SAN ANTONIO – Unexplained infertility is a frustrating diagnosis. Everything seems to be fine medically, and the reason why a couple can't conceive is not clear.
It took a while, but Jessica Davila has found true happiness.
"He's special," she said, smiling at the thought of her son. "He's so special. We're so grateful for him."
Finding that happiness didn't happen immediately.
"I got married at 30, we tried for a couple years, and nothing happened. We did ovulation tests, I would ovulate and it was just not connecting so we sought help with treatment," Davila said.
The first diagnosis was "unexplained infertility." Her doctors couldn't figure out what was wrong until she enrolled in a study at UT Health San Antonio with Dr. Randal Robinson.
"That study was looking at patients with unexplained infertility but also had fibroids," Robinson said.
Turns out Davila had a fibroid, a non-cancerous mass, growing in her uterus. She's part of the 30 percent of women who get fibroids during their childbearing years.
"I never knew I could have a fibroid at this young age," she said.
The study was able to show fibroids that weren't pushing into the uterus, didn't need to be removed. Davila was able to go straight into infertility treatments, first trying injections that didn't work, and then moving onto in vitro.
After the first IVF round, Davila got pregnant.
"Me and my husband were overjoyed. We heard the heartbeat. We couldn't believe it. It finally happened. It worked!" she said.
She knows she was lucky to find success on the first IVF treatment, but believes without help, her son wouldn't exist. That's why she urges other couples dealing with unexplained infertility to get help.
"Go find out the answers, what could be wrong? Don't be ashamed. Be educated about it," she said.
She said the stress and struggle were absolutely worth it.
Davila did not have to have that fibroid removed and it didn't affect her baby's birth at all.
The said the timing of the UT Health San Antonio study worked out perfectly, because normally the treatment is very expensive. She said there may be other studies for struggling couples out there and urges them to check with the facility to see if they match needed credentials for any upcoming studies.
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