#myIFstory: Kristen Lalla

Infertility is emotional and can leave you feeling hopeless and in despair but, with faith, optimism, and the right team of professionals around you, anything is possible. Thank you Kris for sharing your journey with us! Your words speak volumes.

Kristin Lalla and her children

"Our infertility journey began like so many others – 'I'll just take a few tests and if they don't come back perfect, then I'll just take a few pills, and I will be pregnant in no time.' Considering I had no trouble getting pregnant the first time, why should I even think there would be a problem the second? But after six failed IUIs (and many of those aforementioned pills), we knew we had a problem on our hands. It was time to change things up, and certainly time for a new doctor. We had been going to one who had a very good reputation for many, many years, but after our experience with him, it became clear that he was just riding on that reputation and probably getting ready for retirement.

The best thing to happen to us in our infertility journey was meeting Dr. Browne. She was a breath of fresh air from the very first meeting and we knew that if I didn't become pregnant under her guidance, then it was definitely God's will, and we should just give up. That is how much confidence we had in her knowledge, right from the start. And somehow we knew right away that being unsuccessful would not be the case with Dr. Browne in our corner.

Within approximately six months, I was pregnant with our second child, a boy who was born in August 2013. Just over two years later, we returned to Dr. Browne, and after only one transfer with a frozen embryo, I was pregnant with our third, who is due in a matter of weeks.

Everyone's journey is different, and I've learned that so many more people struggle with infertility than you would ever know. Slowly but surely, people came out of the woodwork to tell me about their infertility struggles, since I had been very open with my own. It helps.

IF only I had known that infertility doesn't always happen to 'other people.' Sometimes, just like that, you become other people. But with perseverance, confidence, and one very special doctor, there is always hope."