In Johns Creek, Georgia, 33-year-old Leslie Glass and her husband, Heath, have three children. Five-year-old Garrett was conceived naturally, while twins Bella and Maddie were born after in vitro fertilization (IVF). After Leslie experienced several ectopic pregnancies, doctors advised the couple not to try conceiving naturally again. They chose IVF and spent $22,000 on three cycles, hoping it would be their final opportunity to have more children. Two embryos were ultimately transferred, and both implanted successfully. Bella and Maddie will turn 3 in June.
Leslie shared her experience in an interview.
“I did hope for twins because IVF was so expensive, and I knew this might be our last chance. We did not go in saying we wanted twins. We said we could not conceive naturally, needed help, and this was our only path. Twins would be a bonus. Whether we had twins or one child, it would cost $22,000. If this was our last chance, we wanted to complete our family.”
“I do not think you can put a price on a family. I feel fortunate to have my children, and I become emotional whenever I think about it. The difficulty is that treatment is so expensive. Adoption is another option, but it is expensive too.”
“IVF does not guarantee success. You could spend hundreds of thousands of dollars. I know a woman who tried many times and spent $100,000 before ultimately having one child.”
“What price can you put on it? None. However much debt you take on, having a child created by you and your husband and carried in your body is priceless.”
Before IVF, the Glasses were required to receive fertility counseling.
“You have to make all kinds of decisions, such as who would receive the embryos after a divorce and how we would manage twins in addition to one child. You go through all of that, and I think their process was very thorough.”
Leslie spent six weeks on bed rest while pregnant with the twins. She described their first year as “very, very difficult,” partly because Garrett was only 2. When she went out, she often heard people say they wished they had twins.
“I often hear people say, ‘I wish I had twins; I wish I could have twins.’ Be careful what you wish for. It is not easy. You would not change it, but it is definitely no joke.”
“Although that first year was hard, it was completely worthwhile. What are one or two difficult years in a lifetime? I will probably have another difficult year or two when they become teenagers.”
Guide | IVF: Leslie Glass's Twin Story
Guide | IVF: Leslie Glass's Twin Story
In Johns Creek, Georgia, 33-year-old Leslie Glass and her husband, Heath, have three children. Five-year-old Garrett was conceived naturally, while twins Bella and Maddie were born after in vitro fertilization (IVF). After Leslie experienced several ectopic pregnancies, doctors advised the couple not to try conceiving naturally again. They chose IVF and spent $22,000 on three cycles, hoping it would be their final opportunity to have more children. Two embryos were ultimately transferred, and both implanted successfully. Bella and Maddie will turn 3 in June.
Leslie shared her experience in an interview.
“I did hope for twins because IVF was so expensive, and I knew this might be our last chance. We did not go in saying we wanted twins. We said we could not conceive naturally, needed help, and this was our only path. Twins would be a bonus. Whether we had twins or one child, it would cost $22,000. If this was our last chance, we wanted to complete our family.”
“I do not think you can put a price on a family. I feel fortunate to have my children, and I become emotional whenever I think about it. The difficulty is that treatment is so expensive. Adoption is another option, but it is expensive too.”
“IVF does not guarantee success. You could spend hundreds of thousands of dollars. I know a woman who tried many times and spent $100,000 before ultimately having one child.”
“What price can you put on it? None. However much debt you take on, having a child created by you and your husband and carried in your body is priceless.”
Before IVF, the Glasses were required to receive fertility counseling.
“You have to make all kinds of decisions, such as who would receive the embryos after a divorce and how we would manage twins in addition to one child. You go through all of that, and I think their process was very thorough.”
Leslie spent six weeks on bed rest while pregnant with the twins. She described their first year as “very, very difficult,” partly because Garrett was only 2. When she went out, she often heard people say they wished they had twins.
“I often hear people say, ‘I wish I had twins; I wish I could have twins.’ Be careful what you wish for. It is not easy. You would not change it, but it is definitely no joke.”
“Although that first year was hard, it was completely worthwhile. What are one or two difficult years in a lifetime? I will probably have another difficult year or two when they become teenagers.”
Source:
Collected online