Fiona McPhillips is a freelance journalist and academic researcher. Having given birth to her son in 2003, she then faced three rounds of Clomid, three IUIs, two IVFs and suffered six miscarriages before giving birth to her daughter last year. She is currently expecting
another baby.
This post is all about pregnancy
25w4d today. Past the 24 week viability mark. Although those in the know suggest that 26 weeks marks the point at which hospitals make a reasonable effort at viability. Almost there. Of course baby must be born alive first.
I have been blessed with a trouble-free pregnancy. That is, if you discount my ten weeks of vomiting hell, and the fact that I have spent the entire pregnancy making sure baby is still alive and trying to work out my chances of keeping her that way.
My obstetric care has been great and I am looking forward to a birth with a team that I trust. However, this is only because we have paid for it. All pregnancy-related care is available on the public health service (i.e. free) in Ireland. However, I just couldn’t face telling my history to a different consultant on each visit, constantly reminding medical staff of the cocktail of drugs needed, begging for early scans, recovering on a maternity ward after a D&C. Mind you, private care doesn’t always guarantee that staff actually read my file. A nurse recently told me that my obs must have delivered a baby for me in the past. I said, no, I was certain she hadn’t. The nurse inquired as to why my file was so big. I guess six miscarriages trumps a live birth in terms of column inches.
My little baby is doing fine and so am I. I think I am functioning as a normal human being again. It helps that I don’t have to hide from the past – my book is out soon so talking about that means talking about the last three years. We have not reached the finishing line yet but we have to act as if we will. The alternative does not bear thinking about.
February 19th, 2008 at 9:59 pm
Feebee, that’s wonderful so glad all is well with you and baby A. I am looking forward to reading your book as much as I look forward to reading your posts. I really respect the fact that you have not been afraid to share all the good parts of this journey i.e. this pregnancy. It has given me great hope…I truly mean that. I am almost positive it has done the same for many.
February 19th, 2008 at 11:24 pm
Hang in there F, and little baby A – not long now..
Ex
February 20th, 2008 at 2:01 pm
For the first time in ages your google ad is nothing to do with miscarriage or infertility – instead to do with a fitness franchise for women (perhaps a cruel reminder of what we’re going to face after these little creatures arrive in the world….)
February 20th, 2008 at 10:55 pm
I have told M several times lately that if we ever get there again we are going private. I just can’t tell this story to a new person every time I go to a hospital. I have also ensured him that I will never do combined care again.
February 21st, 2008 at 2:46 pm
This is going to be exciting
You should start feeling flutters soon, if you haven’t already! I really miss that feeling.
February 21st, 2008 at 7:51 pm
deno – thanks so much for that. I’m afraid I was never that gracious, other people’s pregnancies, almost without exception, made me hunched and wizened and bitter. Whenever people asked me if others’ successes gave me hope, I’d say, only if they had high FSH, a long history of miscarriage and got pregnant because of a revolutionary new treatment that I could avail of. Yeah, I was a right cow some of the time.
dorothy – so even the google bot has noticed a change in mood!
k8 – I have been feeling flutters for months! I’m having full-on visible tummy movements already – I love it!
February 23rd, 2008 at 2:46 pm
Hi there, the doctor who delivered my first DD, also a school friend, by coincidence, gave birth at 26 weeks herself, she has a fantastic 4 year old now!
Amazing to see. Just thought I would throw that in.
Glad to hear all is well with you.
AMBER