Knowledge is Power, Unless that knowledge came from the internet, then its stress.

We learned from the passing of our son Liam James that we were both carriers for a genetic disorder called GACI (Generalised Infantile Arterial Calcification) [AKA] IACI (Idiopathic Arterial Calcification of Infancy). His autopsy showed signs of the disorder. His DNA was observed and the mutation in his genes was found. My self and my husband were tested and confirmed we were both in fact unaffected carriers. This means we do not have the disorder, but we have the ability to pass it down to our children. We have a 25% chance of having an affected carrier with each pregnancy. This was the case with Liam. This was also the case with our 2015 pregnancy. This could have also been the cause of my two miscarriages although we will never know for sure and it could never be proven.

After so much loss and failed attempts, we chose to pursue IVF w/PGD to grow our family. This means we will use in vitro fertilization (IVF) and Pre-implantation genetic diagnosis. A normal round of IVF consists of monitoring and stimulating a woman's ovulatory process, retrieving eggs from the the woman's ovaries and letting sperm fertilise them at a laboratory. The fertilised eggs move forward to mature. Then they are implanted the woman's uterus, with the intention of establishing a successful pregnancy. Adding PGD to this means that after the eggs are fertilized and mature they undergo genetic testing before implantation. Only the embryos that appear strong and are cleared of our genetic disorder are moved forward to consider using for implantation.

Obviously, for situations like ours, this is a miracle in itself. To have the science and knowledge to prevent this type of suffering is truly miraculous. Internet research (the same type of research that could convince you that your common head cold is a fatal catastrophe) indicated that success rates with PGD increased your chances with IVF. Most miscarriages are loosely links to chromosome and genetic abnormalities that we have no control over. Adding this extra step to examine the embryos before implantation reduces these risks. I could talk about statistics since I've spent DAYS researching them, but, the flat our answer is that there are too many factors to give a blanket success rate. Your Fertility Clinic will give you their best guestimate once you've begun the process and they know your details specifically.

I had heard that the process is expensive. I saw quotes from $10,000.00 - $30,000.00 for both IVF and PGD together. Again, I was swimming around in internet articles and my own assumptions weighed down by my fears. It wasn't until I went to the Fertility Center, that I finally got the information that I was looking for.