We built our family through adoption, embryo adoption, a miracle baby, and a planned pregnancy. We wouldn't want it any other way.
- Cam and Becca Sanford were told they could never have a baby by natural means.
- They created a family via adoption, an embryo adoption, a surprise pregnancy, and a planned one.
My husband, Cam, and I were high-school sweethearts. We talked about having a large family long before our wedding in 2008, when we were 19 and 20.
But after two years of disappointment, we saw a specialist. Everything came back normal. In 2013, after a final round of tests, we were categorized as having "unexplained infertility."
All the time, well-meaning people asked how long we were going to wait to have kids. Friends told us they'd got pregnant without even trying. I'd put on a brave face and then go home and cry. We knew that we desperately wanted a family. The way that it happened didn't matter to us.
We skipped IVF and were open to adoption
Our doctor was willing to try in vitro fertilization, but since the cause of the infertility was unknown, he wasn't sure it was worth the money. We skipped this option, as we were keen to adopt a child. We didn't care about the baby's gender, race, or any issues concerning the biological parents.
Rustin, now 7, came into our lives in September 2014 after his birth mom picked Cam and me as his adoptive parents. It was a beautiful moment when we held him for the first time. He was only 12 hours old.
We adopted an embryo
We figured that Rustin would be our only child. But in 2016, we heard about the National Embryo Donation Center, a nonprofit in Knoxville, Tennessee, that stores frozen embryos that are no longer needed by people who've had IVF. They're donated by parents who want to give their remaining embryos to others.
I'd always wanted to give birth. Rustin is part Hispanic, so we decided to transfer three embryos of similar heritage. Trey, now 3, was the one who developed.
My pregnancy was rough. I suffered from hyperemesis gravidarum — a condition also known as HG that causes all-day morning sickness for the full nine months, severe dehydration, and, in my case, dramatic weight loss.
But it was worth it. Trey was born in October 2018. We call him our "snowflake baby" since he was kept "on ice" for many years.
Our 3rd son was a miracle baby
But there was a surprise in store. In August 2019, less than a year after Trey's birth, I realized my period was late — for the first time.
I took a pregnancy test and was shocked to see it was positive. It was a miracle. We never thought in a million years that we'd be able to conceive naturally.
Cam's 32nd birthday was coming up. So I drove to the place where he works as a firefighter and paramedic and told him I had an early gift for him. He loves the Green Bay Packers, so I wrapped up a mini football with the pregnancy test taped to it.
He tore open the packaging and saw the wand. He took one look at the result and said: "You're kidding me, right?" I said: "No, I'm not!" He hugged me with joy.
Our third son, Beau, was born in March 2020. His birth followed another difficult pregnancy plagued by HG. But I put it behind me the moment he arrived.
Afterward, thinking that we had enough on our hands with three energetic boys, Cam and I booked an appointment to have my tubes tied. But we canceled two weeks before the procedure. We thought: "We've done this before. Let's give it another try." To our delight, we got pregnant that same month.
Unlike Beau, our daughter, Baylie, was carefully planned. I was hospitalized with HG like before, but she was safely delivered in February. Her brothers adore their baby sister, who's now 2 months old.
Our kids joined our family in four different ways — a regular adoption, an embryo adoption, a surprise pregnancy, and a planned conception. We love and cherish them equally.
It's been some journey to get where we are. But Cam and I wouldn't change a single part of it.