“It gives me immense pride to share my challenge with my destiny. This is dedicated to all childless women yearning to be moms, and also equally to those yearning to be dads. Science is superb and can help make babies.
This is my life’s learning.
My triumph with destiny.
My passion for being a mom.
My passion to bear a baby.
My journey from infertility to fertility.
Anything is possible.
I got married in July 1996. My husband is and will always be my best friend. He makes my life simple and possible. I was brimming with happiness. I was in seventh heaven and a confident woman focussed on her new life and career and promised myself to take my life to the next level.
In February 1997, I realised everything is not as rosy as it seems. I missed my period and went to my gynaecologist who suggested a series of blood tests and curating to check if all is well. After the investigations, I realised that all was not well.
I have PCOD (Polycystic ovarian disease), which leads to infertility. I asked God "Why me?". I love babies. I felt doomed.
And then started a series of blood tests and laparoscopic tests. I was emotionally drained and so was my husband. I started feeling depressed. After this, I started my treatment with a leading infertility specialist who was in the top 3 then, but I was not happy with their approach. It took a couple of months of visits to the clinic and I was suggested diagnostic laparoscopy to check if my fallopian tubes were healthy.
I was called to Bombay Hospital at 7 am and taken on a stretcher to the OT at 930 am and made to sit inside the OT till 730 pm on plastic chairs starving, not having eaten or drunk anything. At 730 pm I was taken in for this diagnostic surgery. It was very stressful and a disheartening experience. I took a month to recover from that experience.
I decided to take a break from all the treatments for a couple of years.
I was always unhappy those days, feeling limited by my failure to be a mom. I waited 5 years. I never liked visiting doctors after that. It was disheartening how the assistant doctors asked you your history in public.
Meanwhile, I consulted Dr. Urjita Jain who taught me positive visualisation. It was step ahead for the first time in a long while.
Then something wonderful happened. My very close friend Shubhangi, my confidante, introduced me to a very professional doctor: Dr Shreyas Padgaonkar. He made me feel comfortable during my very first visit. Things soon started falling in place. He sent me first to a dietician and told me to lose weight. I had to lose 10 % of my weight for the treatment to begin because losing weight activates your hormones. Another close friend of mine, Yogesh introduced me to a friend who conducts body toning sessions: Suchitra Pradhan. I also did pranayama every day.
I did all the three things with dedication and I enjoyed the process. It helped me achieve my goal of losing 10 % of my weight, and I was deemed fit to start IVF treatment.
My sister was my rock in this journey. My close friends Yogesh, Amita, Shilpa, Shabbir, Tasu, Rekha and Cyril were my pillars then who stood by me like anchors.
Finally, my treatment began in 2004. My doctor made it simple and smooth, I didn’t even feel the pain of innumerable shots (I had to take maybe 200 plus of them throughout the process). My doctor helped me believe that "It is possible".
I took the daily shots in my stride. I started enjoying my treatment. And I knew every shot took me one step closer to motherhood. I was extremely positive. I practiced positive visualisation daily, which helped me tremendously.
My doctor did my first ICSI (Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection) treatment in May 2004. I conceived! my BHCG test came back positive! But sadly after 20 days we realised it was just a biochemical pregnancy. I had ovarian hyperstimulation, and wasn’t really pregnant. This was a testing time for my husband and me. But my great support system of family and friends made it easy to go through.
My friend, my catalyst in my life, Shubhangi, was by my side through all of it and made it seem easy. I didn’t lose hope. She pepped me up every day and was by my side like a rock. My friends Amita and Yogesh kept raising our spirits. I am ever grateful to them for always being there for us.
In September 2004 my niece Anika was born. That was a great milestone in our lives and she happened to be my lucky charm. I was very happy. My state of mind was very positive then. At the same time my second cycle of IVF started. My doctor defrosted my stored embryos from my first cycle. He did an embryo transfer and transferred 5 embryos into my womb. My mom and dad were my strength. My mother-in-law and father-in-law were with me through all of this. I even insisted my father-in-law come and accompany me for every procedure, and he happily did. I wanted his positive energy and his God-like Aura to bless me. I felt like God is with me.
Then it was time to wait and watch.
I followed babycenter.com and kept visualising every day that my embryos were attaching to my womb and that they were growing.
After 20 days, it worked!!! I was actually pregnant! I had finally conceived. It was a dream come true. My life changed forever. However, the best moment was when my doctor told me that I was having twins. It was like a shower of happiness in my life. I felt like sunshine was back in our lives after a long darkness.
I was bed rest for a large part of y pregnancy, but I did a lot of positive visualisation which worked! And soon after I delivered my twin angels I still remember the moment my gynaecologist Dr. Mansukhani said "It’s a girl!", and I kissed my baby. My lovely daughter made me a MOM! It was an amazing moment in my life and my husband’s too.
Then after one and half minutes my doctor said "It’s a boy". I had a delightful feeling of winning twice, of witnessing a miracle that had happened in my life. That day changed my world forever.
That’s my story. Today my twins are 12 n half years old and I feel like life has blessed me. Grateful to God for this shower of happiness. Our 9-year wait had ended in bliss.”
I wrote this 3 years ago. Today my twins are 15 and I am grateful for this blessing. So thankful to our Guru and all elders and my mentors for this blessing.
What made me achieve this?
1.Lots of positive thoughts
2.Positive Visualisation
3.A lot of rest
4.My husband Devens unconditional support and love
5.My families and friends support and positivity.
This is my real-life positive story conquering infertility, which affects many couples.
Infertility is a serious health issue worldwide, affecting approximately 10% of couples worldwide, amounting to 45 million couples. Of 80 million couples suffering from infertility every year worldwide, probably around 25% are in India alone. That’s a big number.
But as I said… Alter Your Limiting Beliefs, And Believe To Succeed.
I wish I had miGenie back then.
I yearn all childless couples to be positive and achieve your goal of being parents.
Always be in a positive state of mind and go for your goals, you will be able to achieve them.
And now you have miGenie for this. So, make the most of it. Practise all the miGenie activities daily, alter beliefs and be in abundance!
miGenie is a boon for all who want to succeed and achieve their goals.
Aarti Limaye
Co-Founder & COO