Doctors told Crystal that IVF may be the only way after several losses and a Lyme Disease diagnosis. Listen to this story of hope to hear about her journey to a NATURAL pregnancy and a healthy baby!

Disclaimer: Please keep in mind that I am not a medical doctor. I have been a practitioner of Traditional Chinese Medicine for over 17 years and I will be speaking from my clinical experience helping thousands of women conceive. The office of Aimee E. Raupp, M.S., L.Ac and Aimee Raupp Wellness & Fertility Centers and all personnel associated with the practice do not use social media to convey medical advice. This video will be posted to Aimee’s channels to educate and inspire others on the fertility journey.

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Speaker 1 (00:00:02):

All right. Hi everyone. Hi. I'm so excited to be here. Another story of hope as always. I will say the same thing. I always say this is such a good one. Yeah. You guys take notes. This is Jocelyn. She has had a hell of a journey on a secondary infertility journey, and she is now 24 weeks pregnant with a healthy bambino. You could show your bump if you feel like, 

Speaker 2 (00:00:31):

Oh, she's down there. Maybe I'll stand up at the end. 

Speaker 1 (00:00:34):

Yeah, yeah. No pressure. The shirt is becoming a crop 

Speaker 2 (00:00:37):

Top, but 

Speaker 1 (00:00:41):

And a healthy baby girl, right? Baby girl. 

Speaker 2 (00:00:44):

Healthy baby girl. Yes. I love it. We're very excited. 

Speaker 1 (00:00:48):

So obviously I know your story. I think everyone wants to hear your story and you have a good timeline that you've mapped out. Sure. Prior to meeting me and my team and then since. So I'll let you start and I'll just kind of do my thing and interject and, 

Speaker 2 (00:01:06):

Sure, sure. Okay. Well, thank you all for tuning in. I just want to start by saying how, if you're here in this call or if you're listening to it after the fact, you are already doing a great job moving towards improving your chances for your family to grow. You are absolutely in the right place, which is not something you often feel or hear in the fertility cycle. Amy and team are just, they're credible, they are true experts in the field, and I consider myself so blessed to have found them and worked with them, and I'll run in through my sort of traumatic history prior to and also post meeting them, and I'll try to be as brief and quick as I can. 

Speaker 1 (00:02:04):

No, take your time. I mean, it's important. I think so many girls that are going to tune into this, we'll relate. That's what I, 

Speaker 2 (00:02:13):

Okay. Okay. So as Amy said, I was a case of secondary unexplained infertility, that horrible phrase that you so often hear when you don't have success right away with growing your family. Back in 2018, my husband and I began to try to conceive on our fifth month, which I blissfully naively thought was so long. At that time I was, I think 33 on our fifth month of trying. We did conceive at home and our daughter was born in May of 2019. Anticipating that our second try might take a little longer than that five month period. I sort of looked at my husband around the one and a half year mark and said, Hey, let's maybe start trying in case it takes about a year and a half. I was, I believe, 36 at the time, or 35, 36, and what we found was six months later, this is the window we call the doctor Next month, we actually did conceive at home again, ecstatic. I mean, we were like, this is the best thing ever. Blissfully unaware that a positive test could not potentially yield a live child. We confirmed via blood work that the beta was doubling. Unfortunately, on our third visit, we found out that it was going to be a chemical pregnancy that I will say of all my losses, which I continue to have several more as the years went on, the first one really, really I think was the, I don't know if I'd say hardest, but it was the loss of blissful pregnancy. And I you 

Speaker 1 (00:04:12):

Lost that ability to be naive. You can remember. 

Speaker 2 (00:04:15):

Yeah. And I really just, I remember the day after being told that the beta was not doubling and that the pregnancy would not be viable, crying myself to sleep and then waking up that morning, and for a brief moment, I just thought to myself, oh, it's a nightmare. That didn't happen, that couldn't happen. And that second where I stood up and realized, oh no, that's happening, that's real. And that it was so awful. I mean, just anybody that has gone through loss knows that feeling of where you feel like, is that real? Was that a dream? A nightmare? Anyway, I went on to pass that one at home very painfully, by the way, but did not need a procedure. Then of course, I was absolutely distraught. We headed to a fertility center in our network. We began our consultations. That was back in July of 2021. 

Speaker 2 (00:05:23):

We started with, and again, greeted with, oh, you got pregnant twice on your own. This is going to be a quick, you guys just need a little IUI. No problem. We won't even need to medicate you. Well, three I UIs later, all negative tests. We also, I developed an ovarian cyst from the medication. Clomid, no success there. Then again, the reassurance from the team, oh, you guys will have no problem. Let's just do IVF and we'll get you your baby. And that's something that I don't think people realize. With infertility, sometimes you can sort of be taken for granted because you have had a baby before. Sometimes people are just like, well, it wasn't the right egg. Next month will be, and they sort of, 

Speaker 1 (00:06:10):

Or you already have one at home. Be 

Speaker 2 (00:06:12):

Grateful. Grateful. Yes, exactly. And of course you are grateful and you fully recognize that, but it just was particularly, it was an undercurrent of our handlings with doctors that now looking back on really felt irresponsible for them to sort of just overlook our case because we had had success ones before. So we did move to IVF, our first retrieval. Unfortunately, when we had our genetic testing come back, none of the embryos were workable. So at that point, 

Speaker 1 (00:06:48):

And you're 35 at this point? 36, 

Speaker 2 (00:06:50):

So I would've been, it was May of 22. So I am what, 30? Yeah, 36. Yeah, 30. And how many did you 

Speaker 1 (00:07:05):

Retrieve? Might've just turned 37. Did we send off? Do you 

Speaker 2 (00:07:08):

Remember? Sure. So the first retrieval, we did low stem. So we had nine eggs, I think retrieved and only two fertilized, which was very upsetting, 

Speaker 1 (00:07:20):

Very low fertilization, 

Speaker 2 (00:07:21):

Very low fertilization. We did not do ixy with this doctor because the practice believed that they didn't like, they just didn't feel like it was, they felt like there was a reason certain firm would not fertilize. So embryos or those two fertilized eggs did become five day blasts. And like I said, they sent them out. One was abnormal, one was high level mosaic, and the doctor did not recommend. I remember that. Again, we waited a week and a half. This was sort of when covid protocols were still a little in place. So we did a virtual meeting, and the doctor, we just felt very unsupported by, not really dialed in on our specifics, was misquoting numbers during the call that we were so desperately latching onto for emotional 

Speaker 1 (00:08:12):

Support. 

