Erika is the Head of Web & Content Strategy for Invitae Corp., a leading medical genetics company. Having a fertility and family-building benefit was part of Erika’s selection criteria for a new employer during her job search. While she was thankful that she had access to resources and clinical care through Carrot from the get-go, she had no idea that the benefit would play such an important role in her pregnancy journey. Today, Erika and her husband — who was her high school sweetheart — are the proud parents of a nine-month-old child, and Erika continues to use Carrot for parenting support. We sat down with her to learn more about her experience.
How did you first hear about Carrot, and what led you to take advantage of the benefit?
My husband and I have been together for 20 years. We always knew we wanted children, but we weren’t in a rush to begin growing our family. It wasn’t until we hit our 30s that we began our fertility journey, starting with genetic testing and general health screenings. Based on the test results and our respective medical histories, we didn’t anticipate having any issues getting pregnant.
Around the time we began thinking more seriously about having children, I started working for Invitae, which offers Carrot as a benefit. Working in the San Francisco Bay Area where there are many industry-leading companies with great benefits, I knew that fertility benefits were increasingly common. That became one of the primary things I was looking for during my job search — and I’m so glad that I did. After a year of trying to get pregnant, we still hadn’t been successful. I learned that I had two reproductive conditions (endometriosis and polycystic ovary syndrome, or PCOS) that were making getting pregnant challenging for us. I was eventually given an infertility diagnosis, and after going through the healthcare system, my husband and I decided that we needed additional support and guidance. Thankfully, I had Carrot, so I could easily create an account and start taking advantage of services and support immediately.
What are some other aspects of the benefit that you took advantage of?
We took advantage of the Carrot Card, Carrot Rx, and the reimbursement service — to cover medical consultations, testing for both of us, ovarian stimulation medications for me, and intrauterine insemination (IUI) procedures (we went through two cycles, and both were completely covered). My husband is a clinician who works for a healthcare system that doesn’t offer Carrot. Fortunately, because Carrot recognizes that fertility is very much a family journey, his semen analysis was covered by my Carrot benefits. Identifying providers who were in the Carrot network was so simple, and using my Carrot Card at our appointments was seamless.
When we started this journey, we didn’t realize tapping into Carrot would provide so much more than a financial safety net. From the provider network, to the benefits guide, to virtual events, to the care navigation team, and the postpartum experts, I was so grateful for it all.
Did you have the outcome that you and your husband hoped for?
Yes! We achieved a successful pregnancy following our second IUI cycle. We have a beautiful, nine-month-old baby boy. And I’m continuing to lean into my Carrot benefit today by attending virtual events focused on parenting tips. When we try for our second child, or if I need another fertility-related medical procedure, I will most definitely use Carrot.
