Our Małgosia

I kept seeing my gynecologist and had basic hormone tests done, but they didn’t reveal anything new. My husband’s results were very good. Every month, I underwent stimulation with Clostilbegyt and Duphaston, had an ultrasound on day 12 or 13 of my cycle, and then came our scheduled “Love Story” on the day indicated by the doctor. Meanwhile, my maternal instinct was becoming stronger and stronger.

Every month brought several days of tears, helplessness and frustration after seeing yet another pregnancy test with just one line. Then weddings started taking place in our family, and my sisters became pregnant. Aunts and grandparents were delighted. They would show us ultrasound pictures of the babies.

It hurt. It hurt terribly.

“Leave me alone. I just want to be by myself.”

“Why is she reacting so strangely? I don’t understand. She should be happy.”

We began avoiding parks and playgrounds where we might see strollers with babies or pregnant women. We started avoiding christenings, holidays and family gatherings. Nobody understood us. We were alone with our problem.

Every month, we started all over again.

It was an incredibly difficult time for both of us. We felt as though we had been programmed by the doctor. We were given a schedule of medication and instructions about exactly when to have intercourse. How much of it was still about love, and how much had become an obligation? After so many medications, appointments and so much money spent, we couldn’t simply decide not to “do it.”

After five years, we decided to take things a step further and went to a fertility clinic in Białystok. We underwent two unsuccessful insemination attempts there. I thought that would be the end of our journey because the cost of the procedures was beyond what we could afford.

That was when my gynecologist recommended Klinika Bocian, and specifically Dr Grzegorz Mrugacz.

When we went there, we had already decided that we wanted IVF. Dr Mrugacz, however, persuaded us to try one more insemination because he wanted to see how I responded to stimulation.

Maybe it would work?

Unfortunately, it didn’t.

Soon afterward, we began the IVF procedure without telling our family. For the first month, I took birth control pills. Then came injections in my abdomen to induce a temporary artificial menopause. There were appointments every day or every other day and more hormones. I didn’t feel particularly well, but I could endure it.

I wanted to be a mother. I had to keep going.

During the egg retrieval, ten eggs were collected. We donated one of them anonymously to another couple who were waiting for an egg donor.

After three nerve-racking days, we called Klinika Bocian and learned that we had beautiful embryos. We scheduled the transfer.

It was incredible! I had two wonderful embryos inside me.

Would they choose to stay with me?

Ahead of us were ten incredibly long days before the pregnancy test. I took time off work and barely got out of bed. Every day, I checked my temperature and looked for every possible symptom.

On the seventh day after the transfer, I started spotting.

Fear. Panic.

Please, not this!!!

The next day, the spotting stopped. Maybe it had been implantation?

Finally, the long-awaited day arrived. I took a pregnancy test.

Negative.

I cried.

“God, why are you punishing me like this? Everyone else is pregnant except me.”

We went to Klinika Bocian for a beta-hCG blood test because I had never fully trusted home pregnancy tests. An hour later, the result came back positive, but unfortunately the level was only 15.

It didn’t matter. The pregnancy did not continue, and a few days later I miscarried naturally.

It was devastating.

Then came the question: what next? We didn’t have enough money for more attempts.

But that didn’t matter either. We could keep driving an old car and spend our holidays in the Masurian Lake District. The first attempt had produced a positive result, which meant that I could become pregnant.

We stayed strong together, saved money and waited until we could try again.

Unfortunately, our next attempt failed. Then we had an unsuccessful frozen embryo transfer, followed by another unsuccessful attempt. All of this happened over the course of several months.

I didn’t know how much more I could take.

But we kept trying.

Our first transfer had resulted in pregnancy in May, so we decided to try again in May. In addition, Dr Mrugacz recommended an injection and an Atosiban infusion, which was administered before and immediately after the embryo transfer.

Once again, I took time off work, monitored my temperature and read about every possible pregnancy symptom. When I developed severe pain around my ovaries, I became afraid that this attempt had failed too.

This time, I didn’t take a home pregnancy test. My husband and I simply went together for a blood test.

When the midwife handed me the result – beta-hCG 334: pregnancy – I couldn’t believe it.

Tears, shock, happiness and euphoria are the only things I remember.

The blood test confirmed that a MIRACLE had happened.

I couldn’t believe that I was carrying a baby beneath my heart – my baby, my treasure, my happiness!

Our first ultrasound was unforgettable. I saw a tiny beating heart. Then came the wait for the first movements of our little daughter.

She was born by cesarean section on January 13, 2011. She received 10 points on the Apgar scale. She had beautiful, long black hair and was so tiny and delicate.

Our beloved Małgosia.

Two years later, we began thinking about giving Małgosia a sibling. At first, we tried to conceive naturally, but unfortunately without success.

In 2014, we underwent IVF twice. Sadly, both attempts failed.

Then, in May 2015, we discovered that I was pregnant.

Naturally.

Today, we are the happiest parents of six-year-old Małgosia and one-year-old Weroniczka.

I wholeheartedly recommend Klinika Bocian in Białystok. The atmosphere is warm and welcoming, the nurses are extremely kind, and the cost of treatment is low compared with many other clinics. All the doctors working there are excellent specialists.

Dr Grzegorz Mrugacz is a wonderful, dedicated and exceptional person. He has a fantastic sense of humor. Despite all our unsuccessful attempts, I always left his office feeling positive and hopeful that one day it would finally work.

I trusted him, and he did not let me down.

Today, I can hold my two wonderful daughters in my arms, and there is only one thing left for me to say:

THANK YOU, DOCTOR!