Amanda and Justin were introduced by his mom nearly seven years ago. She asked Amanda if she had a boyfriend, which she did. His mom said well that’s unfortunate because I think you should marry my oldest son Justin. A few months later, after Amanda had gone through a break up, they were introduced and have been inseparable since.
Within a few months of dating, they knew that they wanted to spend their lives together and start a family. Since they were in their 30’s, Amanda consulted her OB. They did a few rounds of initial treatment and then were referred to the Institute for Reproductive Health for a consult. Amanda was diagnosed with PCOS and Justin was determined to have some mild motility issues. A few months later, Justin proposed and they put treatment on hold until after their wedding.
They were married in May of 2014 and started treatment in June. After eight IUI cycles, they moved onto to IVF in 2015. During their fresh cycle of IVF, an underlying issue was discovered that explained their previous failed cycles. During the IVF process, there was zero fertilization. The doctor explained to them that was likely why they hadn’t been successful. The lab performed rescue ICSI and successfully had several embryos result. Two were transferred and four were frozen. They ultimately conceived when their last two frozen embryos were transferred and in 2016, they welcomed a perfect baby girl.
Growing up, both Amanda and Justin were the oldest of a number of siblings and they are close with them. Amanda has four sisters and Justin has two brothers. Their dream is for their daughter to get to experience a similar upbringing with a sibling. They enjoy life as a family in Cincinnati, you are very likely to find them at the zoo with their daughter on nice days, watching Cincinnati sports with family, or having play dates with friends. They recently purchased their first home as a family and the Parental Hope Family Grant can help make an otherwise out of touch dream a possibility.
***Update: Amanda & Justin welcomed Elliot Josephine and Brighton Rose on September 17, 2019.