Content Note: This post mentions pregnancy and birth.
We left off on a cold November morning, as O and I got our third "you're pregnant" call from the IVF clinic. "Cautiously optimistic" with an emphasis on the "cautious" part best describes our attitude at that point. We'd been there twice before and still didn't have a baby in our arms. Would this--at last--be a healthy pregnancy? Here's how it went down:
⏳November 2019: Yet again, betas progress normally. We cross our fingers and await the ultrasounds with a healthy dose of anxiety.
⏳December 2019: For the second time, we graduate from our IVF clinic, having seen two great ultrasounds.
⏳January 2020: The 12 week appointment with our OB--a big step for us, since this is where things went wrong previously. Thankfully, our excellent OB takes us straight to an ultrasound machine, totally understanding that we need reassurance right away. And there's the little baby--kicking away!
⏳March 2020: Another big marker--rounds of genetic blood tests and the anatomy scan. All looks great. We pinch ourselves, somewhat in disbelief that this really seems to be the time when we'll meet our baby. Oh, also...a global pandemic descends.
⏳July 2020: And at last--after years of waiting--our lovely daughter arrives on an early July morning.
This double rainbow showed up over our house after a spring shower a few weeks before our daughter's birth. It was a welcome sign that all the rain we'd been through in the prior years would end with something bright to look forward to.
And that's the end of this very brief overview of our journey, but in the weeks and months ahead, I'll look more specifically at many individual steps and pieces to help you feel empowered to navigate your journey. Thanks for reading!