Speaker 2 (00:08:14):

So we actually ended up switching clinics at that point. We switched to another clinic in our area that was kind of like a big practice, a lot of locations throughout New York, New Jersey, and we had teamed up with a wonderful doctor, a reproductive endocrinologist who we just felt right away was already on point with the emotional support in July of, or excuse me. So two months later we did a second round of IVF, and at that point, the doctor had said, listen, I don't know why they wouldn't do ixy with morphology being a slight factor. That seemed crazy to her. So we did a second round, and believe it or not, we had worse results. So we retrieved about the same number of eggs, but then we did not end up with any five day blasts. So that was devastating because here we were feeling like, okay, we have the right team and we're doing ixy, so it's going to work, and boom, terrible results. At that point in time, we said to my husband, okay, my reproductive endocrinologist right away it was like, alright, gluten and dairy free for you. 

Speaker 1 (00:09:33):

Yeah, I was going to ask, diet stuff hadn't changed yet, right? 

Speaker 2 (00:09:35):

Diet stuff had not changed. So she switched us to gluten and dairy free, which 

Speaker 1 (00:09:39):

That's amazing for by the way, for a reproductive endocrinologist, if you want to share her name, you can 

Speaker 2 (00:09:44):

Sure. It was Maria Costantini Ferraro, I'm sorry, out of RMA in Englewood, who I love. I think she's an incredibly capable, wonderful reproductive endocrinologist. So that being said, we then implemented strict changes. So gluten and dairy free for me, my husband was eliminating alcohol entirely, so he had stopped drinking. And again, wasn't that he was super excessive, but he was more than the one recommended drink per day, which ladies, if you are facing low fertilization morphology issues, you have to look at those external factors for your husband because it's important. And again, you are going to do so much on your end. You have to have a partner who's willing to meet you there halfway as well. So that being said, we were about, I guess five months of gluten and dairy free or four months of gluten and dairy free. Also, remember, sperm turns over between 70 something and 90 days. So it's not just like stop drinking for a weekend and boom, it's got to be a few month commitment. So that being said, December, 2022, we did our third egg retrieval and my doctor increased my dosages of medication and we retrieved 16 eggs. We had 12 of them fertilized. So again, this fertilization was undeniably better 

Speaker 2 (00:11:25):

Once we removed alcohol from my husband's life at that point. Then we had eight, made it to blast, we tested eight and three came back perfect. So we were ecstatic. In fact, my nurse when she called, even told us, well, with three embryos we can almost guarantee a baby. So it's like the best holiday you could ever imagine. That January, we prepared for transfer. First transfer was everything you want it to be. It was seamless. We were both there. I go in for the beta test, doubling beautifully. Then we have an egg sac, we have a yolk sac, then we have a fetal pole, and I'll never forget it, I was getting my daughter ready to go to swim lesson and all of a sudden I felt a little wet and I thought to myself, oh, it's a little early to be peeing. So I was like, well, all right. 

Speaker 2 (00:12:23):

I looked down and just blood. It was so traumatic. My daughter, thank God, was able to be distracted by something over there, and then I was home with her by myself, just hemorrhaging in our downstairs bathroom, come to find, I called the fertility center. They basically said, listen, don't get upset. Just take it easy. Rest your feet. It could be a subchorionic hematoma. Everything could be fine with the baby. It's not an uncommon thing to happen in IVF because you're stimulated with so many artificial drugs. It's extra blood built up. Okay, have you come in first thing tomorrow morning? Of course, I slept terribly that night, went to bed, just flashing back to the loss of years earlier and went in and I'll just never forget it. I was with the covering physician at that point. They inserted the wand and I was ecstatic for a brief second because yolk sack was there. 

Speaker 2 (00:13:28):

So I thought, oh my gosh, I didn't pass anything. It's still there. And then I remembered we were two days away from the heartbeat scan. There should be a flicker. And I just saw this empty little sack still in my body, and I was the one that said, I don't see a flicker before the doctor did because it's a hard thing to deliver to someone and a couple. And she finally, after a moment said, I don't either. And so again, this is part of the process that I think people who are like, oh, you had a loss, but when you're doing as much as you're doing, particularly when you're going the fertility route, but even just along the way going and being told, well, you know what? We need you to come back in tomorrow. Your doctor wants to confirm. So you're gearing up like, okay, now I got to watch this screen again. Another day in a 

Speaker 1 (00:14:27):

Row long four hours. 

Speaker 2 (00:14:28):

And it's like the re trauma, it's so intense. And then, okay, they'll call you to schedule the D nnc and then you don't get the next day, you get two days later. So you're just walking around knowing you have this little 

Speaker 2 (00:14:46):

Bundle that you were so excited about that's just not there anymore, and it's still a piece of you. And then when they take it out, you're just like, oh my gosh, this is terrible. And then the bill comes in the mail for your abortion and you're like, Ugh, this is awful. Everything about it is just brutal. Anyway, so that was the end of our first transfer, but we again were told You have two more. So it just wasn't that one and move on to the next one. So we soldiered on and we did a recurrent loss panel, but not really a complete one. We just kind did the major clotting factors. So the five, we found out that I had a heterozygous factor, two slightly increased risk, which ironically when I think back to my genetics 23 and me that I did years ago, that came up as like thrombophilia, you have a slightly higher increased risk of lower leg clots, but never would've thought anything about it. 

