Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. Shannon M. Clark.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Dr. Clark. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
“I am a double board certified Obstetrician and Gynecologist and Maternal-Fetal Medicine Specialist focusing on the care of women with either maternal or fetal complications during pregnancy. During my first year of residency, I realized my passion for taking care of women with high-risk pregnancies and subsequently pursued a fellowship in Maternal-Fetal Medicine (MFM) and Masters in Medical Science at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, TX, where I am an Associate Professor with roles as a clinician, researcher, and educator.
More recently, I took a special interest in pregnancy after the age of 35, which according to age alone, is considered a high-risk pregnancy. I was inspired not only by the experiences of friends and patients, but also by my own personal experience of trying to start a family after the age of 40.
Dedicated to my education, training, and career for 15+ years, I married at the age of 39 and started trying to have a family of my own at age 40. I found a whole new respect for the challenges and complications a woman may experience when trying to have a baby later in life. More and more women are delaying child-bearing until after age 35 for various reasons, which has allowed this population to represent a growing number of women becoming pregnant. As a result, I started my website which is dedicated to fertility, pregnancy, and motherhood after age 35.
After 5 failed rounds of IVF, I become pregnant with twins via egg donor. I spent two months on hospital bedrest in the very same unit where I work due to pregnancy complications and delivered Remy Vaughn and Sydney Reneé at 31 weeks. They spent 5 and 6 weeks in the NICU, respectively. They will be two on September 26 and are doing beautifully. In the end, I experienced many of the same things that the women I take care of experience in their pregnancies, which has given me a whole new appreciation for and insight into what I do on a daily basis.
I have chosen to be very transparent about my fertility challenges and the potential consequences of delaying child-bearing. I have written about my experiences from both a professional and personal perspective in The Washington Post, The Huffington Post, Glamour Magazine, and many other media and news outlets. I am currently a blogger for Houston Moms Blog where I continue to educate on pregnancy-related topics, as well as share my own personal experiences with being a first-time mom after age 40. My goal is to use my professional expertise and personal experiences to educate women who anticipate delaying child-bearing on their options for their future fertility and the potential problems they may encounter.”
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