Gary and I were married in 1994. It was a fairytale romance and we knew we wanted children so we did not bother using contraception. But after two years we started getting anxious. We started actively trying by taking basal temperatures and timing ovulation. In my early 30th’s I went to the doctor for tests. He said I did not ovulate and that my ovaries made little eggs, not one big egg that a woman needs to ovulate. He prescribed Clomid.
On my second cycle of Clomid, I got pregnant. We were so happy. Then I had a miscarriage at nine weeks. It was the most horrible experience of my life. We knew we had to keep trying and we did.
We tried two more cycles of Clomid, but in conjunction with insemination (IUI). Gary held my hand each time, and again weeks later when I cried because it didn’t work.
Then our doctor suggested we see a specialist in the city. This specialist did not do IVF, but we didn’t think we needed it. So we had new hope. This time I had injections. We went through ten cycles of these shots with inseminations (IUI) for over two years. I had many tests during that time to confirm ovulation and Gary’s sperm quality. Each time the pregnancy test came back negative, I cried. My grief was enormous but my desire to have a baby grew stronger. Then we were told we would need IVF.
I researched fertility doctors in the bay area. Some offer miracles but are not board certified. Several phone calls led me to Carolyn Givens at Pacific Fertility Center. It was the best referral I ever got.
I met with Dr. Givens and explained my situation and medical history. She said she believed she could help. She gave me a timeline and procedure to follow. It included shots again, but this time we would do IVF.
The day of retrieval came quickly. I kissed Gary, went under and woke up looking at his face. The transfer took place 3 days later. Gary held my hand just like all those times before, except this time they put three healthy embryos inside of me.
I will always remember the feeling when the nurse called me and said "Good News! It’s positive!" After years and years of pills, test, shots, crying when it was negative, and avoiding the baby aisles in stores and mothers with carriages because my pain was so deep, I became pregnant.
I will always remember Dr. Givens and the other doctors, nurses and staff at PFC. I really liked the way the staff at PFC always treated me with respect, kindness and professionalism. They helped us to have our baby girl and to finally live "happily ever after!"
--- Kim, San Francisco, CA
www.infertilitydoctor.com
2 cycles Clomid/IUI 
