with someone that could give him a child.

Before I found out that my tubes were blocked, we had tried for over a year and someone from my job told me about her fertility doctor. The fertility specialist did a laparoscopy and he said that he removed the adhesions and that my tubes where closed and damaged and I need to have IVF done to conceive. I thought ok when can I do it? I didn't know what IVF was. I just wanted a baby so when I found out how much it can cost I was disheartened since I couldn't afford the procedure.

My friend told me that she had the same thing. I was shocked and I didn't believe it because she has three kids. So I asked her what she did and she got a second opinion (since all of the doctors are different). The second doctor she saw had another course of treatment for her. I took her one year to conceive her first child, six months for the second child and two years for her third child. She said you have to have a doctor that really care about you.

So I went to see her doctor and gave him my past surgery pictures and info and he looked at me and said "who the heck told me that this isn't repairable?" I was shocked from his reaction and felt like this is the doctor for me. He told me he can fix my problem with another laparoscopy. I remember being put under sedation for the procedure and he was telling me that I'm not going wake up unless my problem was fixed.

When I woke up he had this sad look on his face and I wanted to just cry because I believed him when he said he was going to help me. He looked at me and said well your tubes are opened but it might take you a while to conceive. Well it didn't...I'm now four months pregnant with a healthy baby. I just want to say that some treatments are good for infertility they are not for everyone. A second opinion helped instead of me hiding from my problem. Good luck to everyone.

Tanya's Story

2010-11-30T10:27:00.013-05:00

Well like any other young woman I got married and wanted to start a family. I found out after I got married that I had polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Fast forward about two years and my son was born. Now I'm 29 soon to be 30 the end of this month and the baby bug bit again. I so want to have another child. I came to Penn Fertility Care in hopes of good news.

Today I got a mix. Yesterday I had a HSG test and just received the results, both of my tubes are open and everything else looks good with the exception of a little scar tissue in my left tube. I will go for an insemination in the next few weeks and I'm currently taking clomid.

Hopefully this will work because my insurance won't cover IVF. No need to say that my spirits in spite of the good side of things are very low. But in the mean time I've been doing a lot of praying.

Nicole's Story

2010-11-30T10:26:00.004-05:00

Well my story is long, true and still hurtful to this day, but I'll make it short. My mission is on a good track now so hopefully my story will help someone out in some way. I always thought I could have a baby. When I was younger I got an rude awakening when I thought I had the man of my dreams. When I was 18 or 19 years old, I thought we were going to leave each other so I planned to get pregnant. I tried and tried and nothing happened. I was confused so I stopped at that age. I didn't know anything about a fertility doctor. Anyway he wasn't "the one" and I'm glad I didn't get pregnant then.

I met another man and before we got married he made it clear that he wanted children as did I. We decided to stop using contraception but I wasn't getting pregnant. I started asking my gyn about this and she told me to see a fertility specialist. I had blood work and a laparoscopy and I found out from him that my tubes were blocked. In his opinion, I needed IVF. I found that was too expensive. I showed my ob/gyn the pictures and told her what the specialist said. My ob/gyn looked at the pictures and said the fertility doctor was wrong and to get a second opinion. She referred me to a doctor she went to and she was right. The new doctor fixed on of my tubes and the other is opened a little.

I didn't take no for an answer and even though IVF is a good treatment, I just couldn't afford it. Now, one month after my second laparoscopy, I am pregnant but they are checking to see if it is tubal or normal. I will find out in two days so please pray for me.

The problem I see with a lot of women is that they accept what they are told without fighting, they do not do research on the doctors or success rates, they don't know that there are other treatments than IVF. Trust your heart and know that your husband may act tough be he wants the same thing that you do, a baby. Talk about things and relax and determine the best plan for you. I wish you all well and I'm praying for you all.