Speaker 2 (00:15:54):

But here we were heading to the hematologist being told by the hematologist, oh, look at all my factor two babies and walking the hallway with all the pictures of Christmas and everything, and just being told, this is how you're going to fix it. We're going to do the baby aspirin and the Lovenox combo, and boom, you're bringing your baby home Again, sort of that overlooked because we've done it before, we can do it again. Second transfer was particularly tough because it was a positive beta. So you do the two week wait or the 10 day wait, and 

Speaker 1 (00:16:29):

You're on the baby aspirin and Lovenox for this one. 

Speaker 2 (00:16:31):

Yep, baby aspirin and Lovenox priming leading into and continuing, and unfortunately it was a low positive beta. So it was that if I recall the gray area, which means it could jump or it could stay very low. And unfortunately as was the case with the second transfer, it jumped but too low. So I had to go back in three times to confirm that it was not going to be viable, which again, you're just sick every day about it then. So that was the third loss. Then the third embryo, all of a sudden it was like, oh my gosh, 

Speaker 2 (00:17:17):

We got to do this again. Let's do it. And it was the exact same thing. So the third embryo unfortunately, was also a low positive beta. So another chemical pregnancy, and it was brutal, but I remained so hopeful. I told my husband, I was like, Hey, babe, listen, we got to get ready for another egg retrieval. We need to be back to gluten dairy free. I think I might've been doing most of it at that time anyway, but I was like, Hey, babe, you just spent summer enjoying having beers by the pool with buddies and friends at barbecues. We got to get back on it. So he did. And again, it's not an easy thing to cut out for the men because it's just not typically what needs to happen, but for some people it does. So we did that and I again switched to full gluten and dairy free again, and where am I in the story? Okay, so oh, that's what it was in the fall or Yes. So my third transfer failed and then fall, I contacted your team because I was like, well, I've heard good things about this program. Let me see. So I did a one hour consult with one of your clinicians, Carrie, who I adore, and she was wonderful. And if anything, I think we might've done two hours or so over the time, but we just kind of talked about getting my mind and getting things in place, supplements I could be taking, things like that, 

Speaker 1 (00:18:55):

And then tweak the diet more, I'm assuming, and make thyroid and D and all that. Yeah. 

Speaker 2 (00:19:00):

Yep, exactly. Then that December, so about 90 days later, we did the fourth retrieval, and I will just never forget this because again, I went into the fourth egg retrieval thinking to myself, okay, we just had three embryos from the last one. We figured out the cocktail of meds I need. We had almost the same exact results. So last time was 16 eggs. This was 15 eggs. Then I think it was like eight, made it the week, and then we sent out six for testing. When I tell you the phone call that came in at work, finding out that the six embryos that were tested at $300 each, by the way, were all abnormal, I don't think you can feel lower than that moment. I mean, that was the first time in my life I truly felt, is this not going to happen for us? 

Speaker 2 (00:20:02):

Are we done? I truly felt it and I was terrified. We absolutely were wrecks that holiday. We pulled through for just the sake of keeping it together for our daughter, but we met with our doctor who was like, we just have to keep going. Let's do it again in January. And I just thought to myself, how can I do this again in January? I just put my body through so much. I can't do the same thing in January. Nothing has changed. Why would I do the same thing? And that was when I started seeing your functional fertility programs. You guys were doing a new session starting in the cohort in January, and I said to myself, literally, the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, making no changes and expecting different outcomes. I said, I have to do something. And I looked at what I had done previously and I thought to myself, the only thing I have not done is internal extensive work to improve myself physically. I have just soldiered through as this broken person for so many years now, months you're like, Ugh, just keep going because I was not going to stop, 

Speaker 2 (00:21:33):

But I just was like, there has to be something different that I do this time. And that's where I found you and I began your six month functional fertility coaching program working with not you directly at that point, but one of your coaches. And we as a team started the egg quality diet, which if for nothing else, if you are not in a position to be able to do the functional fertility coaching or you're not there yet, or I would encourage every single person on this call to look into the egg quality diet. It is a book you can buy on Amazon for $16. Yeah, it's so worth it. And it is the best thing you can do, not only for your fertility, but truthfully I think for your overall health and wellness forever, 

Speaker 1 (00:22:26):

The 

Speaker 2 (00:22:26):

Things I've learned from this book and from this program working with you, there is no way to go back. I can't eat out of plastic. I can't use plastic forks, I can't use plastic. Everything plastic in my house is gone, my non-stick. Everything that you have shown me has truly enhanced my life and our family's health. And it's not just a temporary thing to get pregnant. It is a forever change that you will make because you are educated and informed, and I can't thank you enough for that. Now going back into it, so for January, 2024, I dove all in on the functional fertility coaching program, started the egg quality diet. I have never cooked more, and when I tell you I am not a cook ever at all, I was making the most delicious and somewhat simple, listen, there were definitely some that I was like, okay, that is above my pay grade on the skillset required. And then there were others where I was like, yes, that was delicious. I will do all those steps and make that again. It was so, 

Speaker 1 (00:23:43):

And Joe was into it, right? 

Speaker 2 (00:23:44):

Oh my Joe. Well, that's the other thing. Joe was eating everything. My daughter was devouring all the meals. It's nothing. This was the first, the diet has such a negative connotation. 

Speaker 1 (00:23:56):

I know 

Speaker 2 (00:23:56):

This was the first meal plan. I would almost call it even more where I felt like I wasn't skimping on anything. I was truly just expanding my palette, if you will, and it really was so nice. And your program, I love that it allows you to individualize, so it's not just like a one, this is going to work for you. It's like, Hey, eliminate these items and then slowly reintroduce them individually and find out that like, oh, you know what? When I eat black pepper, I don't feel great after it. Or wow, when I have onions in something, all of a sudden I'm bloated the next day and it's, listen, we know certain foods blow us and make us whatever, but sometimes you don't and you're just eating them a lot and you don't realize it. So that elimination diet was so helpful in that way to sort of figure out my specific body. 

