Ep 11: Rebekah and Kyle Open Up about Coping with Infertility alongside Life's Ups and Downs (Part 2)

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.

The IVF process isn't linear. It's a cycle of trying, having tough conversations, taking breaks, and trying again. When the going gets tough (and let's face it, it's always tough), it's important to lean on your partner and your community.

In today's episode, I'm talking to Rebekah and Kyle about the rest of their infertility journey. If you missed part one that aired last week please go back and listen to that before you start this episode. Today Kyle and Rebakah are  sharing their individual experiences of IVF and how they worked together to make it through. Kyle is explaining why it was so valuable for him to find other men to talk to about infertility. Plus, Rebekah is opening up about all the emotions and questions that arise at different stages in the IVF process.

What's in this episode:

• [2:07] Rebekah and Kyle's experience receiving and administering fertility medication
• [5:41] Retrieval, fertilization, and testing
• [13:38] Kyle's perspective on the infertility journey
• [15:54] Why it's important to talk about IVF with your community
• [19:02] How Rebekah and Kyle managed the time between retrieval and reception
• [21:22] The reception process
• [23:27] Rebekah's tips for taking progesterone in oil, and what the experience was like for her
• [30:32] Getting the good news after the transfer
• [32:30] The meditation that brought Rebekah comfort during her transfer
• [35:58] Rebekah's hemorrhages, and coming to terms with the possibility of miscarriage
• [37:24] Having their first child and then experiencing a miscarriage
• [38:54] Making the decision to do IVF again and try for a second child
• [43:42] Living with the unanswered questions about your infertility
• [45:12] Balancing the desire to be pregnant with the desire to be a parent
• [47:45] Holding out hope when you're in the middle of your infertility marathon

If you're feeling overwhelmed or alone on your infertility journey, 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/011

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

Support us on Patreon here, where 10% of proceeds will also go to support others on their journey through The Stork Foundation