Justine and Konrad were in their 20s when they first started trying to have a baby. Justine previously had been diagnosed with PCOS, so she knew it might take her longer to get pregnant. But after two years without results, she decided to ask her OBGYN for help. Justine was prescribed Clomid to stimulate ovulation. It worked, but unfortunately, she suffered an early miscarriage
“That was the turning point for us,” Justine remembers. “We decided to seek the help of a specialist. Our doctor gave us the names of three or four infertility specialists, so I decided to do some online research. All of Dr. Robert Boostanfar’s reviews were very positive, and we took that as a good sign!”
The couple found Dr. Boostanfar easy to talk to and down to earth. At their first meeting, he had already read their history and felt confident in his ability to help them get pregnant.
Konrad echoes, “Our first impression of the Encino office was so positive. Everyone was super friendly. We could sense the staff liked working there; it seemed like a warm and supportive environment. The doctor met with us right on time, which we really appreciated since it was the middle of a workday.”
Dr. Boostanfar developed a game plan. First, he wanted to make sure Justine’s tubes were normal and ordered a hysterosalpingogram. He suggested pursuing intrauterine inseminations (IUI) before attempting anything more advanced.
Justine and Konrad underwent two unsuccessful rounds of IUI. Of course, they were heartbroken. After their second cycle, Dr. Boostanfar suggested they take a mental health break and they went on vacation.
“We could tell Dr. B was just as bummed as we were that our cycles had not worked,” the couple says. “Even the nurse who called about the negative pregnancy tests was so sincere. I could tell she was hurting for us.
“After we returned from vacation, we started acupuncture as a way to prepare for our third IUI. The doctor was open to anything that would help. The cycle was successful and we are now parents to Kennedy, who was born on March 16!”
They encourage other couples to stick with the plan and to keep going through the whole process, advising “You have to cope with the losses emotionally while simultaneously not forgetting you have a life. Taking care of ourselves, like going on vacation or using acupuncture, really helped us. Having the encouraging HRC Fertility staff to support us was also reassuring. We didn’t have a lot of people to talk to about our emotional roller coaster ride, so it was a blessing to be able to confide in them.”
At 29, this LA-based couple is hoping to return to HRC Fertility Encino for another round of treatment and, hopefully, to add to their family.