Speaker 2 (00:24:56):

So yes, works for you. The book that you buy works for me, works for Amy, works for Carrie, works for the next person because it is very individualized. I found that I was able to eliminate caffeine. I could not. When I tell you the clarity I felt by eliminating it, I was like, this is unbelievable. The idea of not having caffeine for me. Then I will say with the pregnancy, I've introduced the one cup since and I feel okay with it, but I did go to the green teas more than the true coffee. So it's, it's amazing how you really learn your body and just optimize your health and then in turn happen to also be optimizing your fertility, which is fantastic, 

Speaker 1 (00:25:44):

And your partner's health and fertility too, if they're doing it with you. A hundred 

Speaker 2 (00:25:48):

Percent, a hundred percent. And you just learn a lot too. You learn what the difference between cage-free eggs and pasteurized and it's pasture raised, and you start learning those little subtle differences that make all the difference. And it was really amazing. Of course, I was eliminating alcohol. My husband was eliminating alcohol at this point. And then in May of 2024, so it was what five months 

Speaker 1 (00:26:19):

Of the program talk about because also the emotional piece with Sam when you first went to Sam and the program. 

Speaker 2 (00:26:25):

Yes, of course. So again, the functional interjecting, only because I know the case. Oh, please do. I'll go on tangents all day. So the functional fertility coaching program itself offers a really multifaceted approach to kind of, I don't know, I don't want to say healing you, but really, yeah, I say healing. I think that's the best way to say it. It hits it from the biological elements of food and diet and just of course, your medical elements and things that you're bringing to the table. 

Speaker 1 (00:27:00):

Yeah, your specific case. 

Speaker 2 (00:27:02):

But you also are encouraged to really look at the emotional components that, again, when you're a long haul fertility person, I am a warrior, you just are suppressing constantly because you don't have time to unpack it because you can't. And it hurts too much to do that. And one of the perks or one of the things I loved about the program was that we had a nice little support network of other women who were in different situations, but similar places. So whether it was someone who maybe hadn't gotten a period in years, or maybe it was someone who had really tough endometriosis, but you were all coming together with this common goal of supporting each other and listening to each other and hearing about each other's successes and being like, oh, pelvic floor therapy works. Like, okay, we'll add that to the list, all these different things of like, wow, maybe I'll try it. 

Speaker 2 (00:28:01):

Or, oh, you found an acupuncturist that tried that style or this thing and it just was so amazing. And of course, I could not be here without acknowledging Sam Silverberg, who is just an incredible person and professional as well. She is a therapist who was able to support me in the ways that I just needed, I didn't need to unpack so much from prior to fertility, but fertility world needed unpacking. So it was so helpful to have Sam as a resource and just have days where I would be like, you're not going to believe this, but somebody who wasn't even trying just told me they're pregnant and I faked my way through a happy thing. And of course you're happy for that person, but you're not your best self when you're so crushed internally and you can't help. But it's not about their happiness in that moment. It's about your sadness and you're like, you're just melting every announcement you hear, oh, I wasn't even trying, or My husband doesn't do anything to help us get pregnant. We just do. He looks at me and you're like, oh my God, my husband can't look at me more than this. We are not happening everything, Chris. But it's one of those things where it's just, it was so wonderful to have somebody who I could vent to and just leave it there and then come away and feel like, okay, 

Speaker 1 (00:29:40):

Because 

Speaker 2 (00:29:41):

It can't just be your husband because he's going through, or your partner I should say, because they're going through the same things you are in a different way though, very different way. The person who has the burden of the physical 

Speaker 2 (00:29:57):

Is very much wrapped in the emotional and mental as well, but that doesn't negate their experience either. And that was something that we really had to figure out how to get to because my husband was not a big talker in the sense of, let me dive into my feelings and tell you how this is impacting me. And if anything, my husband is the type that I think most husbands and most partners are when they see one partner in it and in such disarray and distress they want to fix. And this is not something that unfortunately can be just fixed by a bouquet of flowers or a hug or you need more support. You need the unpack, you need it, but they also need it too. 

Speaker 1 (00:30:42):

They need it too. And I think about your case too specifically of Jocelyn, really, you added on extra time with Sam and you really made it a big commitment. And Joe really took a part in that too. And it was like, that's what we were talking about before we went live of just how much of a transformation I think you two went to together as a couple and in your marriage we're now, 

Speaker 2 (00:31:08):

Because I will say prior to the fertility stress, we were very blissfully happy. We hadn't come up against a ton of obstacles like this. And it does at a certain point, you do feel like I am doing so much and no, I guess it's case specific, but it was never a resentment thing. 

Speaker 2 (00:31:32):

But you just because you're not able to align to get to that goal, you get misaligned to some degree. And it's not always something that people can come back from. But if you do the work and you remind yourself like, Hey, wait a minute, we might be high stress or on meds that make us crazy and make us upset and fiery and whatnot, but let's bring it back down to we're working on the same goal here. We are trying to make a baby with our two bodies. That's what we're trying to do here and have more of us in this world. And that's I think what you kind of have to work towards getting to is just staying aligned in that way. And again, it did take some help for us when it got so tough and it did get really tough 

Speaker 1 (00:32:31):

And it did. So then you dedicate your five months in, and that's when we decided to go for that next retrieval, right? 

