2023

IVF FLORIDA Patient Story: Marline

Tell us about your journey to parenthood. 
Growing up, I loved the idea of having a large family and being around loved ones. Because of the interaction and relationships that existed between my siblings, cousins, aunts, uncles, etc., I knew I wanted a large family of my own when I became old enough.   

Never in a million years did I think the road to starting a family would come with unexpected twists and turns, and with a series of unfortunate events. I also did not think starting a family would take such a long time. It took 9 years of trying to finally conceive. It took another 6 years to get to the end of my fertility journey. All in all, my fertility journey lasted 15 years.   

As a business professional with a 20+ year career in management, finance, and leadership, I was leading a busy life while facing all the ups and downs associated with Infertility. I underwent fertility treatment while dealing with the workplace pressures that come with being a career woman. I got through the horrible emotional distress of pushing through pregnancy and infant loss while working. I also learned the difficult ways to genuinely embrace a fellow pregnant co-worker while experiencing my own daily fertility struggles in the workplace. I consistently juggled the hard-set deadlines imposed at work while literally running back and forth to the NICU and even forgoing a lunch or break to have a fertility procedure performed in secret. 

I am currently enrolled in school seeking a Doctorate degree. As such, I have been able to successfully decide to incorporate Infertility as part of my dissertation on women in leadership. Countless women experience Infertility while juggling a career and it is important to bring awareness to this phenomenon. 

My passion after facing, battling, and conquering infertility is to give back in a way that is helpful to women, men, and families currently on their own fertility mission. 

I must say, I was not sure what helping and giving back looked like. How do I even begin? I asked myself if I would even be able to make an impact and reach the actual people in need. In the midst of my planning on ways to bring my passion for helping to live, I diligently worked on turning my journal writings and entries into a published work that would serve as a valuable resource to infertility patients.   

On my journey, I looked into and underwent acupuncture treatments as recommended by my RE. Acupuncture is an Eastern (Chinese) medicinal approach to healing and treatment for various ailments. Fertility Acupuncture has been proven effective in a significant number of infertility cases. Whether a family wants to try naturally, there are treatments available for both men and women to help with reproductive functions. 

I received acupuncture before and during fertility treatments. Even while pregnant and when the pregnancy was threatened, acupuncture was a staple for me. I also sought the holistic route and dabbled in treatments offered by natural herbs, oils, reproductive yoga and massages, and natural teas.   

Undergoing fertility treatments for me ranged from minimally invasive options such as clomid tablets to mid-level invasiveness like intrauterine insemination (IUI) to the significantly invasive in-vitro fertilization (IVF). 

Tell us about your experience at IVF FLORIDA. 
My experience at IVF FLORIDA started in 2008 when I met with Dr. Hoffman. In 2009, he operated on me via hysteroscopy and laparoscopy after undergoing some diagnostic testing. 

We then embarked on our first IVF treatment in 2011. Unfortunately, after a successful cycle and positive pregnancy, we lost our daughter at 22 weeks 1 day. We tried again with a fresh IVF cycle as there were no frozen embryos remaining from that first successful cycle. That cycle resulted in the premature birth of twin boys in 2012. IVF FLORIDA was fantastic to both my husband and me during both of these trying pregnancy experiences. We then tried for a sibling for the twins and after two more cycles, we conceived via an FET cycle and welcomed our baby boy in 2018.  

Do you have any advice to share?  
Be Motivated. Be Courageous. Take things one day at a time. I learned that dealing with Infertility and then undergoing IVF treatments involves an abundance of “HURRY UP and then WAIT.” As hard as it is, patience must come into play when on your fertility journey.

Try and seek out resources to help with the support aspect. It is important to have access to those who have been in your shoes as they understand and can provide the type of support needed during such a hectic time.  

Don’t be shy about reaching out to your doctor and/or nurses. They are there to help you. Yes, they are busy but once you develop a rapport and the best way to communicate, you’ll feel better after having heard back from them vs relying on Dr. Google or unsupportive family/friends who, quite frankly, may not know HOW to help you as they do not understand. 

Seek out relaxation methods such as acupuncture, therapy, massages, journaling, etc. If you ever feel uncomfortable about anything during your care, speak up and advocate for yourself.  

What were some highs or lows of your journey?
The ultimate highs of my story have to be the positive pregnancy/beta calls from the doctor after a cycle. That, in turn, means the lows include the calls I received indicating either the cycle was unsuccessful or the call to be cautiously optimistic after a low beta pregnancy test result. Those were not fun, but we got through them. 

Other lows included the side effects I experienced while cycling. I wish dealing with Infertility did not also come with bloating, nausea, hot flashes, weight gain, etc. Finding out the number of embryos that either made it to freezing or didn’t was always nerve-wracking. 

My story holds some unique attributes in that although I beat the odds and had a successful cycle on the 1st round of ever doing IVF, I, unfortunately, lost our first daughter at 22 weeks due to IC, which I didn’t know I had in addition to Infertility. That was just devastating and now serves as a couple of the aspects of infertility I focus on, living life after a loss and an incompetent cervix. 