Sam's Story

2010-11-30T10:26:00.003-05:00

My husband and I have been trying to conceive for two years. My ob/gyn kept telling us to have intercourse on days 12-14 of my cycle, but it was not working. In September of 2006, I left work, sat at the dining room table and cried. I told my husband I did not want to try anymore, and that the stress and disappointment were too much. We cried together.

Then, in October, I had a blood spot a week before my period. I remember thinking, "This is odd," because that had never happened before. The next week, I bought a pregnancy test and tested. We had two lines! I ran into our bedroom shouting, "We have two lines! We have two lines!" We celebrated and our families were ecstatic!

Three weeks later, we miscarried. The worst part was the dilation and curettage (D and C). We had to be in the maternity ward, with all of the healthy babies and healthy moms. My appointment was for 11:00, but I did not get into the operating room until 1:30. There were two emergency C-sections ahead of me. Those babies were more important to the hospital because those babies were alive. I was fine that night and the next night. But, the third day was horrible. The anesthetic wore off and I was in a lot of pain – physical and emotional.

I cried the whole month of November. I cried all the way to work and all the way home. December was good; I had been given the go-ahead to try again in January. When January came, so did the tears. I was terrified that we wouldn't be able to conceive or that we would miscarry again. As luck would have it, we got pregnant in January. At the end of the month, I began spotting again. On Super Bowl Sunday, as we were leaving church, I felt the baby come out. I saved her, and took her to my doctor's office on Monday. The tests revealed nothing conclusive – just a spontaneous abortion. (I hate that term. Why use abortion?) I cried and was angry.

At the same time, I was taking a grief counseling class for my degree. I shared my experience with my class. During a break, a woman who was a pediatric nurse came up to me and said, "I know someone who can help you. There is a doctor I work with who is a fertility specialist." She gave me his name, and I went home and looked him up on the internet. I made an appointment the following week. I consulted my ob/gyn, and she was angry with me. She said, "I do not recommend this until you have had three miscarriages." I asked her why she would want to put me through that again, and she did not have an answer.

She and my specialist began working together. She ordered 22 blood tests (all negative) and then did a hysterosalpingogram (HSG) – also fine. She faxed all of the results to my specialist and he analyzed them. He determined that all I needed was a shot, gonal-f, to keep my ovaries from releasing an egg until the follicles were mature. I had been ovualting at day ten, and he wanted my body to hold off until day twelve. I took gonal-f injections for five days.

When I returned for an ultrasound, the follicles were not quite ready, so I continued for two more days. This time, the follicles were mature, and my luteinizing hormone (LH) blood count was rising, so I was instructed to take 500 mg of ovidrel that night with intercouse and 250 mg of ovidrel the next night with intercourse. The timed intercourse was very difficult for me. I was worried that something might go wrong, and I could not relax. All that I could think about was, "We paid a lot of money. We have to do it." The second night was much better, and I was able to relax.

I am still waiting for the results of this cycle. I am concerned that because my LH was already rising, we might have missed the egg. I will not know for another week. I am excited that I have a doctor who is skilled and who knows what he is doing, but I am disappointed that I have to go through all of this.

Karen's Story

2010-11-30T10:25:00.006-05:00

I am 26 years-old and have a 5-year-old son. I started trying to conceive for our second child at the end of June 2008. I got a [positive result] BFP on 7/17/08, but 8/4/08 an ultrasound showed it was ectopic. I’ve been trying to conceive since and nothing.

I used over the counter ovulation predictor kits, regularly took my temperature, and used a microscope all at the same time to detect ovulation, and only detected it once in December 2008. I can’t find any doctors who want to really help me quicker.

In October of 2009 I will be getting laparoscopy done if I’m not pregnant by then. I really feel I should get a hysterosalpingogram (HSG) done first because of the ectopic pregnancy. It’s one of those instinct feelings. So I’m currently looking for an HSG to be done. I have three sources I have to call yet and if they won’t help I’m done trying to conceive until the summer is over. This makes me very sad.