Speaker 2 (00:32:37):

Yes. And my doctor, my endocrinologist was just like, what are we doing? You're just getting older. Obviously she never said that, but she wasn't like, yeah, I'm thrilled to hear you want to wait five months at 38, 39. She wasn't jumping up and down in support of the plan, but I just in my bones was like, no, I need, and also too, I should say, I am the type of person very, if I set my mind to something, it gets done. I don't want to say I'm type A, but I'm certainly not type B. I am much more of a, if I set out to do something, it gets done and it gets done well. So this was very hard for me to not have the control that I wanted. And I will say having the focus be on this egg quality diet and just feeling better and having that response in my body of, I lost some weight, although that wasn't necessarily the intention, but I did have a little extra fertility baggage hanging around, but I felt great and I just overall my skin was glowing. Oh, I should also say in addition to the diet, what I did was, I mean, detoxify as much 

Speaker 1 (00:33:53):

As 

Speaker 2 (00:33:54):

Possible. And again, these were things that I would've never thought about had it not been for your program. I switched from my face moisturizer with SPF. You're like, let vitamin D in. Why are you blocking it? And I was like, that is such a good point. I live in New Jersey, it was winter. I'm hiding from the sun and let's be real. My skin didn't change that much. It's not like all of a sudden I'm wrinkly. It was six months. I let all the vitamin D into my body. I went outside, I walked around. I am a preschool teacher. So at the playground, I remember just looking up and looking at the kids and looking up and just aiming my face towards the sun, trying to get as much vitamin D as I could and those types of things. I eliminated our laundry soap and I got better quality laundry soap and what else? Like I said, no plastic. And then I looked my 

Speaker 1 (00:34:50):

Daughter, the whole kitchen overhaul 

Speaker 2 (00:34:52):

All of my daughters. Everything for children is plastic. Everything is, it's unbelievable. And you're sitting there going like, wow, this is crazy. I'm microwaving chicken nuggets on a 

Speaker 1 (00:35:04):

Plastic tray, 

Speaker 2 (00:35:05):

Plastic plate, and then giving her a plastic fork with a plastic cup of milk. I'm like, that is so much just not good. And now the idea of putting hot food on a plastic plate, I couldn't. It would be as if someone put dirt on my food. That's how repulsed I am biased. And again, these are all the things that you learn through this program. And again, it's not just like, oh, please, that doesn't do anything. I mean when you literally are told, and we'll get to this part in a second with my next retrieval, my fifth retrieval, when you're told that, wow, it does have cellular impact in your body, significant cellular impact, enhancing the quality of your food, the quality of your sleep, the quality of your emotions, everything, your emotions, your relationship, everything. It's just undeniable. So May, 2024, I'm about five full months into the program. I do my fifth round of IVF, and I remember I came to my doctor and was like, I'm ready. We did exactly what we did prior. There was some talk of do we lower the dosages, do we go higher? What do we do here? I ended up following her guidance and kept on the higher level meds. And what we ended up doing, because again, I was retrieving decent numbers. 

Speaker 1 (00:36:35):

Yeah, you had good numbers. 

Speaker 2 (00:36:36):

Yeah, if I had been lower, I do think I would've done more of the lower meds for sure. But because I was in the teens, I felt comfortable. The fifth retrieval, honestly, it was such a blur. Now I don't remember the exact number of eggs, but I do remember it was less than the 16 and 15 

Speaker 1 (00:36:55):

Maybe. I think it was 11. 11 is what's coming my mind. And ISN is your first retrieval under our belt too. Under 

Speaker 2 (00:37:02):

Your belt. Exactly. And I remember being a little nervous, like, oh, 

Speaker 1 (00:37:07):

I was like, it always like, oh, let's see if it works. Let's see if it worked. The previous retrieval, remember she got no normals six and 

Speaker 2 (00:37:15):

Nothing, right? Six blasts though, which was tough because again, they did progress just not where we wanted 'em. Now, fifth retrieval, I got the call two weeks later that they were going to be sending out four, five day embryos. So again, I had previously sent out eight, I had previously sent out six. So four was a little like, okay, and there's natural drop off. So when they called me and told me I had two of the four, I almost fell to the floor 

Speaker 1 (00:37:53):

That were you deployed that 

Speaker 2 (00:37:55):

I was ecstatic. So two perfect embryos to work with. 

Speaker 1 (00:38:00):

And I'll just say those two weeks were rough. Those, the waiting was rough and terrible. The numbers, I mean, you can't help it. She's had previous retrievals, so we were comparing apples to apples and it was like, it's hard to be like, oh, great, but mind you, right, the time you sent off eight, you got three 

Speaker 2 (00:38:20):

Normals, 

Speaker 1 (00:38:21):

And the time you sent off six, she got none. So we were, I think everybody was 

Speaker 2 (00:38:27):

Four was less than thrilling, 

Speaker 1 (00:38:28):

Four was less than thrilling. But then to get 50% normal 

Speaker 2 (00:38:33):

Was amazing. 

Speaker 1 (00:38:34):

Amazing. 

Speaker 2 (00:38:34):

And Amy, the thing that I will mention that I think I've shared as well, this was the first time that of the normals that we had made, I don't even know exactly what the gradings were, but they were 

Speaker 1 (00:38:51):

Ab, 

Speaker 2 (00:38:52):

And I want to say they were both abs previously, looking back in our file, we were more like ccs BBCs. We did not have any A's. So when I felt and 

Speaker 1 (00:39:03):

When she was also two years older in the process, 

Speaker 2 (00:39:05):

Oh, hello. Yes, I was 39 at that time. So the embryos I made at 36, 37 were totally worse. And again, I truly accredit the changes in the embryos, or excuse me, the quality of my eggs to the diet and lifestyle changes I made through your 

Speaker 1 (00:39:26):

And the sperm. I mean I think sperm, oh, and 

Speaker 2 (00:39:28):

The 

Speaker 1 (00:39:28):

Sperm undeniable. Absolutely a hundred percent. 

Speaker 2 (00:39:31):

Absolutely. And again, he was on the same meal plan that I was a little less strict. I mean, he would have a cheeseburger when we went out to restaurants, I would have the gluten-free pasta with this or I would modify the food or honestly, I was mostly, I wasn't even really going heavy on pastas. 

