When Genevieve Lehunt-Alderman, founder of SUNDAY AGENCY PR & Communications, was diagnosed with endometriosis at a young age, she was warned that conceiving naturally might be difficult. However, with manageable symptoms through surgeries and medication, she didn’t feel an urgent need to act. Like many women, Genevieve balanced her career ambitions, financial goals, and social plans with the desire to start a family. It wasn’t until she married and felt stable in her career that she decided it was the right time to try.
When she and her husband began their fertility journey, they faced unexpected hurdles, including a devastating miscarriage during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite these challenges, her determination, along with the support of a close-knit circle of friends, helped her navigate the emotional and physical toll of fertility treatments.
Here, she shares her experiences, from mental resistance to the joyful birth of her son, offering insights and advice for others on a similar path.
When did you start thinking about your fertility?
“My fertility had been on my mind since I was 14. I was being treated by a gynaecologist for endometriosis and he made an off-hand comment about having a baby ‘curing’ my endometriosis but that it may be harder for me to fall pregnant naturally given the condition. I had only just had my first kiss at this age, so having this in the back of my mind felt surreal. I never felt any need to act upon it. However, once I graduated from my parent’s health insurance, I made sure to add assisted reproduction to my policy just in case.”
What were your expectations before beginning your fertility journey?
“I had a sense that it may be a little harder for me than others given the endometriosis. However, my condition and symptoms weren’t too severe and were manageable with surgeries and medication. I did have in the back of my mind that it would be better to try to conceive earlier in age. Still, like many women, I felt a real sense of conflict between career ambitions, financial goals, and travel and social plans vs. settling down and having a family. Once I married and felt stable in my career, I felt it might be as good a time as any to try to conceive.”
What did your fertility journey look like?
“We began trying to conceive in January 2020. I remember rushing to buy an ‘announcement’ onesie when the COVID shutdowns started happening in Melbourne, just in case I got pregnant quickly (lol). By January 2021, we hadn’t conceived and given my age (32) and endometriosis history, we thought it would be a good decision to be referred to an IVF (In vitro fertilisation) clinic to get some testing done, including egg count, hormone levels, sperm checks etc. to see if there was a reason we hadn’t conceived over the past year.
Frustratingly, everything was completely normal and we were classified as having unexplained infertility. I wasn’t keen on going straight into traditional IVF treatment, so we worked with the clinic on timing ovulation via blood tests and other various painful and invasive tests to try and help us along our journey. This had to stop in June 2021 due to COVID restrictions on fertility treatments, which was an incredibly emotional and difficult time.
In late July, I found out I was pregnant naturally! I distinctly remember thinking we would just give it a go that month, even though I was feeling extremely defeated with the IVF shutdowns. To say we were shocked is an understatement.
But in September, I experienced a very traumatic miscarriage. I began miscarrying in the morning but wasn’t sure what was going on. I had a planned GP appointment scheduled that day anyway and had the doctor check me out while I was there. She then referred me straight over to the local maternity hospital for a suspected miscarriage. As I walked into the hospital, things ramped up, and what I thought would just be a quick blood test and ultrasound became 12 hours in the emergency department and an overnight stay. The worst part of this was that due to COVID restrictions in place, I couldn’t have a support person with me during that time, so I was alone throughout it all, which was incredibly scary and sad.
Unfortunately, after this, although we started trying immediately when possible, we did not naturally fall pregnant again. In January 2022, we decided to begin IVF treatment and did an egg retrieval in February. As I was hormonally overstimulated from the treatment, we had to cancel our fresh transfer plans and postpone until the following month. I became pregnant via ICSI (Intracytoplasmic sperm injection) in March which was incredibly fortunate to have worked on the first transfer.
I gave birth to my son Robbie in December 2022, almost three years to the day from when we started trying.”
Can you identify any moments during your journey that clashed with your expectations?
“What surprised me the most was the mental resistance I had to fertility treatment. The day I decided to go ahead with it (my 34th birthday), I spent the whole day in tears, feeling like I was giving up. I also felt a strong need for no real reason to justify to people that I had tried enough. Fertility is a very difficult mental battle.”
What was the most surprising thing that happened to you during this time?
“Before trying to conceive, I had never really thought twice about how it might affect someone’s life, and I can honestly say I probably wasn’t as empathetic to people's struggles as I could have been. I am a ‘put your head down and get on with it’ personality type. However, going through this journey opened my eyes to just how much fertility struggles can impact all aspects of someone’s life – physical health, mental health, career, financial and, of course, social. Whenever I hear anyone mention they have had fertility struggles, my heart breaks for them because I know it’s much deeper than it may appear on the surface.”
What was the best or most rewarding thing that happened to you during this time?
“Only a small handful of my close friends knew that I was dealing with this situation, and the strength and closeness that I found in those relationships was incredible. There were people who were there for me who hadn’t experienced a similar path, but they were some of my absolute rocks in the hard times.”
What do you feel is the biggest misconception surrounding fertility?
“I feel the far-reaching effects of fertility struggles are overlooked. Fertility weighs heavily on both your physical and mental health and, in many cases (mine included), greatly impacts your work, financial and social health as well.”
What was the most helpful thing you did for yourself during this time?
“I sought the support of a perinatal psychologist from the very start of my IVF treatment and have continued to be supported by her well into my postpartum journey, which has without a doubt, been the best thing I have done for my health. Even when you feel like you might as well cancel because you have nothing interesting to talk about, you walk away feeling clearer, more positive and well-supported. I strongly advise anyone considering their fertility to look into psychological support as a key part of your village.”
What advice would you give anyone who hasn’t yet gone down their fertility path?
“Information and knowledge are power. We can often take our bodies and health for granted, fertility included. Knowing where things stand, whether you are planning to conceive in the near future or just want an idea of what this journey may look like for you, will ease the mental burden that fertility can create.”
Disclaimer
This article is for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to be medical advice and is not a substitute for medical advice. You should speak with a medical professional if you wish to assess your fertility and before making any decisions about healthcare, including contraception.
