Our rainbow is turning ONE

In a few days, our rainbow is turning ONE. Amidst the busy preparations that I am currently doing, I thought about this blog and when I will publish this. I actually started to write since our first IVF in May 2013 in order to document the procedure. While undergoing IVF, I do not have any peer support. And to be honest, the doctors' schedule is always busy that I can't even obtain proper answers to my questions or assurance to my worries. The internet is my bestfriend as I would usually conduct my research here. I found helpful information on other people's IVF experiences by reading their blogs or going through community message boards. Finding people with the same experiences as ours (some of them even worse!) who are now parents to rainbow babies-- gave us a lot of encouragement. In the same way, I am hoping that this blog will reach all the couples who are currently struggling to have a baby.. who are at the brink of giving up! Our story is a testimony that there is hope. There is always a beautiful and bright RAINBOW after the storm, just BELIEVE!



But prayers are more powerful with ACTION. In our case, the removal of both my fallopian tubes has left me incapable of conceiving naturally. Therefore, I need to take an action and undergo IVF in order to have a biological child. After conceiving (on IVF #2) and experiencing a miscarriage (at 17 weeks), we knew that we need to take more precautionary measures in order to achieve a healthy pregnancy and deliver a healthy baby. Therefore, after getting pregnant again (on IVF#4), I had a cervical cerclage (they put a stitch on my cervix to prevent it from opening prematurely) and I took a lot of medicines including a daily injection of Clexane until 36 weeks! I was also on modified bed rest throughout the pregnancy, leaving the house only for hospital check-ups.

All these efforts and "pricks" paid off the moment our baby is born. He was born a few days after my cerclage was removed, just before my 38th week. He is a healthy baby boy, a wonderful creation of God!



And now, our baby is almost ONE year old! He is our source of inspiration and happiness.. our Rainbow and God's gift!

Finally, our RAINBOW is born

It was exactly 37w4d and 3 days after the removal of my cerclage when our baby was born. I actually have a scheduled appointment at 1pm. However, when I woke up my mucus plug was expelled together with some fresh blood. I waited for some time to observe if more blood will come out. I have experienced some spotting ever since the removal of my cerclage. But today, there was a significant increase in blood discharge. Though I am not feeling any pain at the moment. I also tried to check my baby's movements. He was very active during the night. That morning however, I cannot feel his movements.. Perhaps he is just sleeping. I called my husband. He just arrived at the office but he immediately went home to check on me.

Around 8am, we decided to go to the hospital. We went to the emergency area. They admitted me right away and called for my doctor. I was transferred to the delivery room. I changed into the hospital gown and they put the CTG on me to monitor my baby. My baby is okay.

My doctor came and checked the status of my cervix. I was 2 cm dilated. She said that labor has started. I was given a medicine to encourage active labor. In the initial hours, I was not feeling any pain. But after 2 or 3 hours, I started to feel more contractions, though the pain is still bearable. I want to eat but was afraid of taking food as I thought I might be taken to the operating room for emergency CS. I just took sips of water but have only taken a very light breakfast. After 4 hours, the pain started to get more intense. The nurses are checking on me from time to time. Whenever I say that I am in pain, they will reply back that "pain is good." There is a "laughing gas" beside my bed and the nurse told me to use it if the contraction is unbearable anymore. I started to inhale it when I can't tolerate the pain any longer. But the nurse told me to limit my usage because it won't be effective anymore. She saw me practically inhaling it without pause!

After 5 hours, the pain was too much that I started to tell my husband that I feel like dying! My husband was beside me all throughout. He was holding my hands and asks me to be strong.. that our mothers have endured the pain so I too can handle it. But he also asked the nurses to tell my doctor if I could have a CS. However, my doctor is determined that I can give birth by normal delivery.

Six hours later, I was crying in pain (but no tears came out)! Again, my husband begged for CS delivery because he too can't see me in so much pain. The nurses were also worried about me after learning my previous pregnancy losses. They, too, were trying to convince my doctor that perhaps it would be better for me to have the CS delivery. My doctor was in her clinic (in the other floor) during my labor and they are just calling her phone to update her of my status.

