Katie Rose Keith's Unexplained Infertility Journey
Hi! My name is Katie Rose Keith and this is my unexplained infertility journey….
It all started back in March of 2019. 5 months after we got married. We decided to start trying, especially since we are mid 30’s and 40’s and had friends who have struggled as well. We knew we wanted kids. One for sure, two if we are blessed!
Who knew how hard it would be to get pregnant, right? Your whole life you are told to try not to and then, when you want to, there is the tiniest window of opportunity.
The first 3 months I was a bit confused. My mom was super fertile and she got pregnant very easily. She had 3 kids. I thought, “ well I should be the same.” Granted, my mom was in her 20’s when she had us. By month 6 a lot of people started asking me about getting pregnant and I gleefully would say, “ you never know! I could be pregnant right now! We are trying!”
Im a pretty happy person and can find joy In most things so, I wasn’t stressed or concerned but, you know once you tell people about it the number one response is, “ it will happen when you aren’t worried about it.” Well, I never was worried.
I took advice graciously.
“Don’t stress.”
“ Don’t think about it.”
“ Have you tried holding your legs above your head for 15 minutes?”
“ Have you used a basil thermometer?”
“ Are you using ovulation sticks?”
“ It’ll happen…..”
You name it. I’ve heard it.
All wonderful people trying to share their knowledge and hope no doubt so….I still hold out hope.
We decided to go to a fertility clinic….
We started blood work and exams almost right away. One thing that this journey has helped me with is getting comfortable enough to go get blood drawn on my own. It’s always freaked me out and while it still does, I have a much better way of handling it and can go on my own now! Success! ( Tip: recite the ABC’s song and then its all over! The nurses get a good laugh at me and have actually used it on other patients now)
I had an HSG ( which is when they insert dye into your fallopian tubes to make sure they are open and working) we both got genetic testing, amongst tons of other exams and numbers and guess what….we check out ok! Great numbers all around! So what IS up? I kept thinking…it’ll happen…lets not try IUI yet. Months went by….I had friends who said, “ yeah it took me SO long this time! 3 months!” As I smile but, give an internal eye roll. “Wow…yeah SO long!”
I cannot explain to you how hard it is to watch others joy of pregnancy or their 2nd and 3rd babies. I cannot fully explain to you how every month I try to use my LAST tampon and then, I get my period and have to reluctantly buy more. How, I invent signs of pregnancy that are just signs of my hormones. How every time I ovulate, I get super excited as if it is a positive pregnancy test because this is our window of opportunity! How, every pregnancy test is just a waste of money and one more video that I got my hopes up for. How every time I see baby clothes I think, “ oh I should buy that because it’s gonna happen soon.” And then I remind myself that I should just wait. How seeing my parents and in laws makes me feel like less of a woman because, I know that every time we meet, they are hoping I have news.
So, about the future….
So far, I have endured 2 IUI’s which, is the ever so gracefully coined term the “turkey basting” process.
My next step is to get an MRI on my uterus to view the cysts and make sure that’s what they are and that they will eventually shrink or not be an issue but, I am always fearful I could get fibroids because, when my mom turned 35 she got them. I am hoping that if I do, they can catch them early. The next step after that is to consider IVF but, we decided to hold off until the new year.
Life is so uncertain. One thing that is certain is that I want kids. Whatever, pathway we have to take to get one and whatever economic struggles we have to endure along with the rest of the world, I am ready for. I am strong and I am going to accept everything that comes at me. So, I hope you find laughter, inspiration and a little bit of understanding to what this journey has meant for me.
Written by Katie Rose Keith
IG: Katierosekeith
Listen to You Tube For the First Time Fertility Parody