Overcoming unexplained infertility to welcome Isabel Joy to the world
Nashville residents Joy and Ryan Longnecker found their joy after a diagnosis of unexplained infertility. Thanks to Nashville Fertility Center, their “miracle” daughter – as well as some valuable lessons – came after years of struggle.
Unanswered questions and unexplained infertility
In 2014, not long after their wedding, the Longneckers decided to start building their family. An attorney and a professor, they had devoted time to their careers and relationship. By their mid-30s, they were eager to experience parenthood together.
A year later, however, the Longneckers still weren’t pregnant. After three rounds of Clomid treatment with their ObGyn, they continued to suffer from unexplained infertility. It was then that their ObGyn referred Ryan and Joy to Nashville Fertility Center.
The odds were not in their favor
After multiple tests at Nashville Fertility Center, they discovered that given the number of factors that had been ruled out and how long they had tried, Ryan and Joy’s odds of getting pregnant without intervention were less than 1%.
“That news was devastating,” Joy relayed. They quickly learned at Nashville Fertility Center that 10% of couples struggling to get pregnant nationwide suffer from unexplained infertility, and in Joy’s words, “Unfortunately that’s the category in which we found ourselves.”
Christine Whitworth MD offered encouragement while remaining realistic about treatment options for unexplained infertility. “There was no sugarcoating or inflated expectations,” Joy recalled with appreciation. “She was upfront about the risks and costs, but had a great bedside manner. We really liked her a lot.”
Hope through IVF at Nashville Fertility Center
It became clear that in vitro fertilization (IVF) was Ryan and Joy’s best path to pregnancy while at Nashville Fertility Center. They felt nervous about moving on to IVF.
“When it comes to IVF or fertility treatments, you cannot just “try harder” to get pregnant,” Joy said. “It feels great that it’s out of your hands and in the doctor’s, but there’s also some trepidation to that.”
Fortunately, Nashville Fertility Center was a great fit. In her words, everyone at Nashville Fertility Center was extraordinarily kind, caring and friendly. “They were sensitive to where we’d been, and where we wanted to be. I can’t think of anything they could have done better for our experience,” Joy explained.
“Her name encapsulates our journey to become parents”
The Longneckers’ first round of IVF at Nashville Fertility Center was successful.
“Our joy went beyond the initial moment of discovering I was pregnant,” Joy said. “To use her own name within Izzy’s “reflects the struggle and the lesson we learned that joy is a choice.” Despite their long battle with unexplained infertility, “We had to find ways to remain joyful and grateful even in the midst of the suffering and the waiting,” explained Joy.
Izzy is now five and a half months old and lives up to her namesake. A happy baby with a contagious smile, “She brings so much joy and light to those around her,” Joy gushed.
“Ryan and I decided after all we went through not to just be grateful, but to express our gratitude to the people who helped make our miracle possible,” Joy expressed. “We are very grateful to the people at Nashville Fertility Center.”
Contact us at Nashville Fertility Center for information about treating unexplained infertility.
