"IF WE WOULD HAVE GIVEN UP SOONER, I WOULDN’T BE A MOM TODAY"

Julie Smith, 32, was diagnosed with unexplained infertility. After performing tests previously unavailable to her through other facilities, the doctors were able to determine what was causing the problem. Within the first month of IVF treatments, she got pregnant using her own eggs and her husband’s sperm. Here is her story…

What was your experience like at your previous clinic?
They gave me a few different diagnoses. All were very grim. First they said we would need a sperm donor. Then they said my eggs were the problem because I had no "grade A" eggs. They bombarded me with medications and put me through a few IVF treatments. Finally, the doctor said that I had "unexplained infertility." At that point, I went into a deep depression.

How did you find Dr. Miller?
A friend of mine suggested Dr. Miller’s practice. I had heard the name before. The word on the street is, "If they can’t get you pregnant, no one can." At first, I wasn’t sure they could treat me because I’m an HMO patient. I thought my previous clinic was the only place I could go, but that turned out not to be true.

What was different about Dr. Miller?
From the very first appointment, things were different. There was no doom and gloom. I wasn’t a hopeless case. We didn’t necessarily have answers right away, but at least they were positive about my treatment. They mentioned tests and strategies on the first appointment that no other doctor had mentioned. After that first appointment, I really felt like things were going to change.

How did you eventually get pregnant?
After four years of trying to get pregnant, we started seeing Dr. Miller in February. Dr. Miller and Dr. Zinger started me on IVF in April and I was pregnant at the end of April without any donors. I was 32 years old.

Has your experience made you feel differently toward being a mother?
Absolutely. I was never one to say, "I’m going to have kids and be a stay-at-home mom." But I decided not to go back to work. It took over four years to get Tallon here and it was very emotionally taxing. Now he’s three months old and there’s no way I’m going back to work now. I don’t know if this will ever happen again so I’m going to take advantage of every moment.