Dana's Story

2010-11-30T10:25:00.005-05:00

My husband and I got pregnant after four months of being off of the pill. I was 22 at the time. At eight weeks I lost the pregnancy and was very upset, understandably.

The very next month we got pregnant again. I spent the first three months of the pregnancy just waiting for "it" to happen again. I felt unable to get excited because I was afraid it would all be over. We ended up having a healthy baby boy and we were told by the ob/gyn that a miscarrage is normal.

When our son was two we decided to try again. We got pregnant after six months of trying and unfortunately, I had another miscarrage. It has been over a year now of trying and nothing, no pregnancies. I am 26 now and feeling like this is the prime time to have a baby and disappointed that it's not happening!

Now I am worried that I will never have another baby and I don't want them to be too far apart in age (my son is 3). We are on a limited budget for infertility treatment and right now I am feeling helpless.

Susan's Story

2010-11-30T10:14:00.001-05:00

I am 35 and my husband is 38. I am currently pregnant with our first child following infertility treatment. I had intrauterine insemination performed at Penn Fertility Care. I was so unhappy with my former doctor and really believe that I/we would still be suffering if I had not contacted Penn Fertility last spring. You are entitled to good care and must seek it out, especially if you are older (like me).

While we were trying, I found a lot of solace and support online. Many of the infertility blogs (deadbug, barrenmare) I came across made me cry very hard, but they also made me laugh, gave me hope, and reassured me that I wasn't alone. I wasted a lot of time (1.5 years) with my OB-GYN and then the reproductive endocrinologist I was seeing before.

I had endured tons of blood tests and an HSG (all normal) but was told I wasn't ovulating (even though some home urine tests indicated that I was). When I was given a prescription for a high dose of Clomid last spring & told, in response to a question about what that recommended course of treatment was based on, that it was "based on 15 years of clinical experience", I decided it was time to find a new doctor.

A friend from work told me about Penn Fertility. Shortly after my first visit, they did PCT (which the other doctor had never done) and suggested, based on the results, that we try a few cycles of IUI. The first attempt didn't work, but the second one did. Less than 3 months after my first appointment I was finally pregnant!

We are expecting a baby girl in the spring and we are thrilled. My advice to others suffering through infertility is to be proactive: switch doctors if you don't like yours/don't feel he/she is taking you seriously/giving you good care--and above all, do not lose hope! You WILL have the family you are dreaming of, even if it doesn't happen as fast as you would like.

Janelle's Story

2010-11-30T10:12:00.001-05:00

We had been trying unofficially for about 2+ years, when I knew that something was wrong. I was 27 when I was referred to Penn Fertility Care by my ob/gyn. After being evaluated and tested - they discovered that both of my tubes were blocked. I took it quite hard, but I had faith in science.

So after much thinking I decided to try to have my tubes repaired — after surgery they told me that there was a lot of damage and that my chances of conceiving was about 20% — to me that was alot better then 0%. So we had fun trying, until I realized that maybe things weren't going to well in there. Test confirmed that scar tissue had blocked one of the tubes completely and about 3/4 of the other. So back to the operating room I went to have both tubes removed (an option that I was given the first time but I chose to try to have them repaired first).

After surgery I was having surgery remorse — like why didn't I get a second opinion, why didn't I ask if there was any other alternatives? But I got my self together, after I enjoyed my summer and took my mind of "babies" we decided I was up for a dance with IVF (we waited until September).

After having my case reviewed the clinic also decided that I was a good candidate and off to the consultation and drugs I went — early October. The drugs threw me for a loop I was so darn moody, and anxious that I could not get myself together. However, after a while I adjusted to the "needle schedule" and before I new it I was getting the blood draws and ultrasounds every other day.

It was time for the egg retrieval and I had produced 24 eggs. Out of the 24 eggs, 22 fertilized. Out of the 22 that fertilized, 20 went to "blast" — I waited five days instead of three days. They informed me I had all quality "blast", so they would put the one in that had matured first. So, on December 21st, I was closer to pregnancy then I had ever been. I continued my meds and then the dreaded 2 week-wait begin, which was to end on Jan 2.

