Expect the unexpected with unexplained infertility
When it comes to unexplained infertility, the best advice Leslie can give Park Avenue Fertility and Reproductive Medicine patients is to expect the unexpected. Thanks to successful IVF treatment in Connecticut at Park Avenue Fertility, Leslie and her husband, Jason, welcomed two boys into their family. Much to their surprise, in January 2025 – six months after their second son was born – Leslie and Jason achieved a natural pregnancy after IVF.
“My first test was positive, but very light,” recalled Leslie, who was 39 at the time. “I took another one the next morning, and to my shock, it was bright blue.”
Overcoming unexplained infertility with IVF treatment in Connecticut
Leslie’s journey with Park Avenue Fertility began in the fall of 2020, while she was in her mid-30s. She had experienced a miscarriage six months prior and was struggling to conceive again. A friend urged her not to wait any longer, so she met with fertility expert Dr. Andrew Levi.
After their fertility evaluation didn’t reveal a cause of infertility, Leslie and Jason received a diagnosis of unexplained infertility. How common is unexplained infertility? Leslie and Jason are far from alone. Of couples experiencing infertility, up to 30% are diagnosed with infertility that is unexplained, meaning that no cause can be identified through fertility testing.
The couple underwent two rounds of IUI, one of which ended in miscarriage. Their path of perseverance led them to IVF treatment in Connecticut, where Andrew Levi MD treated Leslie as a patient, not just a diagnosis.
“I knew other women going through infertility who hardly knew their doctor,” Leslie explained. “My experience was personal. I loved knowing my doctor, the person drawing my blood, the embryologist. Everyone was amazing.”
After the egg retrieval, Leslie and Jason opted for intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) to inject a single sperm directly into each egg to fertilize it. The couple had one available embryo for transfer. Much to their joy, the transfer was a success, and they delightedly welcomed James in spring 2022. Their second son, Jake, was born in July 2024, also with the help of IVF.
The couple planned to reach out to Dr. Levi in the summer of 2025 to discuss expanding their family, never guessing that a natural pregnancy after IVF would come first.
The surprise of a natural pregnancy after IVF
After learning about this pregnancy, Leslie hesitated to see her OBGYN. Because she had experienced multiple miscarriages, months of prescheduled appointments felt daunting.
“Once you’ve been through pregnancy loss, you wonder if you need all those future appointments,” Leslie explained. “Making them, then canceling them, and being reminded of that is terrible.”
But the couple navigated those initial appointments and beyond. Their third son, Johnny, was born in October 2025.
When thinking back on her fertility journey, which took her from a place of unexplained infertility to being a mother of three boys, Leslie has learned to not just expect the unexpected, but to embrace it.
“Sometimes it’s a little insane, but we are so happy for the unpredictability of it all,” Leslie says.