Just a warning this may be super long.

Pregnancy journey and birth story.

I can’t believe I’m finally writing my birth story/pregnancy experience and not just reading one, I thought this day would never come!

We started trying in August 2014 ( Hubby was 25 I was 21). I used OPKs which showed I was ovulating but no results. After a while I decided it was time to go see a doc. In February 2017 I finally had the courage to see a specialist who diagnosed me with PCOS. So first step was to try Clomid and do <a href="https://glowing.com/glow-fertility-program">IUI</a>. I had 0 response to the meds even after increasing dosage. Then we tried femara, also 0 response. Fast forward to November 2017 we started <a href="https://glowing.com/glow-fertility-program">IVF</a>. I responded well and we got 17 eggs. 11 mature 9 fertilized 4 made it to day 5 we transferred 2 and froze 2. We got our POSITIVE!! It was the happiest day of my life i couldn’t believe we were finally pregnant! Hubby had already picked out boy name (Michael) before we were married. At 11 weeks we found out via blood test that we were indeed having a BOY. Few weeks later hubs decided we should go on a little vacation before baby boy arrived so we went on a cruise. At 16 weeks on March 8,2018 was the worst day we lost our son Michael. My world crashed I didn’t know how I could go on living. I couldn’t register in my mind what was happening and that I was no longer pregnant. I didn’t not have Any cramping or physical pain during my miscarriage and the doctors on board were totally useless. When we came back my fertility doc suspected I may have an incompetent cervix because of how my miscarriage happened. When I went to my OB she said it may be an IC or maybe “nature just took its course “ because maybe something was wrong with the baby.

After few month of recovery we decided to proceed with the FET. We got on the schedule and the next available transfer was June 2018. Both of our embryos made it through thawing. Once again we were blessed and got our positive!!! Beyond happy but even more nervous. EDD March 6,2019. Everything was going great. Hcg was rising, u/s confirmed 1 baby and we got to see the beautiful heartbeat flickering for 1st time at about 7 weeks. On the way home we were standing at a traffic light and were rear ended, 4 vehicle car accident. Thankfully everyone was ok. At 9 weeks I started brown spotting, called fertility doc they said to monitor it becuz sometimes brown spotting can be normal from uterus stretching. I took it easy for next couple days. While out to dinner with girls later that week I started spotting red decided to go to ER where they found a subchorionic hemorrhage. At that point I thought once again it was over and prepared myself for the worst. Few weeks later went for follow up and it got bigger I felt like I couldn’t get attached to this pregnancy because it may be over soon. I ended up switching to a new OB doctor after feeling like my concerns weren’t addressed and some of the staff gave attitude when asked something simple just didn’t feel like it’s the right place for me. After switching to new doc he referred me to a maternal fetal medicine to see what they would recommend about placing a cerclage and by that time my SCH had cleared up 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 at 14 weeks I got my cerclage. I took it day by day! I felt like I couldn’t completely relax until I passed the 16 week mark even then I would count day by day to next milestone.

Anatomy scan confirmed it was a BOY again! We were so excited!!! Everything was looking healthy, thank God. Then, I failed my 1 hr and 3hr glucose test so at 28 weeks I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes so had to monitor my sugars and watch my carbs. Once again I was referred to MFM and they monitored me as well. Went for NST and fluid checks twice a week and my OB decided it would be best to induce me and not let me go past my due date.

Induction was February 28th 7am at 39w1d. I was already 2cm dilated when I came in and they started pitocin. Things were progressing slowly. At 9pm I was 5cm dilated and they broke my water, contractions started being closer together and I decided to go ahead with the epidural. I had so little energy since I couldn’t eat and when they turned off the pitocin and allowed me to eat I was so limited on choices since they had to monitor my sugar levels. So during that whole day and night all I had was broth, jello and apple juices I had no strength! At 5 am I was finally 10cm but he hasn’t dropped low enough so we were trying to move things along and get him where he needs to be by switch positions. Then the nurse checks and says baby is very low however his head is “tilted” to the side she explained it as “a key sideways trying to fit into a lock”. She calls the midwife and we start pushing. They don’t see as much progress as they would like once again. Then doc on call from the practice comes in and helps turn the head a little bit and i try pushing again. After a while and what felt like hours our little boy came out! I started crying tears of joy because I couldn’t believe he was finally here! I felt like the everything froze and it was just me my husband and our son. After cleaning him up measuring they placed him on my chest while sewing me up as I got a 4th degree tear and I couldn’t stop looking at our son and couldn’t crying from joy that this long awaited moment was here. We finally welcomed our rainbow baby!

While in recovery I was having a lot more bleeding than they wanted to see so they kept checking for a little while and finally called the doctor. It ended up being a huge clot that he took out and OMG the pain was unbearable I was screaming from pain when they were looking around down there to see where bleeding was coming from. As soon As it was over all I wanted to do was hold my baby that’s what made the pain go away.

The next day they notice my bp has been getting high and they decide to run tests for postpartum pre-eclampsia and had to get a catheter again (ouch) thankfully no pre-e but have to stay on meds for little while. After getting bp under control we were allowed to go home March 3rd.

Long story short as I sit here holding my son and type up my experience I can’t believe how strong our little guy is! He has been through so much already and I couldn’t be more proud of him for being such a strong little one. It was such a tough road to finally get here but with Gods help, prayers, my amazing doctors, family support and husbands support we made it and I couldn’t be happier! I will FOREVER be beyond grateful for our sweet boy and his angel brother in heaven.

What also helped me get through it all was deff this app and you ladies sharing your stories and helping me feel like I wasn’t alone so thank YOU!!!!

And I also saw a quote on here once and it stuck in my mind it was something along the lines that “the only people who don’t become parents are those that give up” so I just want to say don’t give up it gets very hard and at times you feel like your world has crashed but you will recover and you will come out stronger. Baby dust to all of you trying and those who already welcomed your little once’s keep up the amazing work you do. You are all amazing. 💕💕💕💕💕

Our son Sylvester

Joined us on March 1, 2019 at 9:31 AM 8.0 lbs 21 in.

Mommy and daddy are over beyond happy.

Thank you so much for reading. 💙💙💙