My name is Gaby. I’m originally from Los Angeles, but life has taken me through the Bay Area and now Sacramento.
I have one daughter — a little girl who turns two in May. She’s truly my whole world.
My path to becoming a mom wasn’t easy. I was told in 2019, while living alone in New York for graduate school, that I would likely be unable to get pregnant. I remember feeling so scared after that appointment — it felt like the world paused for a moment. I didn’t quite understand how to process the information or how to move forward.
Once it was time to begin the process, we tried several different things — IUI, medications like Clomid and Femara. There were so many failed attempts and cancelled cycles, one after another.
Eventually, we moved to IVF, and that’s when my body really went through the ringer. I had complications and ended up in the hospital with severe OHSS.
I went through two egg retrieval surgeries, two days apart. After the first retrieval on a Tuesday, I was told that no eggs were retrieved. None. I had to have a second surgery two days later, on Thursday.
Then on Wednesday, I got a call to prepare for my second retrieval — and that’s when I was told one egg had survived, miraculously. Despite the unlikelihood, that one egg turned into an embryo. And that embryo is now my little girl, Lucy.
The whole experience changed me. It made pregnancy feel like such a blessing, because for a long time I didn’t think it would ever happen for me.
What surprised me most was how connected I felt to my baby before I was even pregnant. I was so motivated and completely unwilling to give up — even after everything, even after severe complications, when my body had such an extreme reaction to the IVF hormones that I ended up in the hospital.
This journey showed me that I’m resilient and persistent.
One of the hardest parts was the constant unpredictability and inability to plan. I’m very type A, and nothing was going how I expected.
It was also incredibly hard to separate my personal life from everything I was going through. It became all-consuming — all I could think about — but at the same time, I didn’t want to talk about it because it made me so sad. I felt broken for so long, like my body couldn’t do something it was supposed to do naturally.
What helped me cope was trying to keep a routine as much as I could. Running, Pilates, yoga, walking, and reading — those are my favorite things, and I held onto them.
My husband was my lifeline. He’s my best friend, and I truly don’t know how I would have gotten through it without him.
Connecting with other women can be really helpful, but I’ll be honest — it’s not always easy. The comparing can be triggering, and there’s a delicate balance there. At the same time, having someone who understands makes you feel so much less alone.
And then — giving birth to my daughter. That was the most magical moment of my life. I would do anything to relive that moment.
She is what brings me the most joy, 10000%.
If you’re going through this right now, just take it one day at a time. Even when things feel so hard, you keep going.
Because you’re badass. And you’re resilient.
With love, always, Gaby
@Gaby, thank you for sharing your story. It’s such a powerful reminder that even when everything feels like it’s working against you, something beautiful can still find its way through.