I was extremely anxious. I was so edgy and snappy - I believed in my heart that it had worked, but I was also scared to get my hopes up. Happy New Year! We rang in the New Year together and I did not drink "just in case." On the way home I begged him to stop at Walgreen's so I could get a test...I could not bare to wait!

We arrived home and after I said a little prayer, to give me strength, I ran up to the bathroom. Seconds past and I saw the faintest second pink line appear. However, I thought I had willed my brain into seeing something that was not there. I screamed for Hubby to check the results. "What do you see?" I asked frantically. "Is that another line?" I waited as he carefully examined the test. He looked over and said to me with a smile, "Congratulations!"

I did not know if I should, scream or what... I waited until Jan. 2 and it was confirmed through blood work that I was pregnant, I continued the progesterone. We could not be happier; my due date is September 8th. If it were not for the many wonderful people in the office that helped us create life, I do not think this would have been possible on my own. We sincerely thank each and everyone I have had the pleasure of meeting.

Heather's Story

2010-11-30T10:11:00.005-05:00

I am 38 years old. My husband and I tried to get pregnant since 2003, on an off with my ob/gyn's help. In fall of 2006, my hubby had his sperm checked, and they were fine. In March of 2007, I had an HSG with my ob/gyn, and my tubes were fine. I finally went to a fertility specialist in April of 2007.

My doctor was affiliated with Dr. Maureen Kelly (now a doctor with this practice). My doctor was on vacation when my IUI's were done May 30, 2007 and June 1, 2007. Dr. Kelly did both of my procedures, and I became pregnant. I delivered a healthy baby boy named Daniel on February 20, 2008. My husband and I have never been happier. We are now going back to Dr. Kelly at this practice because she conceived my son, and we want to give our son a sibling. I will be 39 in September. Just keep up hope that it will happen for you.

Dani's Story

2010-11-30T10:11:00.004-05:00

I was diagnosed with PCOS about six years ago. My husband and I have been trying for a family for about eight months now. Dr. Pfiefer is absolutely amazing and after three rounds of clomid we are pregnant! She and her nurses are just so supportive and wonderful. We couldn't have asked for better treatment. Here's hoping all goes well over the next nine months!

Jessica's Story

2010-11-30T10:10:00.001-05:00

I am a 26 year-old woman who has PCOS. I started infertility treatments when I was 23. I felt like I would never get pregnant after trying several times. I became very depressed and made the relationship between me and my husband very strained. I finally became pregnant one year later. I was so excited. Then I lost the baby.

I had a blighted ovum and had to have a D&C. I was so stressed and depressed & I obsessed over getting pregnant again. Well the obsession must have worked because 6 months passed and I was pregnant again. I was so amazed because I thought the treatments I was taking would not work. So at my last appointment my physician advised me that I had an egg growing. I was so excited....I had this gut feeling that "It's going to work this time."

And I am happy to report that I am now the proud mother of a one year little girl named Allyana. She is the best. I delivered her after 48 hours of long painful labor, but it was all worth it. I just want to thank Penn Fertility Care for all of their support.

Jess's Story

2010-11-30T10:00:00.005-05:00

Hello everyone! My name is Jess and I am going to be 30 in just two weeks. I was married at the age of 22 and began trying for a baby at the age of 23. To be honest, at 23 I didn't even really understand that I had to try. I had regular (but painful) cycles, and was very unaware as to what infertility was. I believed that if you had unprotected sex you had a baby. Boy, was I wrong.

After months and months I finally started discussing why I was not pregnant with my doctor. He began running tests in 2005 and I was diagnosed with PCOS and endometriosis. I started rounds of clomid, but after almost a year there were no results.

