Michelle and Trevor, like most couples undergoing fertility treatment, had both an emotional and physical journey.

The couple went to their OBGYN after trying for a year on their won. Michelle suffered from PCOS, a hormonal imbalance and common condition for women in their childbearing years. The doctor started them on Clomid to try to stimulate regular ovulation and facilitate conception. Michelle described how she felt throughout her treatment.

“I had a meltdown each time the Clomid didn’t work, and every day it seemed like another one of my friends was pregnant–on Facebook, in public, everywhere. And then I would hate those people for no good reason.”

It’s not uncommon for patients undergoing fertility treatment to feel frustrated by their lack of control. “I felt like a failure,” she recalled. “I blamed myself and cried a lot.”

Still, Michelle never wanted to quit, in part because she doesn’t think she tried long enough to get pregnant to reach that level of discouragement.

“When I found out I had PCOS, I knew getting pregnant was going to be a challenge for me,” she said. “I decided to approach treatment knowing it was going to be an uphill battle instead of being surprised by it.”

After their doctor suggested infertility treatment, Michelle and Trevor moved to HRC and Dr. Alison Peck with the goal of intrauterine insemination (IUI). After getting pregnant and quickly miscarrying, Michelle received the biggest surprise of all: getting pregnant before their second IUI.

Their baby Jackson was born in March 2015–proof that there’s a great view at the top of the hill.