After a year of trying unsuccessfully to conceive a second child, Heather and her husband finally realized their dream through in vitro fertilization (IVF) with Mark P. Trolice, M.D., a board-certified reproductive endocrinology and infertility specialist and founder of The IVF Center.
“Part of the journey was feeling like I wasn’t alone,” says Heather. “I felt like I was part of a family. When I came into the office, I actually became friends with the nurses, and we still keep in touch.”
“I’ve been a patient of Dr. Trolice’s for two years,” Heather continues. “The best thing about being his patient was having my son; he’s now two months old. I felt like everybody genuinely cared about me.”
What Is IVF?
For almost 40 years, IVF has been at the forefront of assisted reproductive technology (ART). By creating an embryo in the laboratory, IVF bypasses some of the most common causes of infertility, including sperm irregularities in men and damaged fallopian tubes in women.
In vitro fertilization is typically recommended for couples who have been trying unsuccessfully to get pregnant for one year and who display one or more fertility problems, such as:
- Obstructed fallopian tubes or severe pelvic adhesions
- Abnormal sperm count or low motility
- Severe endometriosis
- The woman is over 38 years old
- Diminished egg supply and poor egg vitality
How Is IVF Performed?
The IVF procedure begins by providing fertility medication to a woman to increase the number of eggs she produces each month from the ovaries. The initial period of the IVF process can take anywhere from four to six weeks before retrieving one’s eggs.
The eggs are surgically retrieved from the ovaries then, in the embryology laboratory, they are fertilized by sperm to become embryos to develop for two to five days followed by transfer to the uterus.
Because not all embryos are guaranteed to result in a healthy ongoing pregnancy, especially on the first attempt, multiple embryos are grown and unused surplus embryos are often frozen, so that another transfer may be attempted should the first one fail. Many patients undergo several IVF cycles before succeeding in becoming pregnant.
Finding a Practice That Cares
The inability to conceive a second child weighed heavily on Heather and her husband. “I was able to have my daughter, no problem,” she says. “I wanted to try again for a second child and started having a hard time. As a woman, when you can’t conceive, you feel like something’s wrong with you.”
“We tried on our own for about a year and had no success. We went to see another doctor at a different practice, and I did not like the way I felt with him. I felt like I was never heard and that he didn’t really care about me.”
Resigned to find the right fertility specialist for her and realize her dream of growing her family, Heather persevered in her efforts.
“I continued my research, and that’s when I found Dr. Trolice,” says Heather. “I was pleased with the reviews that I saw and gave him a call and never looked back. The second I came in, I felt welcomed by everybody, and I never felt bad about myself. I never felt like anybody was looking down on me.”
“The office staff was always amazing. Everybody knew me by name and seemed to know my story on a personal level. They cared about me. And Dr. Trolice sat down and talked to my husband and me, and he met my older daughter. He asked questions beyond just the cut and dry medical stuff. He wanted to know who we were as people, and that was really important to me.”
Heather appreciated the efficiency and flexibility of the practice to make her needs a priority. “Making appointments was always super easy,” she says. “Everything was done with ease, and there was never any stress. I never felt like I was inconveniencing them. It was always what was going to work best with my schedule, and they always helped me figure out how to make it work with theirs.”
Grateful for her successful fertility journey, Heather has recommended Dr. Trolice to others close to her who are having similar challenges. “I’ve recommended my husband’s cousin to come here, and she and her partner are currently seeing Dr. Trolice,” says Heather.
“My first piece of advice to anyone experiencing fertility challenges would be to speak to Dr. Trolice. Be open-minded, have an open heart, and be ready for an incredible journey that is going to help you grow one way or another. It’s all worth it. You just have to trust in the process.”
