Ashley & Tom
Infertility Diagnosis
- Male factor
Treatment(s)
- Frozen embryo transfer (FET)
- In vitro Fertilization (IVF)
Location(s)
- Buffalo
Physician(s)
- Robert Kiltz, MD
- Eric Chang, DO
- Edward Ditkoff, MD
Ashley & Tom's Story:
Our journey has not been a sprint; it’s definitely been a marathon, as it is for most couples on the same path as we were. My fiancé and I had been TTC since November 2017. After a full year of countless letdowns, I made an appointment with our local fertility clinic when November 2018 rolled around.
After speaking with the doctors and being told that IVF was our only option, all of our dreams came crashing down when we were told how much it would cost to move forward. It was devastating to know that we could (hopefully) get pregnant, but the price tag stood in the way. We continued to try the “old fashioned” way for years, hoping for a miracle.
Fast forward to 2020, I found out about CNY and cried when looking over the website! I could not believe our hopes of building our family could ever be a possibility for us! I called that afternoon and made an appointment for a consultation. While on the phone, the receptionist kindly let me know that there was a cancellation and there was an appointment available for 2 weeks out! It felt like it was meant to be.
By the time we were ready to begin our first egg retrieval cycle, the pandemic was in full swing. I had all of my medications ready to go and was waiting on my cycle to begin. Unfortunately, during this time, my fiancé lost his job just days before when the company closed its doors.
We were heartbroken and back to square one and it took us some time to recover financially from the after-effects of losing a job and the pandemic.
Fast forward to the end of 2021, during open enrollment at my work. I found myself crying again, filled with hope and joy, as I read that my company now offered IVF benefits to their insurance! I made my elections and waited until they took effect in January.
We decided that we would begin the egg retrieval cycle in February. I remember the anticipation and excitement leading up to those days. I did remote monitoring at our local hospital and each blood draw, ultrasound, and needle stick was just one more step in achieving that dream we were chasing.
After the retrieval, we ended up with six beautifully graded embryos frozen and ready to be transferred!
The FET cycle flew by! After just a few short monitoring visits, transfer day was finally here!
We woke up at about 3 am and began the 4.5hr road trip to CNY Buffalo to see Dr. Chang.
We transferred a Day 5, 4AA embryo.
Four days after transfer, I woke up and received my first “non-squinter” positive pregnancy test! ❤️ The transfer worked, and I was pregnant!
Days turned into weeks, and weeks turned into months of my pregnancy.
But soon, our excitement turned into pure fear after we were told during an ultrasound that I was dilating and my membranes were bulging. I received a rescue cerclage at 22w4d pregnant. It was the most terrifying day of our lives. I spent the remainder of my pregnancy on bed rest at home.
By God’s grace and all of the wonderful doctors overseeing my care from start to finish, I delivered our beautiful baby girl, Alaina, at 38 weeks gestation on November 10, 2022.
Thank you to everyone at CNY for making this dream a reality! I recommend you to everyone I come across! Without you, we would not have our baby girl.
Your care, kindness, and passion for what you do will always be something I’m grateful for!
Favorite Team Member at CNY:
Dr Chang was absolutely amazing, along with the rest of the staff at CNY Buffalo!
