In collaboration with the Butterfly Run Vancouver, BC Women's Health Foundation and Reproductive Mental Health we are sharing real stories from real women to support pregnancy loss, infant loss and infertility. Read Anna’s story about infertility and her experience with IVF Fertility Treatment, pregnancy loss and her important message to other women feeling hopeless.

ANNA’S STORY

Never. Give. Up.

You never think its going to happen to you. Until it does. Infertility is nothing to be ashamed of and should be spoken about more. Here is a snap shot of our JOURNEY to baby... Married June 2014 - always talked about and wanted a family together. Went off BC. 2015 - still not pregnant. Started non invasive methods (prenatals, taking temp., track ovulation) & Old wives tales (going on Holiday to "relax", drunken love making night, etc). End of 2015 - we kept trying naturally but started thinking about talking to a Dr. 2016 - Began the process with a fertility clinic (but kept hopeful we would conceive naturally). Went through a bunch of tests but had no explanation to our not being able to conceive. 2017 - 2 failed IUI's and still no answers to why 2018 - began IVF. What a roller coaster... 22 eggs retrieved, 16 fertalized day 1, down to 11 by day 3 and 8 survived by day 5. July we found out we were pregnant; and that we had lost the baby. This took a HUGE toll on us emotionally. We were DEVASTATED and decided to take a break from trying. The "break" was 2 years long. 2020 - January we decided we were ready again...clinic was booked solid until March....covid hit...delays yet again....then implanted 1 egg and waited. Anxiously. Patiently. Apprehensively. Excitedly. And then we received the best news ever. We were SUCCESSFULLY PREGNANT. Being pregnant was surreal and exciting, scary and thrilling all at the same time. April 2021 we welcomed our baby girl earthside. Never. Give. Up. 💖