How I'm Approaching Work 12 Weeks Into an IVF Pregnancy

Whether you're years away from having kids or you're actively trying to get pregnant, navigating fertility alongside your career can be tricky. That's why Fairygodboss has teamed up with Modern Fertility, a company dedicated to offering the best information around fertility so women can make informed decisions around how their fertility factors into their careers. In this series, we're sharing stories from real women who are in varying stages of their careers and fertility journeys. We hope that hearing from these women is helpful — and if you still have your own questions surrounding fertility and career, please ask us here!

Who: Taryn

Age: 32

Tell us a bit  about yourself! Where are you from? What are you up to? 

I am currently living in Marlborough, Massachusetts. I have been a critical care nurse in ICU for the past 10 years and just finished a Masters degree allowing me to practice as an acute care nurse practitioner. I am married to the most lovely man who owns a gym in Worcester. We have a sweet chihuahua named Behr who has been my partner in crime for the last 10 years and a 3-year-old moody tortoiseshell cat named Moose who prefers my husband. We work long hours but enjoy down time together when we get the chance. 

Tell us a bit about where you are with building your family and fertility. Are you a long ways out? Curious? Trying? 

I am currently 12 weeks pregnant with our first baby. We tried for year to no avail. We then decided to get evaluated by Boston IVF and we were put in touch with the best doctor. After another year of evaluation testing and IVF cycles, we are currently expecting!

How are you thinking about your career and your family?  

For the first time in my life, my career is no longer the driving force within me. I love what I do and could not see myself doing anything else. However, expecting a child changes the way you think about the world and the scary things in it. Right now I am not pushing myself to take the sickest patients. I am taking it easy at work for once, and I am OK with it. 

 How does building a family impact your choice of an employer? Is it something you think about now/do you expect you will later?  

Currently I am lucky that the position I work in has benefits and my place of employment helps with paid maternity leave. I am staying where I work until after the baby comes solely for these benefits. I am not pushing myself into the new role of nurse practitioner while I am going through pregnancy for the first time. The current job I am in allows for paid time off, so the financial aspect of maternity leave does not have to be a burden. 

Where have you gotten your information about fertility? Do you talk to your doctor? Your family? Your friends? 

Working in a hospital gives one access to a lot of resources. A medical background also helps one interpret medical conditions and diagnoses. I was able to clearly communicate with my primary care and RE and with the help of resources and my education, I was able to grasp our diagnoses with ease. It was helpful to then educate my husband on what we were dealing with and empower him to have hope and understanding about what was happening to us.

 What kind of support do you wish you had more of when it comes to fertility?  

Honestly, the support we had was so good. I cannot complain about it. People were kind, sensitive, and gave us space as we needed it. They also listened and tried their best to be present and not say things like they understood if they didn’t. It helped just knowing other people were apart of our journey so we didn’t feel alienated throughout this major process we were going through. 

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