In October 2006 I had my first surgery to repair the damage from the endo. It had spread badly and effected the ability of my ovaries to release eggs. After the surgery I was prescribed the clomid again, still no results. I continued to be seen and treated, and had another endo surgery in August 2008. After that surgery the doctor was not very optimistic. He stated that the damage to my uterus and my ovaries was severe, and that he could not make me any promises. I tried the clomid for the last time after the 2008 surgery.

To my surprise, on December 18, 2008 I took a positive pregnancy test. I am due August 28, 2009. This pregnancy has been very challenging. I have had many ups and downs, and still feel like I'm dreaming. My daughter's room is ready and I have everything I need for her. Putting her crib together was a dream come true and after it was done I just sat there and cried.

Infertility is one of the hardest things a man and woman can go through. It is painful physically and emotionally. I struggled with spirituality and blamed God for causing me this pain. Now I know that I went through what I did because I needed to appreciate what God was giving me.

My daughter is a true blessing and no matter what I will love her and appreciate her. I am a social worker and have made infertility my life's work. As I finish my master's I am hoping to open a fertility counseling group where I live. I hope my story givies someone the inspiration they need to keep going! When you get that positive test and the first time you feel your baby kick inside of you, you realize it is all worth it!

Danielle's Story

2010-11-30T10:00:00.004-05:00

I am a surrogate mother who gave birth to a baby boy 1/8/09. This was the biological child of the husband and wife. I am 42 years old with one daughter. She is 21. We transfered 3 embryos the first time which was unsuccessful, and one the second time which resulted in a birth. Never get discuraged because there are women out here like myself that will carry a child for you and never look back. It was the most amazing experience of my life, I would do it again in a heartbeat!

Sherry's Story

2010-11-30T09:59:00.002-05:00

My name is Sherry and am now the proud Mom of Sarah, my beautiful 2 ½ year old girl. She took seven years and many doctors to create. It wasn't until I found Penn Fertility Care that my miracle became possible.

Diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), my husband and I tried for many years to get pregnant and it always ended in disappointment. The staff at Penn were honest, upfront and compassionate! They gave us new hope when we arrived there for the very first time. It wasn't going to be easy, but with their awesome, caring staff, they made us feel at ease. Our only option was going to be in vitro fertilization (IVF) because of my prior medical history, so we began immediately with medications and injections.

I traveled to Philadelphia on a regular basis for the blood work and ultrasounds and even a few clinical trials that we were proud to be a part of. I will never forget the phone call after two weeks of waiting that I was pregnant! It only took one IVF round and they changed our lives forever! How do you thank someone that gives you the miracle of a baby? I am forever in your debt Penn, you never let me give up, you never let me get discouraged and you never let me down!

What an amazing group of people you have put together at that hospital. From the staff at the front desk, the ladies in the lab (I never felt a thing!) to the nurses and doctors, you are miracle workers. Thank you for being excellent at your jobs! My Sarah will be three years old this April 23rd, and she is the most wonderful gift anyone could ever have given me. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts, and many more years of continued success!

Brooke's Story

2010-11-30T09:58:00.003-05:00

In 2008, my husband and I decided it was time to start a family. After trying unsuccessfully for a few months, I spoke with my doctor and was eventually diagnosed with PCOS. She then referred me to the fertility doctors at Penn Medicine Radnor. The doctors and U/S techs were unbelievably professional and encouraging throughout this process. I will always remember the day when Dr. Pfeifer said, "You WILL get pregnant...we just need to figure out when and how." Her confidence helped me immensely. After a year, we finally had success with IVF. I was able to conceive with only one cycle! We are now the proud parents of an adorable, healthy baby boy. I am forever thankful for the doctors at Penn, particularly Dr. Gracia, Dr. Pfeifer, Dr. Kelly, and Dr. Butts. The stress, medical procedures, needles, etc. were all worth it in the end. I would tell other women to hang in there and stay optimistic. Anything is possible!