Teresal's Pregnancy Story
My Pregnancy Story:
After two rounds of IVF using Donor sperm we had finally got our positive result, overjoyed does not even begin to describe how we were feeling.
/Teresal's Story My IVF story can be found here
Bringing a child into the world is one of the most rewarding things you will ever do. It could also be one of the most life changing experiences you will ever have. Throughout your pregnancy you will go through all sorts of physical and emotional changes as you and your body prepare for the arrival of your little bundle of joy. It is a magical time.
On the 12th November 2009 we had three embryos transferred (graded “8C3-3, 8C3-2 and 6C3-2”) and were basically told not to get our hopes up as these embryos where not the best and a bit “grainy” (whatever that meant), anyway we proved them wrong when we tested at home with the good old Clear Blue Digital Pregnancy test on the 23rd November 2009, we could not believe what we were seeing, yes it really said pregnant, after the initial tears of joy the shock settled in and the reality was the we could actually have anything from one child to three (or six after some wise person indicated that they could divide) inside me.
We travelled to our clinic on the 26th November 2009 to get a blood test done and then had to come home and await the phone call, even though we had done the test ourselves we now had the awful dread that it wasn’t correct and that the clinic would phone and say sorry it’s a negative, god how that day dragged, at 3.06pm the phone rang and they confirmed that we had a positive and it was a good strong result.
We had to then wait (again) another three weeks for my scan, which would make me 7 weeks exactly, every day was a drag but a day closer to the scan.
The 17th December 2009 eventually came, we were extremely nervous on that drive to the clinic that morning, I felt so sick with worry.
We were taken into the scan room where I was given an internal scan, after the sonographer had a good look she pointed to a little blob and said there it is and there is only the one, relief to see my blob and even more that there was only the one, the smile on our faces was unreal, she then hit a button and the sound was amazing thump thump thump, there that’s your baby you can hear, I’m afraid that’s when I totally lost it and the tears came and they came hard, I was sobbing with such joy, I wanted to hear that sound every minute of every day until he/she arrived, unfortunately that wasn’t going to be the case and we were given a picture and lots if congratulations and sent on our way.
The day after the scan I had made an appointment to see my GP to get it made all official, she was so pleased for us (and probably glad that she was eventually seeing the back of me) and she made the arrangements to contact the midwife for our booking in appointment.
My midwife visited the house on the 30th December 2009 to do our booking in appointment, lots of paperwork to fill in; Chris and I had decided to let them know that we had used donor sperm so that they would know that any medical conditions in the future could not be related to him.
The 5th January 2010 we had our next scan, I was then 10 weeks pregnant, no morning sickness, in fact apart from the cold I felt fine, no symptoms at all of being pregnant, the scan was great and we could now see that now it wasn’t just a blob it was in fact a baby (maybe more like a tadpole), all fine with baby, measurements where spot on, since I was very nervous with this pregnancy the midwife arranged another scan in four weeks.
The weeks passed slowly, I had started to have regular nosebleeds and I was a bit concerned, I spoke to my midwife who reassured that this is quite common in early pregnancy due to something with the placenta pumping the blood but she did suggest seeing my GP to get some blood taken to rule out that I wasn’t becoming anaemic. I was also given the swine flu injection this week.
The 2nd February eventually arrived and off we went for another scan, yet again I was full of cold but otherwise all was fine, the nosebleeds had eased off and thankfully I wasn’t anaemic. Scan went fine; baby definitely a baby now and continued to measure fine.
On week sixteen I had more bloods taken to check for Downs Syndrome, Spina Bifida and Williams Syndrome, quite nervous about this due to my age (41), I also heard the heartbeat, this sound will always be the best sound in the world and looking back I wish that I had taped it as a momento for the future.
Week seventeen (23rd February 2010) our blood results came back and we are high risk for Downs Syndrome, the national average is 1-88 and we were 1-119 this is considered high risk and we have been scheduled for another scan tomorrow and to discuss options with our consultant.
24th February 2010, dreaded scan day, after a sleepless night we arrived at the hospital very scared, the scan went well and our consultant could not see any visible signs of Downs Syndrome. We had already made the decision before we arrived that we wouldn’t have the amniocentesis done as the risk of miscarriage is 1-100 and even if the result was positive for Downs Syndrome then we would never terminate anyway so what was the point in risking a miscarriage.
24th March 2010, detailed scan day, this was the one where we would get good pictures of our baby, very excited at this prospect. This scan was really good until the sonographer said that she thought she could see a problem with the kidneys (a condition called Antenatal Detected Renal Pyelectasis), we were taken into a room to await the consultant, he explained that there could be another reason that the kidneys didn’t look quite right and that could be that baby was either due to have a wee or in the process of doing a wee, we are to be scanned again at 34 weeks (seems such a long time away, I mean 14 weeks that’s a lifetime isn’t it).
At 22 weeks I was having a lot of pain in my left side and across the top of my tummy, phoned the midwife and was sent to the maternity assessment unit to get checked over, baby was fine, heart beating away quite happily (140bpm), the pain is probably caused by muscles stretching and possibly me carrying hoover upstairs and hovering the whole house opps.
Week 23, yet more drama here, I have a urine infection and have been feeling absolutely rubbish, I am exhausted with having to constantly go to the toilet, not been given antibiotics but have to drink loads to flush it out.
Week 24, whhhhoooopppppy I have at last felt this baby move, very gentle and a weird sensation but defiantly movements, a bit like butterflies and some popping bubbles. I am so happy.
Week 26, Chris has finally felt the baby kick, this baby is a tinker, it could be doing a dance in there but as soon as Chris puts his hand on my belly it would just stop, quite funny but very nice for him to actually feel it at last.
Week 34, the dreaded scan to see how the baby’s kidneys are now, in fact I haven’t really thought much about it for a while, been far too busy decorating the nursery and buying equipment and clothes. The scan was however brilliant, there was no evidence of anything being wrong with the kidneys, we are very happy parents indeed, was lovely to see baby again.
Week 37, after my midwife check they now thing baby is breech, however the following day whilst drinking a cup of tea there was a huge movement in my belly (actually felt sick) and baby has definitely turned.
Week 38, scan with consultant; baby is definitely head down, not engaged but down, that’s heading the right way for me.
Week 40, my actual due date 2nd August 2010, seen my consultant today and he has decided that I am very low in amniotic fluid and wants me induced on the 4th August 2010.
This story continues in my birth story [[1]], I hope I haven’t bored you to death reading this.
