On this episode of the AllPaths podcast, we welcome Maggie Stryker, a former AllPaths group attendee and current volunteer to share her journey. Maggie and her partner began trying for a family in 2022, navigating a history of endometriosis while simultaneously undergoing multiple foot surgeries and recoveries. After eight or nine months of unsuccessful attempts, and facing physical and emotional pain, they pursued fertility testing, which ultimately led to the frustrating diagnosis of “unexplained infertility”. This “worst diagnosis” meant discovering treatment effectiveness through trial and error, a process Maggie likened to being a “test bunny.”
Maggie’s path included medicated cycles with Clomid and three rounds of IUI, all without success, eventually leading her to IVF. During this time, the world around her questioned her decision to pursue fertility treatments alongside her ongoing medical issues, but found crucial support, community, and practical advice through AllPaths’ support groups. After multiple egg retrievals, Maggie underwent a successful embryo transfer on a leap day, experiencing an early scare but ultimately having a successful pregnancy with her baby girl, Charlie. Throughout the conversation, Maggie emphasizes the crucial role of self-advocacy in medical care, the profound impact of genuine support from loved ones, and how the AllPaths community provided invaluable understanding and practical advice that outsiders couldn’t. Planning to try to grow her family through remaining embryos, Maggie also hopes to become a fertility doula, drawing on her experience to support others on their family building journeys.
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