Speaker 1 (00:39:49):

You weren't even doing grains. You were just like protein 

Speaker 2 (00:39:51):

Nuts. 

Speaker 1 (00:39:51):

Yeah, 

Speaker 2 (00:39:52):

That's actually the other thing to keep in mind too though, anybody out there doing gluten and dairy free, keep in mind a lot of the products that are out there now, a lot of 'em are nut based, which is not bad, but they have a lot of other junk in it that I truly kept it more. It's still processed, there's still processed, exactly very processed. And you think you're gluten and dairy free, but you're really gunking up with other stuff. So that was interesting to see. And again, this round, I really did keep it to completely made by me or very clean, very clean. Now that being said, we, or excuse me, before we transferred, and again, this was another moment where my doctor 

Speaker 1 (00:40:37):

Was like, I pushed the hysteroscopy. If I know myself, I pushed the hysteroscopy. 

Speaker 2 (00:40:42):

And I do want to reiterate throughout this time, I'd had multiple endometrial biopsies. I'd had my tubes checked, I had everything checked, every single thing had panned out perfect. Nothing was ever so set, like I said, unexplained infertility. But the hysteroscopy was again, completely normal, absolutely fine. I will say I did love the doctor who did it. She called it like a uterine tuneup, like a uterine facial. And I was like, that's really funny. She basically said, she's like, listen, we're going to go in there and kind of clean up, scrape a little and just kind of rejuvenate the uterine lining. And we also at that point did a Lupron Depot shot 3.7 milliliters to help suppress my immune system or whatever, suppress something. I dunno exactly what it did. I stopped asking questions here. 

Speaker 1 (00:41:37):

Yeah, it's called a down regulator to suppress if there's any endometriosis or gen myosis or things like that that could be impacting implantation because of her history of those three transfers of genetically normals and the results, obviously the chemicals and the miscarriage. It was something that I think everybody thought was smart to do and address. 

Speaker 2 (00:42:07):

Sure. 

Speaker 1 (00:42:07):

So that was about a three week dose, I want to say. 

Speaker 2 (00:42:11):

Well, it was supposed to be 

Speaker 1 (00:42:13):

About three week dose. Yeah, I know. Got a lot over suppressed, 

Speaker 2 (00:42:17):

Right? Because my body was acting so optimally, I actually found out that I was very sensitive to that medication and for the first time ever, we had talked about, because I had three medicated transfers prior, we thought we would do a natural transfer. And basically what happened was I just didn't ovulate for the first time in my life because I had been suppressed so heavily. But again, I think 

Speaker 1 (00:42:42):

She would've, we could have waited. We had, I actually went through those emails today, oddly enough, in office hours earlier today, someone was asking about getting over suppressed by Depo Lupron. And then of course I had already read through your notes knowing that we were talking today, and I was like, wait, I'm going to go back to the email with Jocelyn. I remember the moment and I was like, we could, and the doctor was like, we could wait. We could wait for you to ovulate and then do that natural transfer. But you had already waited so long. You had September in your head. I'm transferring in September. I think that's kind of how I saw it. And so then we opted to do some estrogen and support the body that way. 

Speaker 2 (00:43:23):

So we did the Medicaid transfer. And Amy, I really want to emphasize to your credit, I think one of the best things about you and your team is that you are not just, this is the path. You are flexible, you are adaptable. There were times where my doctor was calling for less meds. You were calling for more meds, but traditionally you're more of a lower med person. That I think is the part that people who maybe are on the fence about, do I take the plunge, do I not? This will be so finely tuned and tailored to you as a participant in this process with Amy's team. And again, it will be that extra that maybe not everyone needs, but for those of you that do, it's so critical to find someone that will go outside of just this is the route and do it and it will work eventually, which unfortunately is sometimes what happens. 

Speaker 2 (00:44:21):

Now that being said, August and September, I worked extensively with your team to determine an anti-inflammatory protocol for my specific situation. And this was, like I said, the part that made me realize how fully amazing you all are because my reproductive endocrinologist, like I said, flipping the tables here, she was pulling for lower medications to prepare me for transfer. A big part of the protocol is prednisone leading up to the transfer. And then once you do the transfer, the prednisone stops. It was at this point that Amy had said to me, listen, let me see your doctor or let me see your protocol from your doctor. Let's go over it and see what we think as a team. And right away you all felt, I don't think this is the right call for you. My doctor, 

Speaker 1 (00:45:16):

And I want to explain it too of remember we discovered she has the clouding factor after that miscarriage of the genetically normal, the first transfer of those three OIDs, she goes to the hematologist, they put her on the baby aspirin and the Lovenox, she then proceeds to get pregnant Those next two times with what we know are OID embryos and she has chemicals, there's lots of ways to do it. We don't go the route of further autoimmune testing with you. It just kind of didn't fall into the cards and it was fine. And I remember saying to you, if this transfer doesn't work, that's going to be my next recommendation because we're not putting another embryo in until we check all the boxes 

Speaker 2 (00:45:56):

A hundred percent. 

Speaker 1 (00:45:57):

So the doctor agrees, yes, we're going to do the baby aspirin and the Lovenox because we have this clotting factor. We're going to do prednisone leading up to with the transfer for five days. That's kind of a standard. We're do standard for five days standard. What we see a lot in the reproductive immunology world and girls with repeat loss. And also it's just like hedging our bets. And Jocelyn can share because you did it and she does her due diligence. The research isn't concerning for low doses of steroids in early pregnancy. Doctors really make it, they're very alarmist about it. And her doctor was like that. And so I just said, I can't in good conscience be like, yeah, I check off on this transfer protocol. I really think we need a steroid involved here. We've done all this work. It's kind of a cherry on top even we necessarily needed it, but I just can't do in good conscience. And then here, then you can take over from here. But her doctor's totally against it and we're all on the chain and I'm like, I just don't feel right that you're going to transfer without that prednisone. 

