My husband and I met in college and almost instantly knew that we wanted to build a life and family together. After our wedding we started trying to conceive with no luck. It was confusing to us, our family, and our friends, how two healthy people could not get pregnant. Several months passed and we decided to see a reproductive endocrinologist at a prominent clinic in our area. Before we knew it and before any medical professional cared to consider what root causes could be contributing to our failures, we were waist deep in abdominal injections, ultrasounds, follicle stimulating hormones, and daily blood draws. To spare the technical details of what went on for almost the next two years, here is the short version. We completed three rounds of intrauterine insemination and three in vitro fertilization egg retrievals. Unfortunately, all wielded poor results due to egg quality, leaving us with unfavorable hope. We asked our doctor often what we could be doing to try and improve our sperm or egg quality, wanting to regain even a bit of control. Each and every time we posed the question, we were met with the same answer. “There is nothing you can do.” And yes, that is a direct quote. In the following months, we endured an IVF miscarriage and an ectopic pregnancy. Our doctor made it clear that our only chance at a family would be surrogacy, but even then, our family wasn’t a guarantee. At our following appointment we decided to pose the question one last time, except this time our doctor’s response changed. She said, “Well, I don’t usually suggest this unless you have had recurring losses, but you may want to consider dietary changes.” Those words are ingrained in my memory because that exact moment changed the course of our fertility journey and truly our lives. 

We couldn’t believe that all this time there were suggestions for improving our fertility and that it was being withheld because we hadn’t suffered enough. Needless to say, we began looking into new doctors while simultaneously discovering functional medicine via Chris Kresser’s Baby Code course on the recommendation of a family member. This was the tip of the iceberg. We completely immersed ourselves in functional medicine literature, research, podcasts, saw an incredible functional medicine practitioner, and found social media accounts who focused on improving fertility. It was and still is our most productive and healthy obsession. While following Dr. Mark Hyman, WeNatal was dropped into my lap. From then on, the WeNatal content guided my dietary choices, how I connected with my husband, the gratitude I exhibited, and my nutrient supplementation. 

Although we had two additional miscarriages following these lifestyle changes, we now were armed with this sense of confidence that my body could do it. It was around this time that I was scrolling through Instagram and decided to direct message WeNatal to thank them for their content and explain how regardless if I ever hold my baby, I know that I turned over every rock and I could move on to my next chapter with admiration of my resiliency. I snickered after sending it because I knew it would go unread. Astonishingly, Ronit responded with the most uplifting encouragement. After that conversation, I was emotionally refueled.  We continued to make changes to our lifestyle that would allow us to become sustainably healthier. Finally, our last egg retrieval yielded multiple embryos with superior egg quality, but that isn’t even the good part! When it was time to transfer one of our perfect embryos, we showed up to our clinic and were told that there was an issue during the thawing process leaving us with a mere 5% chance of a successful implantation. The medical suggestion would have been to discard that embryo and try again with another embryo the following month. I trusted my gut and went for it anyway. Turns out our embryo was a fighter and my body was strong enough to sustain a pregnancy. Today, our daughter Emma, is 10 months old with the most vibrant, strong-willed, goofy personality and gleaming green eyes. 

WeNatal played a vital role in allowing us to finally arrive at this point because they believe and have proven that women and men can improve their fertility outcomes. They not only support couples by providing better products that train our bodies, they have formed an integrative health focused community that understands the complexities and simplicities of the human body. They have partnered with other professionals that taught me to balance my blood sugar, heal and nourish my gut, detoxify my home, the importance of mindfulness, and maintaining healthy exercise goals. Ronit, Vida, and WeNatal are educators, supporters and now my friends. They believe in a better and more fertile future. Our road was not easy and there were certainly times that my husband and I had to take a hard look at one another before deciding on our next steps. But, we are forever grateful for the knowledge we acquired which will be the best gift we can pass down to our daughter. 

As a patient navigating infertility, it is easy to ask, “why us” and that is something I muttered countless times. I don’t wish to forget the physical or emotional pain of infertility. I now channel those intense emotions as intense gratitude when I need it most. Sharing our story in hopes that one couple is refueled to keep fighting and use their emotion as energy is my “why”.

In hope,

Cassi <3