With our new life we decided that we wanted to start trying for a baby. We were very fortunate to fall pregnant the very first month of stopping contraception.
I still remember the day I took that home pregnancy test very clearly. It was 20th March 2011 and I only took the test to rule out pregnancy prior to Michael and I going on holiday. I was stunned when the second line appeared. It was very faint, so I woke Michael to take a look.
I made a last minute appointment with the first OB I could get an appointment with and we went to see him on Wednesday.
It was too early to see anything on the scan as I was only 5 weeks pregnant. We were able to rule an ectopic pregnancy out however, which reassured me ahead of our holiday.
The next time we saw the OB, at 7 weeks pregnant I was terrified of the scan. I was convinced that we could not be so lucky. I remember looking at the screen expecting to be told that there was nothing there, when Michael asked if the flickering was a heartbeat! And sure enough, it was confirmed that I was carrying a single pregnancy and the embryo had a heartbeat. I was over the moon.
We were making plans for our baby, due 23rd November.
A mere week later I told my Manager that I was expecting. I had just accepted a promotion prior to falling pregnant. He too was very happy for us.
The 12 week Down's screening test showed a low risk, so we were not worried. We were at this point seeing the OB every 4 weeks and at 15 weeks the baby was pronounced a little girl. I was confused for a little while, as I was convinced that I was carrying a little boy.
The anomaly scan came around and the sonographer exclaimed very early that "This baby is a boy!". I still remember Michael and I looking at each other in surprise. This scan too came back clear.
I was still very exhausted all the time and had difficulty sleeping. Added to this I started getting dizzy spells, which were uncomfortable and scared me. We had taken the decision that I would stop work, rather than take the 12 weeks of maternity leave.
The remainder of the pregnancy was rather uneventful with minimal problems until the 30 week mark, where my feet started swelling and my blood pressure started climbing slowly. There was nothing to worry about yet though and I tried to stay as active as possible.
I suffered from a lot of illness in the final weeks and was struggling with the large bump I was sporting at this point.
In the final weeks I saw the OB weekly to check on the baby's progress and to monitor his development closely. He measured big and was refusing to engage. With that I was also not starting to dilate.
My due date approached rapidly and there was no change in his move to be born.
Induction and c-section was touched on and we were going to decide what to do on 25th November.
The week of my due date my blood pressure started climbing further, I was very uncomfortable with tightenings and feet that were swollen like elephant stumps. I saw the OB on my due date and I was given the following options:
- Go for an inducton
- Go for a c-section
- Wait another week and see where we are at
The baby was still free floating, so we did not expect him to engage on his own accord. As he wasn't engaged, I refused induction, as I found the risk of it ending in a section too high and I was desperate for Michael to be present at the birth of his son.
After this appointment I transferred to the hospital the OB operates in, rather than the swanky expat hospital I had pre-registered at. I took the decision as the hospital was closer to home. This was the decision I would come to regret a lot.
I agreed to have the section on Friday 25th in the local hospital. I was excited and scared at the same time. I had a date to meet my baby, but it involved the dreaded surgery. I decided that it didn't matter how he was born, as long as he was healthy.
That Friday is now 7 weeks ago and it feels as if our baby boy has been with us for much longer than this. I have had time to recover from pregnancy, the happenings in hospital and start to find my feet as Charles' Mummy.
I am still struggling with the avalanche that was triggered by the decisions I took. However, that is destined for its own dedicated post.
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