After some time, the midwife / head nurse came and tried to calm us down. She assured us that the pain will be over soon. She was preparing the things needed for my delivery when all of a sudden I felt the pain beyond I can imagine. It was just unbearable that I shouted my cries! And I think that was the indication that my baby is already coming out. The midwife instructed me to hold on and don't push. I tried to follow but there's really a very strong urge to push to relieve the pain. It was like involuntary! Immediately, my doctor arrived. She instructed me to breath and then push with my mouth closed. On her cue, I pushed with all my might. I can't remember how many minutes passed but I think it wasn't long when I felt that I have ejected my baby's head already. And then after several more pushes, my baby was out into the world! All the pain was immediately replaced by pure bliss as soon as I felt my baby's warmth when my doctor placed him on my belly. I remember saying "Thank you Lord" over and over again. I caught sight of the new Daddy and it was the first time that I have seen him cry.. of course it was tears of joy! Dr. Mary told me that it was the first time that she has seen my husband worry-free and so happy.

Removal of cervical cerclage

At week 37, my cerclage was removed. I had a day surgery only and was released in the evening. I was under general anesthesia so I didn't feel anything. The procedure took around 30 minutes (from the time i was awake). I had some bleeding afterwards and it was a bit painful when I'm urinating.

Like the usual surgery under general anesthesia, I was asked to fast for at least 8 hours-- no food and drinks after 12mn. We went to the hospital at 7am and was immediately prepared for the procedure. They gave me dextrose and have given me the ampicillin skin test injection. They also checked my baby's status via CTG. My baby has been actively moving since last night. But during the CTG, he's not moving so well so they have to repeat it. Therefore, my surgery was delayed from 10:15am to 11:30am.

After the procedure, my doctor instructed that I can only pass urine and eat my lunch after 2 hours. I was so hungry and want so much to pee. Finally, I was given a bed pan to relieve my urine. My baby has been active since after the surgery. Probably because he wants me to eat. I had some bleeding (bright red every time I urinate. The doctor said that it is normal because of the stitch removal. If it becomes heavier, then i need to be back to the hospital immediately. She also told me to be back should I feel that my baby is not moving, if my water breaks or if I have frequent contractions or severe cramping. Otherwise, we'll have to wait for labor to come. My follow up appointment is after 3 days. She will also be monitoring me twice a week to be sure that my baby is doing well.

Third trimester

Week 28
Finally, we have reached the third trimester! I had an ultrasound scan at 28 weeks. My baby is healthy. However, the abdominal circumference (AC), which indicates fetal weight, is a bit off (by 1 week) so the doctor told me to take 3 egg whites a day in order to boost my protein intake. By the way, I started to feel my baby while having hiccups. He's so cute! I can feel the rhythmic pulse of his hiccups. He's getting more active everyday. He's actually more active during the night.

Week 31
I had a detailed ultrasound scan at 31 weeks. My baby is healthy, heartbeat is normal, heart is normal, and blood flow is normal. The AC is still off by 1 week so I need to continue taking 3 egg whites a day. The radiologist said that my baby's AC is not alarming and that some babies will measure a bit late or a bit advanced. When I saw my doctor, she said that everything is okay but not completely fine. She said that in my case, from the start, nothing is normal. So she needs to monitor me closely in order to know the right diagnosis for my case. I will be subjected to more ultrasound and doppler scans before every appointment. She also asked me to take the GTT (glucose tolerance test), just to rule out diabetes.

I asked her about my birth plan. She said that at this point, she cannot say anything yet. But we will still strive for a normal delivery. However, if things don't go smoothly, I need to be prepared to take CS delivery. By the way, during the detailed scan, we asked the radiologist to check our baby's gender again. She confirmed that we are having a baby boy!

At 31 weeks, I started to have frequent leg cramps, acid reflux, more discharge, baby hiccups, stronger kicks, and stretch marks. My baby bump is getting bigger and I am becoming larger! I can feel my bump getting heavier now. I take extra careful when walking especially while taking a bath. I am actually sitting in a chair while in the shower!

By the way, my parents left but my mother-in-law came and stayed with us. My parents will be back before my due date. I was still on modified bed rest and just staying at home. I found a new hobby to get me through my everyday mundane life-- making my baby some crochet clothes (mittens, hats, and shoes). I learned the basics of crocheting when I was in school. I found some video tutorials from YouTube and modified some patterns to suit my preference. I was getting more and more excited while doing the crafts and imagining how my baby would look like wearing them!

Week 33
I was back in the hospital at 33 weeks. I had a detailed ultrasound with doppler. All is fine. Baby is healthy. AC is still behind by a week as well as the femur length. But the head is ahead by a week. I also have placental calcification which shouldn't be present till around 36 weeks! It just means that my placenta is maturing earlier than it should which may affect the supply of blood at oxygen especially when the patient is diabetic or has high blood pressure. The doctor is not so alarmed but said that I just needed to be monitored closely. He told me to stop taking Aspirin after a week. My next appointment is after 2 weeks.

