Anna & Andrew

Anna & Andrew's Story:

We got married in 2017 and knew we wanted a family right away, but after a year of trying and nothing happening, we knew we needed help.

In 2019, we went to a local fertility center, and it was a horrible experience. I didn't want to return there again and never had any procedures done. We paused our efforts, and soon after COVID hit. During that time, our marriage suffered, and we nearly divorced, but after 4 months of reflecting, we knew that we couldn't give up on ourselves.

In 2022, we tried 2 rounds of IUIs with another local center, but nothing came of that. That's when my mother-in-law reminded me of CNY, which she had brought up in the past, but we ignored her then.

She knows of a few couples, including an LGBT+ couple, who had conceived and delivered successfully, and we hoped it would be our time at last.

In 2023, we had our consultation, but I found out I had thyroid issues, and nothing could be done until I fixed that. Once everything was settled and I could do my testing, no one around me would do outpatient tests for us. So, on that note, I decided to travel to CNY Sarasota for monitoring, and I did that drive of 2-3 hours each way every week, but it was worth it. That's where I got diagnosed with PCOS, but it was handled immediately.

We traveled to CNY Syracuse for the egg retrieval and transferred a fresh day 5 embryo. The embryos were so perfect that the doctor asked me to please only transfer one. We had seven embryos, of which six are frozen now.

I still can't believe how affordable the entire process ended up being. I am forever grateful to the entire staff in CNY Sarasota for treating me like family and responding to every email I sent, no matter how silly the questions were.

I tell anyone willing to listen about CNY and how it's the only place to go. We had our baby boy Kai on July 1st, 2024, after seven years of trying and over a decade of knowing that I was ready to be a mama.

Favorite Team Member at CNY:

Nicole Snarskis is the best nurse in Sarasota and I credit her for helping me have my beautiful baby. I even got to be one of her first ultrasounds and that felt like a special moment. She will forever be connected to me and my baby. Thank you Nicole

Helpful resources Anna & Andrew found:

I spent a lot of time reading other people's stories online and my Premom app. When you're on an IVF journey, surprisingly you meet a lot of people that are going through it as well, or who already went through it. It's very reassuring. Don't be shy. Talk to people about your experience. I had acupuncture done in Syracuse before and after the transfer and it was relaxing and probably helpful.

The Moment:

I never believed it was actually happening. Not when we got the calls and it was Positive both times. Not when I saw the heartbeat, nor when I heard it. It was all a dream, everyday I grew and every month he grew and I got to see him on the monitor as he changed. When it was finally time to have him, I had a hard labor. It seemed like I was never going to have that moment, but finally, at home, when I woke up in the morning and I missed him so much, I finally fell in love. I still can't believe I'm a mom and he's my baby.

Hope, Inspiration and Advice:

Don't beat yourself up, don't be ashamed. If people ask about "when" tell them the truth, you'll be surprised at how supportive people become. Don't stop living, yet allow yourself to feel the feelings, whatever they may be. Stay realistic but have trust that it will happen at some point. And do not test at home. Wait for the results from the clinic. It's hard but so worth getting that call with the accurate results.