“Barbee Family–2, Infertility–0”
The Barbee family and their little miracles, Hannah and Connor; Indianapolis, IN

After 4 and half years and a vigorous battle, the score is Barbee Family–2, Infertility–zero. My husband, John, and I were raised in an optimistic world. It was a world where we could achieve whatever we set our hearts out to do. A year into our marriage, we were navigating our way through life according to our master plans. We never thought that having children would be a challenge when we decided the time was right. This is not to say that our lives were perfect. Each of us had experienced failures that had become forks in the road that altered our paths. We each had to learn to adjust our perspective and change our approach to overcome obstacles that we faced. We confronted each challenge as it arose. Until we embarked upon our journey to become our parents, our rate of success was high.

When we were ready to start our family, we sought our objective in a nonchalant manner, aware that it often took couples months to become pregnant. As the months turned into a year and 1 year turned into 2, we had become increasingly discouraged and concerned. We had tried using ovulation predictor kits and charting my basal body temperature on our own. We enlisted the help of a nurse practitioner and my OBGYN, who suggested what we try Clomid. We tried Clomid with no success for several months, when finally we were referred to Dr. James Donahue from Family Beginnings.

It was obvious to us from our first visit that Dr. Donahue shared our way of thinking. He understood that we were disheartened with our situation and were eager to move forward. His knowledge of the newest technology and treatments brought back some of the optimism we had lost. After talking to Dr. Donahue and having an examination, he suggested a laparoscopy to remove what he thought was endometriosis. Following that successful laparoscopy, he also recommended using Clomid, this time paired with intrauterine insemination to maximize our chance. Two more unsuccessful cycles later, our hopes were fading. It was then that Dr. Donahue guided us to in vitro fertilization (IVF).

Dr. Donahue’s prescribed treatment included injections of Ferring’s REPRONEX^®, the drug which became the catalyst in our journey. Each injection of the drug was a boost of quiet confidence. As a result of using REPRONEX^®, Dr. Donahue was able to retrieve 12 viable eggs, 8 of which fertilized and became embryos.

On February 12, 2004, we received the call confirming that I was pregnant. Eight months later, on October 13th, our sweet Hannah Kathryn was born, weighing 7 pounds and 12 ounces. In a single day, our lives changed forever. We achieved our dream of becoming parents and began a new phase of life.

Almost 17 months later, we were blessed with Connor, a surprise who came along without the use of fertility treatments! We had been told that one pregnancy could help alleviate my problems with endometriosis. Apparently, that was the case! We credit both successful pregnancies to the use of REPRONEX^® and in vitro fertilization, because that process began the chain of events that led to us having a family of 4.

Although our journey contained the most challenging obstacle that we have ever faced, overcoming that obstacles has been the most rewarding. At a time when we had exhausted all of the resources we could think of, REPRONEX^® and Dr. Donahue came to the rescue. The memory of the injections has faded away, but the assistance we received from REPRONEX^® will not be forgotten. We are back on track for our master plans, which have become more flexible to accommodate new circumstances including naps, new teeth, and constant childproofing. We now strive toward a new objective: teaching Hannah and Connor to be optimistic in a world where they can achieve their own dreams.