Week 35
My doctor is back from her emergency leave. She saw the ultrasound result during my last check-up (at 33 weeks) and said that baby is okay but the placenta might not support the baby till due date. I need to be closely monitored twice a week and do a regular CTG and ultrasound. Aspirin and Clexane injection will be stopped by next week; while Cyclogest suppository will be stopped by 37th  week. My cerclage will be removed at 37th week.

I had my first CTG today. They attached a device to detect my baby's heartbeat. I was given a button that i need to press every time i feel my baby move. We went back to Dr. Mary after. She said that my CTG result is good; my baby is doing fine. By the way, I am having trouble sleeping since after the New Year. I don't know if it's just because of excitement. I feel like a zombie!

Week 36
Yey! I finally graduated from my daily Clexane injections and Aspirin! Right now, I'm just taking my prenatal vitamins, calcium, and progesterone suppositories. My check up yesterday is good. My CTG is good; baby is doing fine. I just got stalled a bit in the CTG room because my baby is not moving initially so I have to drink water and change positions first before we achieved the right amount of fetal movements. My husband asked our doctor if we could have an elective CS because he is worried that there may be a problem after I stop Clexane and Aspirin and when my cerclage is removed. But the doctor said that we need not worry because she is monitoring me closely. She said that after the removal of my cerclage, she will keep me in the hospital for at least a day so she could monitor my baby. Her aim is to at least keep our baby brewing for 38 weeks. Then she will decide what will happen next, depending of what our status is. So just hang in there baby! 2 weeks is just around the corner!

Yay! I'm getting more and more excited! I already arranged our hospital bags (one for the baby, and one for me). I've also almost completed my checklist and just waiting for a few items to be delivered. My eldest sister has pledged the stroller for my baby. We'll buy it together with the car seat. I asked my other sister to buy for me some of the baby products that I cannot find in here. She also gave me my baby bags. I received a lot of pre-loved clothes from my dear friend in Oz and from my sister-in-law. So we only bought a few sets of newborn clothes.

I can feel that my baby has started to descend. I can feel his movements in my pelvic floor. He's usually very active around 12mn to 2am. I describe it as my baby "partying". Sometimes I even feel quite alarmed because his "kicks" are so intense-- it's as if he's trying to make his way out of my uterus.

Week 37
My doppler ultrasound result is all good. AC and FL is still behind by a week while the head measurement is advanced by a week. My doctor said that everything is normal and that my baby is on a good weight range. He is now around 6.5 lbs.. Yey! Very good baby! The egg whites have surely taken effect. My cervical length is at 4.2cm.. I thought that it has already started to shorten. My baby is still very active especially at night. Good thing that i am getting my regular naps in the morning and afternoon. I am also suffering from heartburn so I am taking Gaviscon when I feel like I can't handle it at bedtime.

Second Trimester

My second trimester is generally more relaxed compared to the first trimester. The cervical cerclage reassured us that my cervix won't open prematurely and cause a sudden miscarriage-- just like what I have experience during my previous pregnancy. We have also asked my parents to come over so I won't need to move around the house to cook or do the household chores. They came here just before my cervical cerclage operation. So from then on, I was on bed rest. I was confined in the four corners of our house, leaving only when it's time for our hospital check up. Per doctor's advice, I limited myself on my internet usage and refrained from reading too much regarding pregnancy complications. Looking back, I can't imagine how I spent this trimester with limited activities on house-arrest and kept my sanity!

I guess what kept me from losing my mind is having this positive thought that in a few months time, we will be with our healthy baby! At 17 weeks, I also started to feel his movements. I am so thrilled whenever I feel them. But I think it's only around 20 weeks when the movements were more pronounced that my husband can see/feel them too.

My hospital check ups were scheduled every 4 weeks. I had an anomaly (detailed) scan by the radiologist at 20 weeks. She made a thorough scan of everything. We're very happy that the results are all normal and our baby is healthy. During the scan, our baby's legs are closed so she can only confirm with 80% accuracy that our baby is a boy. My husband is so glad upon hearing this, although honestly, the gender is not that important. What matters is that we have a healthy and normal baby!

At week 20, I stopped taking Prednisolon. But I am still taking Duphaston, Aspirin and Clexane injections daily, together with my prenatal vitamins and calcium. I have experienced getting heartburn again so I am taking Gaviscon when needed.

At week 24, my OB is on leave so I consulted the other high risk doctor instead. The ultrasound scan showed that our baby is healthy with healthy heartbeat. All measurements are normal, the chambers of the heart are normal and blood flow is normal. He also said that our baby's gender is boy. I stopped taking Duphaston as per my doctor's instructions.