Speaker 2 (00:47:10):

Right. And remember too, you had also included things like Pepcid and 

Speaker 1 (00:47:15):

Yeah, we did an antihistamine. So it's called the antihistamine protocol. A lot of you watching know what it is. CCRM started it years ago. That's all I wanted for her. I just wanted to layer in this antihistamine protocol and then I'll share too of, so for Jocelyn of course, and a lot of you guys are in the same position, you're put in the middle, your doctor disagrees. Totally. And you have another practitioner that said something else. And around that time, one of the girls in her cohort who she'd become friends with Kara, who I have yet to do her story of hope, but she's at home with the newborn right now. She's got a baby. Yeah, she has the baby now. She came to us, I think she had had nine losses or something insane. Right? Secondary 

Speaker 2 (00:47:55):

Infertility 

Speaker 1 (00:47:56):

As well, and not a lot of support. It was a very similar case, to be honest. She gets pregnant quickly on and implements all these things. So anyway, I wound up having a call with her, she's now pregnant. We're like, how pregnant you are now? And I said, I feel for Jocelyn. Doctors are giving her a lot of pushback. And I wasn't talking behind Jocelyn's back. They were sharing and they're friends. And so I said to Kara, do you mind, it makes me want to cry. I was like, do you mind when we get off that you call Jocelyn and talk to her about taking the steroid? I think it has to come from you. I don't think it can come from me anymore. And she was like, I'm on it. And then you can tell the rest. Yeah, 

Speaker 2 (00:48:37):

Agreed. Agreed. Kara was super helpful. And again, it was that just the extra push that I needed to hear like, oh, someone else has done this and it has been successful and safe. 

Speaker 1 (00:48:51):

Yes. 

Speaker 2 (00:48:53):

That was always my question. And again, what I loved about what with you was that I always felt like when I presented an opposing sort of question to my physician, I felt like it was always just a, here's my answer is no, but no explanation other than just, well, it's not safe. But then when I would come to you and say, well, she's saying it's not safe, you would provide me very specific and very clear research that would show me, wait, hold on. Yes, prednisone is not safe when you are taking it in excess of 40 to 80 milligrams daily. Her protocol is looking at five milligrams daily, possibly 10, once five and five. But all the research that she's referring to is 40 and above. And I'm sitting there going, wait a second. The research you are showing me is much more current within, not yesterday, but it was within the twenties, 

Speaker 1 (00:50:08):

The 2020s I think. Yeah. 

Speaker 2 (00:50:10):

Yes. But then also some from before where you didn't feel like, okay, this was a two day old study, it was a large sample size. And all of a sudden you're sitting there going like, wait a minute. 

Speaker 2 (00:50:23):

I wonder how informed on current research they are because they have 30 years under their belt. And again, you have to do continuing medical education. I know that. But I think what happens at fertility centers a lot is that there's a protocol that works for most and that's the protocol that gets driven. And unfortunately when you are that different case, I became you need more. I am so grateful again that you were able to take the time to look at my specifics and your team and really come up with what needed to happen. That being said, once I was sort of like, okay, well now I have the medical doctor who is not on board. I have the fertility coach who is really all for it. Where do I go? And I actually sought out a third opinion. So I went to an MFMA perinatologist who was highly regarded in my area just for a consult because I thought, you know what? Listen, I have to just know which protocol is the right one for me. And this person has seen 7 million pregnant women with such complicated cases over the years. He probably has heard of either of these. 

Speaker 2 (00:51:49):

I did just that. I sat in his office and I said, here's what's going on. I have the medical doctor who wants less. I have the fertility coach who wants more. What are we thinking? And right away he said, absolutely. He's like, I think the protocol that you're describing with the prednisone is 100% what will help you. He's like, he goes, I believe in it so much. He referenced it by name. He was very well versed on the topic of the, which reproductive immunology is sort of something people know about. But I'm like, oh my gosh, this is so critically important, but it's terrible. It's just not embraced in fertility centers at this point, or at least not in mine. It was not. And it's such a critical piece for people especially who are getting pregnant and having losses. So that being said, he was absolutely on board with Amy's protocol and actually went as far as to say, and if you're reproductive endocrinologist will not be the prescribing doctor, I would happily take you on as a patient and have you or no, didn't even say take me on as a patient. He just said, I would happily prescribe it for you. And I was like, oh my gosh. Wow, okay. That's an endorsement, 

Speaker 2 (00:53:12):

Not just telling me. Yeah, that work. I will sign off on the 

Speaker 1 (00:53:15):

Script. I'll be the prescribing physician. 

Speaker 2 (00:53:17):

Yes. So it was amazing. And then of course I was like, well, what do I do now? Because how am I going to take these meds without my reproductive endocrinologist knowing? And I have to say the MFM, I'm going to whose name I'd happily share if you want me to. Yeah, go ahead. Dr. David Princip out of Clifton, New Jersey. He is, he's amazing. He's like a motorcycle riding doctor too. So he's got a little bit of an edge to him, which was perfect for me in that moment of like, oh, we got a rule breaker here. I like it. He actually went as far as to say, and you know what? You don't even need to tell her. And I was like, that's what we say, let their 

Speaker 1 (00:54:02):

Job. You don't have tell 'em everything. It's not like you tell 'em all the supplements you're taking. 

Speaker 2 (00:54:07):

Yeah. So I'm so honest. I was like, wait, what? I'm not going to tell my doctor I'm taking these meds behind her back. But truth be told, now I feel bad. I said her name at the beginning. But truth be told, I did end up doing the protocol that you recommended while under her care and the other doctors prescribing, following your guidance as well, were for the scale down because you can't take prednisone the whole time. So we did scale down. And again, I listened to him and you both where he said, okay, at this point I'd like to decrease. And you were absolutely, let's do that. And it was great. It was great to see that After a few weeks it was, wow, 

Speaker 1 (00:54:50):

Fourth transfer, we do the transfer, she gets her positive beta. And then we'd been there before, obviously. So we had to get to the point of at least 12 weeks right before I think you really felt settled. 

