Through 7 retrievals, mini IVF, endometriosis surgery, and years of perseverance, Stephanie conceived at 42 from a double transfer of untested Day 6 and Day 7 embryos. She’s now 34 weeks pregnant with a healthy baby girl.
⚠️ These stories are personal experiences, not medical advice or scientific evidence. Success stories are more likely to be shared than unsuccessful ones, so they should not be interpreted as proof that a treatment works. Always discuss treatment decisions with your doctor.
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📊 Story Snapshot
👩 Age: 39📆 Years trying: 4
🧬 Embryo: Day 6 4BB, Day 7 4BB
🧪 Retrievals: 7
🐣 Transfers: 2
💊 Diagnosis: Low AMH/DOR, Poor ovarian response, Endometriosis, Recurrent pregnancy loss
📈 Outcome: 34 weeks pregnant
I have tried to have a baby for 5.5 years. I started by getting pregnant at age 38 in 2020 spontaneously after coming off birth control, only to have a missed miscarriage at 11 weeks. My OB/GYN then suggested I start working with a reproductive endocrinologist to help with miscarriage risks.
I did timed intercourse for 7 rounds or so, and during this time discovered I had endometriosis due to endometriomas on my ovaries that were visible on my ultrasounds. At this point my RE suggested IVF due to my lack of response to timed intercourse. We decided to do a lap with my OB to help increase success, but that just cut my AMH in half.
I did two egg retrievals with my first RE, the first one resulted in one egg retrieved that became a blast that we tested and came back abnormal. The second retrieval resulted in two eggs retrieved and they disintegrated and would not fertilize. She diagnosed me with diminished ovarian reserve and suggested donor eggs: I was devastated.
At this point I opted to seek out a naturopath and started doing research on what helps DOR. I discovered mini IVF and realized most of the doctors who specialize in this do not exist in the Midwest.
I did a few consults and felt an immediate connection with a doctor out of San Diego. I had a few REs tell me I had between a 5-15% chance with my own eggs before meeting her.
We started mini IVF with her in Dec 2022. It took 5 egg retrievals (and some canceled cycles along the way) with her to get 3 blasts. She suggested we opt not to test our embryos, due to only getting 2-3 eggs per retrieval. In Nov 2023 I stopped responding to stim meds due to my endo. We decided it was time to move on to transfers, even though I was trying to get at least 4 blasts. I scheduled 3 consults with excision experts and picked one for another lap surgery April 2024, who removed almost all of my endo!
After surgery I went right into two months of suppression for my endo and then we finally had our first transfer in August 2025 with my best embryo (day 6 5AA). It stuck! And then unfortunately led to a blighted ovum at 8 weeks. I scheduled a d&c with my new OB I found who is amazing and went through IVF herself.
We decided to do another month of suppression before doing a double embryo transfer in Dec 2024. At this point I am 42 years old, ready to do whatever it takes and feeling pretty tired. I had been taking handfuls of supplements for years, cut out all plastic in my home, changed my entire beauty and cleaning products to non-toxic and was doing acupuncture for years.
So we used our last two embryos (a day 6 4bb and day 7 4bb). And one stuck! I am currently 34 weeks pregnant with a baby girl who is passing all her tests and growing well.
What would you say to someone who’s going through what you went through?
Don’t listen to medical professionals who are telling you it might not be possible if you know in your heart you have a human out there waiting for you. Do your own research and become your own advocate. Also, find a RE who is your person: someone who believes in you and can support you. I think it takes willingness to be determined and do much more than most when you are faced with being older, having issues like DOR or endo. I had to do a lot to help my body. I was willing to do it though, and that is what made the difference. I also cut out social media early on, to help my mental health. I only had my support groups to help me and that really made a difference. I saw a therapist and focused on the support I needed along the way. Infertility can be very isolating and it is important to be kind to yourself.
— Stephanie Fennell from Kansas
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