North Birmingham Times

When L’Tryce Slade was little, she always dreamed of being a mother.

But the road to motherhood was a long one, one that Slade never expected.

“When you are younger, you just assume it will be so easy to meet Mr. Right and have kids, but that’s not everybody’s story,” said Slade, owner of Slade Land Use, Environmental, and Transportation Planning LLC in Birmingham.

What is her story is that, at the age of 35, Slade started investigating what it would take to freeze her eggs and undergo IVF (in vitro fertilization.) She had to save money, and she did not start the egg retrieval process until she was 38.

She tried IVF four times. Twice she experienced a miscarriage, and two other times the procedure did not take. The doctor told Slade she didn’t think she should try IVF a fifth time.

It was a gut punch to Slade, who wondered, “Well, what’s wrong with me?”

Not to be deterred, Slade was determined to have a child. She looked into adoption or using a surrogate. The surrogate came through first, and the IVF for the surrogate was successful.

Slade’s son was born in June 2022, and now at the age of 46, Slade embraces her motherhood every second she can.

“For years, I called my different friends and wished them a Happy Mother’s Day,” she said. “I always prayed that God would allow me to have my own child one day. And He did.”

The whole process was new territory for Slade, who wants to encourage people to never give up on their dreams, no matter the loss and obstacles that develop along the way.

Happy Mother’s Day!

Original source can be found here