Did any IVF FLORIDA team members provide outstanding care or support?
EVERYONE!!!!!!! I have to say I do not think I encountered anyone that was less than nice, empathetic, understanding, and courteous to my husband and me during my time of receiving Infertility treatments at IVF FL. Of course, Dr. Hoffman (Dr. H). Dr. Barrioneuvo was always fantastic and performed at least one, maybe even two of my embryo transfers. All of the medical staff, Erica, Barbara, Nadia, Judy in embryology, I mean everybody. The anesthesiologist was the same gentleman, and he always took care of me. Dr. Weitzman, Dr. Ory (retired), and Dr. Maxon (retired). How can I forget Lovely, Paula, and Amalia? They worked closely with Dr. H and I saw them at almost every visit for blood draws, results, etc. Oh, and the ultrasound techs were great! I hate to drop names because I may leave someone out but EVERYONE was fantastic! Oh, and Jen who always answered the main line and made sure I got through to someone when I called vs having to leave a voicemail. 

How to Balance Work and Fertility Treatment

You are not alone. Some people with infertility struggle with how to balance work and fertility treatment. When you're trying to keep your situation quiet, managing treatment appointments, medication, and emotions can be overwhelming.

At IVF FLORIDA, we understand that fertility treatment is stressful, and we are here to help. Our offices are open 365 days a year and offer early morning appointments and our care team works closely with each patient to ensure their journey to building a family is as stress-free as possible. 

Although we can't alleviate all the stress associated with juggling a full-time job and appointments, we can offer a few tips to help you balance work and infertility treatment:

Strategically schedule your appointments.
Scheduling the earliest or latest appointment and adjusting your workday is one way to avoid disruptions. For example, you can book an appointment at 7:30 a.m., which may leave plenty of time to get to the office without anyone knowing the difference, or plan a "late lunch" and schedule your appointment in the late afternoon.

Temporarily switch your work schedule.
Hybrid and remote work schedules have become the new norm for some industries, and many offices are more accepting of flexible work schedules. Try talking to your boss about temporarily shifting your work hours. They might be willing to compromise if they know it's for a short time. 

Before the meeting, write what you want to say and how you'd like to flex your schedule. Make sure you include specific dates and times when possible. This will help keep the conversation focused on what's most important and make it easier for everyone involved.

Be proactive about your support system.
When seeking fertility treatments, find an ally you can lean on when things get tough. It could be a spouse, work buddy, or family member. Work-life will become far more challenging without the emotional support you need. You may also find support groups online that can provide a safe space to talk to others with similar experiences.

Take time for yourself.
IVF is an emotional rollercoaster, and taking time for self-care is important during treatment. Whether it’s setting aside time to read a book, asking for more support at home, or taking time off work to prevent exhaustion, you’ll do a better job balancing work and fertility treatment if you do what you need to stay mentally and physically healthy. 

IVF FLORIDA regularly works with individuals and couples juggling their careers during fertility treatments. Schedule a consultation and learn more about how to plan for a fertility treatment plan that flows with your career and home life.

BRCA & Starting or Growing Your Family Webinar

DID YOU KNOW? One in 40 Ashkenazi Jewish men and women carry a BRCA mutation which can lead to a higher risk of breast, ovarian, pancreatic, prostate, and other cancers. There is also a 50% chance of passing this mutation on to the next generation, regardless of family history.

IVF FLORIDA physician, Dr. Vanessa Weitzman, will join Dr. Liz Etkin-Kramer, Gynecologist and founder of Yodeah, to discuss BRCA mutation and the steps couples can take if they carry this gene.

The free webinar is on Monday, March 27 at 7:30 p.m. via Zoom.

To register, click here.

Want to learn more? View the flyer. 

Heart health and fertility: a match made in heaven

Heart health and fertility: a match made in heaven

February is Heart Health Month, and we're celebrating by sharing some easy-to-read information about how heart health and fertility are connected. The good news is, you don't have to choose between a healthy heart and a healthy pregnancy—you can have both! Here are four tips to help you keep your ticker in tip-top shape while you're trying to conceive:

1) Keep your blood pressure low. High blood pressure can cause numerous problems, including heart disease and stroke, so lowering it is one of the best things you can do for your health—and for your fertility.

2) Maintain a healthy weight by eating right (think more fruits and veggies) and exercising regularly (think walking). Being overweight or obese can cause high blood pressure, which makes both men and women less fertile.

3) Quit smoking! Smoking increases the risk of cardiovascular disease in both men and women, making them less fertile as well as increasing their chances of having complications during pregnancy if they do become pregnant.

4) Get more sleep. Rest revitalizes us and plays a vital role in our lives. Studies have linked poor sleep quality to an increased risk of high blood pressure, a potential cause of heart disease. Getting good, quality sleep (between 7-9 hours a night) will keep your heart healthy and help your body regulate hormones, including hormones involved in reproduction.

If you're ready to take the next step in your fertility journey, we're here to help. Call us today at 954-247-6200 or fill out this brief form.

Dr. Marc R. Gualtieri Published in Contemporary OB/GYN

IVF FLORIDA is excited to share that Dr. Marc R. Gualtieri’s peer-reviewed article, "The Promise and Challenges of Preimplantation Genetic Testing for IVF," has been published in the latest issue of Contemporary OB/GYN.

Click here to read.