Overcoming Chemical Pregnancies and Pregnancy Loss (2024)

Megan and Allison knew they would need assistance to build a family as an LGBTQIA+ couple, but they never imagined how many barriers they would have to overcome

Megan and Allison (Alli) Wittwood always knew they wanted children. From the early days of their relationship in Ventura, California, to their eventual move to Texas, the couple dreamed of building a family together.

After tying the knot in 2014, they wasted no time in setting their sights on parenthood. Little did they know, their journey would take them through the highs and lows of fertility treatments, ultimately leading them to Dr. Sara Mucowski at Dallas IVF.

A fertility seminar turned into a free fertility consult at Dallas IVF

Their story began in 2016 when, after moving closer to Megan’s family in Texas, Megan surprised Alli with a birthday gift that would change their lives forever.

“For Alli’s birthday gift, in October of the same year, I had set up a fertility consult to start thinking about building our family,” says Megan. “And what a journey it turned out to be!”

Determined to build the family of their dreams, they embarked on a path filled with hope and uncertainty, starting with a visit to a clinic outside of Dallas. They had an optimistic consultation and began planning for intrauterine insemination, or IUI, using donor sperm. But before treatment began, their journey took an unexpected turn when they attended an LGBTQIA+ fertility seminar and met Dr. Mucowski.

Winning a free consultation through a raffle, they soon found themselves under the care of a doctor who would become an integral part of their lives. As Megan says, the rest is kind of history.

Three pregnancy losses challenged the couple’s resilience

Sometime around early 2017, Megan and Alli moved forward with their plan to try IUI, this time at Dallas IVF. Megan underwent the treatment four times without becoming pregnant. In April of 2019 they decided to pursue a more involved treatment with higher success rates – in vitro fertilization (IVF).

Megan began taking injectable fertility medications to stimulate ovulation. The ovulated eggs were then retrieved and manually inseminated in the lab to create embryos, which were frozen until ready to use. Megan went through this stimulation and retrieval process twice. While the couple had decided that she would carry their future child, Megan says they both were fully involved.

“We BOTH went through treatments,” says Megan. “It was my body, but Alli administered every grueling shot.”

The couple ended up with two viable embryos from each round of treatment. Only one of the embryos was transferred to Megan’s uterus at a time, giving them four chances to build their family.

From the excitement of their first transfer resulting in a positive pregnancy test to the devastation of a miscarriage and the following two transfers ending in chemical pregnancies (confirmed pregnancies that end in pregnancy loss within the first five weeks), Megan and Alli experienced a rollercoaster of emotions. Yet, through it all, they remained resilient, leaning on each other for support and finding solace in the guidance of Dr. Mucowski and her dedicated team.

Each setback only strengthened their resolve to hold onto hope, even in the face of uncertainty. Megan and Alli approached each new cycle with cautious optimism, knowing that their journey was unique and that success was never guaranteed. Despite the challenges, they pressed on, fueled by their faith and the unwavering support of their loved ones.

One embryo & one last chance to avoid another pregnancy loss

Down to their final embryo, Megan and Alli tried to conceive one more time in July of 2020. The embryologist said the embryo looked “stellar,” even though some outer cells were not as compacted as those of a higher-grade embryo would be.

Megan had paid close attention to every twinge in her body during the previous pregnancies, building hope each time – only to find out they had failed. She decided this time she was going to ignore everything. She was successful in this until she began to bleed the morning of their beta pregnancy test. That she couldn’t ignore, feeling that she had lost this pregnancy as well.

Later that month they received a call from the clinic with the results of their latest beta pregnancy test. Megan always had the clinic leave a voicemail with the outcome of the test so she and Alli could listen to the news together. The first call didn’t go to voicemail, but the clinic quickly called back and this time they left a message.

“By mistake I had read the first line of the transcribed voicemail message and saw ‘I’m sorry,’” says Megan. “My heart was again shattered because I was sure the rest of that message was, ‘…but your beta was negative.’”

When the couple got together to listen to the voicemail, Megan received the best surprise of her life. The voicemail said, “I’m sorry I didn’t leave a message the first time, but your beta test is a healthy 151.”

Their perseverance had paid off. They had a successful pregnancy using their very last embryo. With trepidation and hope, they navigated the ups and downs of pregnancy during the height of COVID, grappling with fear, uncertainty and pandemic policies while eagerly anticipating the arrival of their son.

An undetectable heartbeat and emergency surgery derails a simple birthing plan

After everything it took to achieve a healthy pregnancy, Megan and Alli were hopeful for an easy delivery. Megan’s body had other plans. At 7 p.m. on April 2, 2021, she was induced. Not dilating quickly enough, Megan had to undergo an excruciatingly painful process to increase cervical thinning. Her water had broken at some point during this process and the baby’s heartbeat began to fluctuate, eventually becoming undetectable. Around 5 p.m. on April 3, the hospital team rushed Megan into an emergency c-section.

“They found his heartbeat, got me prepped and numb, and then Alli appeared,” says Megan. “I focused on my breathing and just keeping positive thoughts.”

At 5:39 p.m. a baby’s cry echoed and his face appeared above the paper shield. Lawson had made his dramatic entrance into the world, defying the odds and capturing the hearts of his adoring mothers. Megan and Alli erupted into tears of joy. Alli cut the umbilical cord, then paced back and forth between comforting Megan and checking on their newborn son.

As panic gave way to peace, the couple had an extra win to celebrate. Although Lawson’s original due date was March 30, Megan had told her OB-GYN that if the original date passed, she wanted his birthday to be April 3, 2021.

“He ended up with the birth date that we had chosen, 4/3/21,” says Megan. “I think that’s really special.”

Megan’s recovery was rough and she was unable to hold Lawson for the first hour after his birth. But once she was able to cradle her son in her arms for the first time, she knew everything they had been through to bring him into the world was worth it. Lawson’s birth was a testament to the resilience of his mothers and the unwavering support of Dr. Mucowski and the team at Dallas IVF.

A new life as a family of three

Life with Lawson has been a whirlwind of joy and wonder, filled with precious moments and newfound adventures. From lazy mornings spent snuggled up together to weekend outings at the park, Megan and Alli cherish every moment with their miracle baby.

As they reflect on their journey, they are filled with gratitude for their fertility team at Dallas IVF, whose dedication and expertise helped make their dreams a reality. They continue to stay in close touch with Dr. Mucowski and her team (past and present, especially Katryce, Tonya, Carly and Leslie) through social media and events like Dallas Pride.

“Dr. Mucowski has wonderful bedside manner and really talks to you on a personal level about the journey as a whole, and how your journey may be different than someone else’s,” says Megan. “There are so many factors at play with infertility, so it was wonderful to have a doctor that truly has a passion and understanding of what she does.”

Advice for others facing fertility treatment

To those still on their fertility journey, Megan and Alli offer words of encouragement and hope. They urge others to stay positive, give themselves grace, and lean on support groups and loved ones for strength. They also suggest taking a fertility break if it’s needed. Above all, they remind others to hold onto faith, knowing that every setback brings them one step closer to the joy of holding their own miracle in their arms.

“The biggest thing is keeping faith, for us anyway,” says Megan. “Knowing that it was on His time and not ours helped us through the toughest times.”

As they look to the future, Megan and Alli are filled with gratitude for the precious gift of parenthood. While their journey may have been long and challenging, it has led them to the greatest adventure of all – life with Lawson by their side. And for that, they will be forever grateful.