This week did not go the way we expected.
After four months of appointments, medications, and waiting, we showed up for what felt like the make-or-break ultrasound for our IVM fertility study. Within seconds, we knew something was wrong. One follicle had grown to 17 mm—well over the study's 13 mm cutoff—which meant we were officially removed from the study.
We talk about what that moment felt like, why it hit us so hard, and how years of infertility have changed the way we respond to disappointing news. From sitting through an ultrasound trying not to cry, to wondering if we were back at square one, this was one of the lowest moments we've had in our journey.
Then, everything changed.
A phone call from our study coordinator revealed something we didn't realize was possible: because my follicle had matured, we were unexpectedly eligible to move straight into an IUI cycle instead of waiting months to start IVF. In a matter of hours, we went from grieving another setback to preparing for an insemination just days later.
In this episode we discuss:
- Why we were removed from the IVM study
- What the 13 mm follicle cutoff actually means
- My experience taking Clomid and the side effects I noticed
- Matt's perspective on another major fertility setback
- Why has false reassurance from doctors become difficult for us after years of infertility
- How we unexpectedly pivoted from an egg retrieval to an IUI cycle
- What our treatment timeline now looks like
- Why this unexpected change could move our family-building journey months ahead
- The hope (and cautious optimism) we're holding onto as we head into our first IUI
If you're navigating infertility, failed treatment cycles, or the emotional rollercoaster of changing plans, we hope this episode reminds you that sometimes the next door opens when you least expect it.
Thanks for listening to Unfertile & Unfiltered. If this episode resonated with you, we'd love it if you'd subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who could use the reminder that setbacks don't always mean the story is over.
