16 Jul My journey to motherhood
My first pregnancy with Tanner had a few complications along the way. I had placenta previa, which basically means that the placenta is blocking the cervix (AKA the baby’s escape route). This also meant that Tanner remained in a transvers position up until her delivery date, which meant that I had a planned caesarean delivery.
In the last few weeks my amniotic fluid index also began to drop, meaning that the likelihood of Tanner turning into the correct position was very limited and the option of being manually turned had multiple risks associated with it. So, we booked in the caesarean section or as I like to call it “Sun Roof Delivery” 😉 and can I tell you it was a very different experience to what other mums I know had with their natural births. But everyone has their own story to tell. Luckily, I was able to be very relaxed and calm about the whole thing.
The recovery from the C-Section was hard and the only piece of advice that I want to offer you if you are going to go through the same thing. Is to take some Inner Health Plus tables to help assist your gut health. As you are on very heavy pain killers it can constipate you. So please take my word for it and do yourself a favour and have some at the ready. Tanner is now 16 months old and is so amazing, every day just gets better.
I would now like to talk about my second pregnancy that sadly has a different ending. I had just undergone my screening tests at about 13 and a bit weeks, which at the time the sonographer gave me a very comforting feeling that all was going to plan. It was not until I received my test results a few days later that sadly the results came back positive for having a high risk of severe chromosomal abnormalities, as well as a number of development abnormalities. I was in total shock at first as the ultrasound scan had gone so well. After undergoing further screening it had been revealed that it is most likely is Trisomy 18 which is called Edwards Syndrome this is an error in cell division, known as meiotic disjunction where there are three copies of chromosome 18 instead of two. About 1 in every 5000 babies are born with trisomy 18 and is very common for the foetus to not survive full term. If they do survive they do not usually make it past their 1st birthday. It is so sad.
I was told by an obstetrician that there are two ways that the pregnancy can terminated. The first way is surgical removal and the second way is that I may need to be induced and deliver the baby naturally. It all depends on the size of the baby. From the further screening tests, I qualified for surgical removal. What I am about to go though is really scary and un-nerving as you don’t often hear about these stories. That’s really why I think it is very important to put this issue out in the open and talk about it, as I am sure that other mums may have experienced the same feelings as I am. Being pregnant one day then being told the next that you will never get to meet your baby is absolutely heart breaking.
I have now undergone the surgery and feel that I can start mentally healing. The surgery its self was a very fast procedure and I was only under the local anaesthetic for about 20 minutes. The doctors were all very reassuring that the procedure would go smoothly, but there are always risks with any type of procedure. Thankfully all went well, and I was allowed to go home a short time after the procedure. There was actually no real pain or discomfort after the procedure apart from some cramping which just felt like a normal period and of course there has been some bleeding, but it has not been too bad. I am just happy that it s all over and we can more on.
I really hope that this article can help to spread some awareness of these issues that can arise and that sadly every pregnancy does not always go to plan. It is not going to stop us from expanding our family and Nath and I are already looking towards positivises for the future. Talking about these problems is one of the best ways to get through them, and having a strong support network is vital.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read this article.
Please feel free to contact me at [email protected] if you have any questions or comments.
Wishing you all the best.
Tiff
About the Author
Tiffany is a mother of 2 little adventures. Tanner is 3.5 and Chase is 1.5. She creates baby gear for your next family adventure.
She founded Jumply soon after the birth of her first child Tanner. She discovered that there was not much out there for adventurous parents like her, who didn’t want the adventures to end just because she had started a family.
Jumply is a community of fun Mums and Dads who build strong connections with their kids through play, adventure and travel.
She’s designed her own Adventure Nappy Backpack and have a range of gear available, including toddler harness backpacks and toddler and kids sunglasses. All designed to make your next family adventure awesome.
Website: https://jumply.com.au/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jumply.au/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jumply.au/
Edwards Syndrome Source:
https://www.webmd.com/baby/what-is-trisomy-18#1