Ep 7: Katelyn’s Unexplained Infertility and Her Honest Frustrations with the IUI/IVF Process (Part 1)

Disclaimers: This episode may contain sensitive topics related to miscarriage, infertility, and infant loss. If these subjects are triggering for you, please listen with care. While there may be conversations about medications or medical treatments, I am not a doctor, and I am not offering any medical advice. Please consult an actual doctor for your own medical care. After many rounds of testing post-miscarriage, Katelyn was diagnosed with unexplained infertility. Through the IUI/IVF process, dealing with doctors, nurses, fertility clinics, and insurance has been nothing short of frustrating. When you’re going through something so personal and so emotional, it is heartbreaking to feel like “just another patient” to the people that are trying to help you get pregnant.

In today’s episode (part 1 of 2), Katelyn talks about her unexplained infertility diagnosis and her frustrations with the IUI/IVF process. After many rounds of testing post-miscarriage, Katelyn was diagnosed with unexplained infertility. Since then, the IUI/IVF process, dealing with doctors, nurses, fertility clinics, and insurance has been nothing short of frustrating. When you’re going through something so personal and so emotional, it is heartbreaking to feel like “just another patient” to the people that are trying to help you get pregnant. She opens up about the disappointment of miscarriage when you know your body is capable of becoming pregnant. But she also talks about the glimmer of hope—how a small part of her stayed positive, even if frustrated, throughout the process.

What’s in this episode:

• Things people say about miscarriages that aren’t helpful [05:19]
• What someone who hasn’t gone through miscarriage or infertility can learn about how to communicate with their friends who experience this loss [06:09]
• How advocating for yourself with your doctors is a good learning experience but also incredibly frustrating [8:31]
• Speaking up when your fertility or doctor experience is not warm and welcoming [10:13]
• How hurtful it is to feel like “just another patient” when going through something so difficult and emotional [15:15]
• How testing led to a diagnosis of unexplained infertility [20:35]
• How distressing the IUI and IVF processes can be [23:10]
• What the IVF process is like [25:16] [33:13]
• Dealing with insurance and how hard it is to wait for approvals [26:55]
• The disappointment and frustration of miscarriage because you know your body is capable of prenancy [32:06]
• Common physical reactions to IUI and IVF medications [36:34]
• The need for better communication from doctors and nurses about what you might experience during IUI and IVF [39:00]

If you’ve experienced the frustrations and distress that are common with IUI or IVF, I invite you to tune in to this episode.

For full show notes, resources, links and to download the transcript, visit our website: https://www.apieceofmyheartpodcast.com/episodes/007

Looking for support on your own journey? Explore the support groups at Infertility Unfiltered: https://www.infertilityunfiltered.com/

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