Author Archives: haleybartsch

People with infertility go through a lot of experiences that others don’t have to, experiences many people aren’t aware of. One of those experiences is having to continually go back to the lab for bloodwork to monitor your HSG level back to zero. Going into the lab for that initial blood test to find outContinue reading “The New Plan”

On Thursday, June 2nd we celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary! This milestone anniversary got me thinking about our lives over the last 10 years. I came to the realization that for 95% of our marriage, we have been trying to have a baby. That’s 9 years and 6 months of doctor’s appointments, ultrasounds, bloodwork, surgeries,Continue reading “Cheers to 10 Years”

I started this blog in September 2021, less than a month after our second donor embryo… after our second miscarriage. This week would have been our baby’s due date. My second last blog post has almost brought us full circle to the reason I started this blog… So here is the story of our secondContinue reading “Donor Embryo #2”

I know Mother’s Day is a few weeks away but it’s a day that is on my mind right now. I have a very complex relationship with Mother’s Day. Growing up, Mother’s Day was just like Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving, and birthdays. It was a day that grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins came together for aContinue reading “Mother’s Day”

I’m a planner and a problem solver by nature; it runs in my family. I don’t like to dwell on problems for too long. I’m always in search of a solution, a way to move forward, the next step. For planners like me, infertility is your worst nightmare. You plan, the plan doesn’t work, youContinue reading “It’s all Part of the Plan”

We returned home the day of our first donor embryo transfer. My doctor had written a note allowing me to be off work until my pregnancy test. The plan was to be at home, relaxing. In hindsight, being at home alone with no one to talk to was not very relaxing. I spent every dayContinue reading “When Hope is Replaced by Reality”

Dustin and I were married in 2012 and started trying for a baby in 2013. From the day we started trying, I imagined how I would tell Dustin I was pregnant. I thought about how I would surprise our family and friends with the news. I might be remembering incorrectly, but I think Facebook pregnancyContinue reading “The Element of Surprise”

We put our names on the embryo donor list in June of 2019. On November 23rd, 2020, I got a phone call from the clinic. We were finally next on the list. During that year and a half, I wondered if we would be ready when the time arrived. All my doubts vanished when we gotContinue reading “Embryo Adoption”

When I started my blog and Instagram page, I had to mentally prepare myself to share this personal story publicly. I have found writing therapeutic. I know that infertility is a topic that has become more common, but there are still many aspects people are unaware of unless they have gone through it themselves. MyContinue reading “Infertility: Going Public”

My laparoscopic surgery to remove the endometriosis was successful. Feeling hopeful that this had been part of our undiagnosed problem, I made an appointment with our fertility clinic to review the results of our surgery and discuss next steps. After endometriosis is removed, it can grow back if not managed. Birth control is commonly prescribed toContinue reading “There is More than One Way to Make a Baby”