Episode 9. 9 IVF Cycles, 11 Transfers, 5 Fertility Clinics: Melissa's Secondary Infertility Journey
EPISODE 9: Melissa Edwards
Nine IVF cycles. Eleven embryo transfers. Five fertility clinics. And 12 PGT-A normal embryos still waiting for answers.
Today's guest, Melissa, has been part of the Fertility Fight Club for years, and she's one of the women who show up on every call, ask the hard questions, and cheer everyone else on, even when her own journey has been unbelievably hard. Her story doesn't fit a neat fertility diagnosis, and that's exactly why I wanted to share it.
Melissa carried her daughter after her very first transfer. So why have things been so different since? For years the answer she heard was "it's your eggs" or "it's your age." She kept asking what was missing, and in this conversation she walks us through what she's uncovered along the way, from recurring adhesions to overlooked sperm DNA fragmentation testing to a health scare that finally validated what she'd been saying all along.
If you've ever felt dismissed, been handed the same protocol over and over, or wondered whether a normal embryo should be enough, this one is for you.
In This Episode, We Talk About
Why a "mild" adhesion that keeps coming back deserves more attention
What it's like to carry a baby once, and then face secondary infertility
The story behind Melissa's IVF journey, from her first fertility testing through five different fertility clinics
Why "it's your eggs" was never the full answer, and what changed when she found a doctor who looked at the whole picture
Why sperm DNA fragmentation testing matters and the role male factor played in her results
What to investigate before a transfer, even with PGT-A normal embryos (immune testing, microbiome testing, a sonohysterogram)
The support tools Melissa used to prepare her lining, including HBOT and uterine PRP
How she's protecting her peace, from setting boundaries with family and friends to stepping away from social media
Why she keeps fighting: her daughter, her family, and the belief that this isn't just bad luck
Advocate for yourself. Melissa kept asking questions when others told her to stop, and I hope her story encourages you to trust your gut and get a second (or third) opinion.
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Helpful Timestamps:
00:00 Melissa’s Fertility Journey
09:25 First IVF Success
12:48 Cycle Two and Miscarriage
16:26 Clinic Three and PGT Testing
23:12 Brain Tumor Discovery
26:15 Donor Eggs and New Doctor
33:44 Immune Retesting Results
37:36 Biggest IVF Frustrations
42:24 Surgery Findings and Adhesions
50:28 ADHD Meds and Stress
59:32 Microbiome and Transfer Prep
