Brittany & Matt

Brittany & Matt's Story:

My husband and I married in May 2013 and decided we wanted a family in August. In September 2013, I found out I was pregnant, but not in the way most women do. At 8 weeks, my fallopian tube ruptured, and I had to undergo emergency surgery to stop the bleeding and remove the tube.

Everyone kept saying, "At least you know you can get pregnant." So we kept trying. Months went by, and nothing happened. We consulted our doctor, who put us on a waitlist for exploratory surgery. I'll never forget waking up and the surgeon telling me I had a unicornuate uterus and no other fallopian tube.

Not only that, but endometriosis was "everywhere". We sat on another waitlist to begin IVF. After a year, it was finally time, and with our first Frozen Embryo Transfer (FET) in 2016, I fell pregnant with my son. He was perfect in every way, and since we had two embryos left, we started again in 2018. But my cycle wouldn't cooperate.

We'd get to the week of the transfer, and I'd have breakthrough bleeding. We managed a transfer at the end of 2018, which failed. Then again, at the end of 2019. Another failure.

We began saving to start the whole process over again, but hit a little snag. We had to move from New Zealand to the US. I knew there wouldn't be any way we could afford IVF in the US, so it wasn't until I stumbled on info regarding CNY Fertility in January of 2022 that the Lord made a way for us to start again. We flew to CNY Syracuse and had an amazing egg retrieval, and two weeks later, we transferred two embryos. But neither took.

Gutted, we scraped some more money together and did another transfer in June of 2023, this time at CNY Colorado. I tested at home 5 days after transfer, and a second line appeared for the first time in seven years. Elated, we told everyone that day. Only the next day, the line didn't darken—the day after the line was lighter. When my beta test came around, the line was nearly gone again, and the heartbreaking phone call confirmed what I knew—a chemical pregnancy.

My mental state suffered more than ever. We went on vacation across the globe, moved to Florida, and bought a house. Then, in November of 2023, we decided to try again at CNY Sarasota. I admit I went through all the too-familiar motions without a single hope.

We transferred two more embryos, and my tattered heart decided to test at home. The second line was instantaneous. Still unable to hope, I didn't announce the pregnancy with any sort of enthusiasm. I thought it would all come crashing down again.

Weeks slowly crept by, and even the flickering heartbeat on the ultrasound felt surreal. A few more months went by, and I dared to hope. When the sonographer said, "This definitely looks like a girl," I released tears of joy I'd held back for months. I let myself feel joy again as I decorated her room.

At 20 weeks we discovered she had a large hole in her heart that might require surgery, but we set that aside. She was born a healthy 8 lbs, 13 oz via c-section. And on December 2nd, she endured open heart surgery to close two holes in her heart. She continues to prove over and over that she is a little fighter.

Favorite Team Member at CNY:

Everyone in Syracuse and Sarasota were so lovely and kind. I loved how Dr. Kiltz prayed with us after both our transfers that he did.

The Moment:

When they held my baby girl up to the clear drape, I remember reaching for her tiny fist and feeling a surge of love and joy. In that moment all the horrible years of infertility were worth it. I'd go through it all again to bring this precious life into my arms and our family.

Hope, Inspiration and Advice:

Focus on your spouse/partner. It's too easy to lose yourself in the draining process of TTC. Enjoy them as much as you can. Go on adventures, and date the heck out of each other. You'll be holding your miracle one day.