Speaker 2 (00:55:04):

Yep, absolutely. And sure enough, I graduated from the fertility center at eight weeks and I'll never forget the doctor as I walked out, she was like, we just had to wait for the right one. And I just was like, that wasn't it. But okay. And of course I feel conflicted. I want to tell exactly what happened because I'm like, don't do the same thing a hundred times. So hopefully a lot of people are watching this and we'll listen and do something new. 

Speaker 1 (00:55:34):

I mean, that's my biggest thing, you know, that we cannot keep repeating the same thing. We just cannot. No, 

Speaker 2 (00:55:39):

Exactly. Yeah. So I went and now I see the MFM just because I will be 40 when I deliver this baby. And again, I can't emphasize enough the story of hope. I hope everyone listening to this just recognizes what has happened in the past does not mean it will continue. You could not have felt more scared or doubtful and down then I felt after those six embryos came back negative or abnormal and then boom, the next one was positives and now will become our daughter. That will complete our family. 

Speaker 1 (00:56:27):

And you still have one more on ice 

Speaker 2 (00:56:29):

And we do. Which I'm like, oh boy. I don't know. I don't know how I'm going to feel about that one later. But I mean again, you'll see cup has runeth over in that regard. It really is incredible to be in that position. 

Speaker 1 (00:56:43):

That's what I was going to say. It's not a position you ever thought you'd be in. Well, maybe at one point you did when you first got those three. But yeah, it's beautiful. And from our side, it's awesome to watch the transformation on all the levels. And I even said that to Jocelyn before we went live. Of course I'm always spiritual and I really think about that piece. And I think this little one wanted that alignment back in all the things 

Speaker 2 (00:57:15):

In the world, in our world, 

Speaker 1 (00:57:17):

In your microcosm that they're coming through and it's here. 

Speaker 2 (00:57:22):

And Amy also, I want to say the program I signed up for was a six month functional fertility coaching. And if anybody was really paying attention to my timeline, I did my retrieval month five and we were emailing. 

Speaker 1 (00:57:39):

We don't end at six months. We just say that, 

Speaker 2 (00:57:42):

Like I said, this program, once you are part of this group, you are a part of this family that you have created and you help grow as time goes on. But all of these intensive, very specific questions happen well outside that time. And obviously you would love to have it happen in that timeframe of the six months. But that's the other thing is that it's not just a, okay, here's the finite amount of time we are engaged 

Speaker 1 (00:58:13):

In. And you're done. Right support. 

Speaker 2 (00:58:14):

It's true support. And I can't emphasize that enough to anybody that's on the fence about whether or not to take the plunge. Again. I really feel like we all got me pregnant, which is amazing. 

Speaker 1 (00:58:36):

Thank you so much. So glad. Thank you. I mean, I think you said it all in the sense of, but I guess any last parting words of wisdom for those out there where you were the spot? 

Speaker 2 (00:58:52):

Yeah, I think there's three things I think I'd like to highlight. Okay. Number one, I am proof positive that the past is not the same as the present and future. If you're feeling 

Speaker 1 (00:59:10):

Embryo quality and egg quality can improve even. 

Speaker 2 (00:59:13):

Can improve, yes. And anybody who wants to see, otherwise, I will show you my results. They can improve. So if you are someone that is really stressed about your age, your weight, this, take control of the things you can control, do what you can to improve your overall health and your whole body will flourish. And then in turn your fertility will be enhanced. So I think number one is just don't lose hope because you never know. And if you give it your all it will it improve at some point. It really will. And number two, I guess I would say, somebody said to me once, this isn't forever, right? 

Speaker 2 (01:00:12):

Infertility, whatever you're navigating right now, this is not going to be, not going to be 70 looking for relics or putting your legs up after relations. This is temporary. And if you focus on doing everything you can in this time right now, it's not that it will be the rest of your life or forever. So just kind of keep it in perspective of you're here for now, but tomorrow you could be on your way to something more amazing. And I also think about, which is so funny because it was at one of my very low moments in this journey. I think Jelly Roll had just won. The musician had just won his first Grammy and he said this beautiful speech and he said something along the lines of, there is a reason the windshield is bigger than the rear view mirror. And that just stuck with me so much because I never lost sight of what could be ahead. There were times I didn't feel like it could be, but I always felt like you're right. You have to just keep looking forward into the next thing. And those things really just help me a lot and take care of yourself and each other on this journey because it's brutal. But if you do what you can and make enhancements across the board, things do improve. That's 

Speaker 1 (01:01:48):

Right. 

Speaker 2 (01:01:49):

Yeah. So I think that's what I'd say. And if you ever have questions, feel free to message me on Instagram or anywhere. I'm happy to share any words of encouragement because it does take that sometimes. 

Speaker 1 (01:02:03):

Yeah. Well thank you. And we're just so happy and honored and yeah, your story is not foreign to many, and so it's so good to share the positive outcome. So thank you. Thank you. 

Speaker 2 (01:02:18):

Well, thank you so 

Speaker 1 (01:02:18):

Much. Thank you for showing up for you. I mean, that's really, you get so much credit for that. You worked your ass off. Thank 

Speaker 2 (01:02:24):

You. Well, thank you for inspiring me to do so. Really, I mean it and supporting me all the way and even today, so, 

Speaker 1 (01:02:35):

Okay, everyone, thank you. And baby dust to all of you. And lots of 

Speaker 2 (01:02:42):

Yes, baby dust for sure. Absolutely. Thank you Amy. 

Speaker 1 (01:02:46):

And tea. Oh my gosh. Thank you so much. 

Speaker 2 (01:02:50):

Take care.

END TRANSCRIPT.

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