Fertility Unspoken

Hi Friends!

Today marks the beginning of a new chapter in my life—a chapter filled with hope, anticipation, and maybe a little bit of anxiety too. This is Day 1 of my IVF journey, and I wanted to take you along for the ride as I document this life-changing process.

So, let’s rewind a little bit. If you’ve been through IVF or know someone who has, you might know that Day 1 refers to the first day of your period, which officially kicks off the treatment cycle. We had been anxiously waiting for it to arrive. The hope was that it would fall on a weekday so we could stay local for the necessary appointments—no luck there. Of course, as if by cosmic coincidence, my period started on the one day that would force us to make a trip to Carmel for the first round of bloodwork and an intravaginal ultrasound. Isn’t it funny how life throws those little curveballs?

Anyway, the morning started bright and early. We packed up our things, and of course, our dogs—because they go everywhere with us—and made the trip to Carmel. The drive gave me some time to reflect on how far we’ve come to get here. Infertility has been a long and challenging road for me, with so many ups and downs. My body and mind have been through so much, but today feels different. Today feels like the beginning of something new and that is so scary, but so exciting

Once we arrived at the clinic, it was all systems go. Bloodwork came first, which is a standard part of the IVF process to check hormone levels. Then came the intravaginal ultrasound—this wasn’t the first time, but there’s still that little flutter of nervousness each time. For our girlies that hate these ultrasounds, me too girl, me too. We have to remind ourselves that every test, every scan brings us one step closer to the goal we’ve been working toward for so long.

By the time we finished at the clinic and started our trip back home, my emotions were all over the place. Excitement, fear, hope, and a little bit of “Is this really happening?” It’s like my brain was in overdrive processing everything. We all handle processing these emotions differently.

And tonight, the real journey begins—we will be starting our first round of injections! There’s something so surreal about the thought of that first injection. It’s the physical manifestation of everything we’ve been waiting for, hoping for. It’s a big step, and though I’m a little nervous, I know that this is the beginning of a road we’ve been preparing for.

As I sit here reflecting on the day, I can’t help but feel grateful. Grateful for the medical advancements that allow us to pursue IVF, for my partner who has been my rock through all of this, and for the support system of friends and family (like all of you!) who cheer us on from the sidelines.

This is only the start of the story, but it’s a start I’ve been waiting for. A new chapter begins tonight, and I’m ready to face whatever comes next with courage and hope. I’ll be sharing each step of this process with you all—both the good and the tough moments. So stay tuned, and thanks for being here with me as I begin this new journey.

Until next time,
Danielle 💜