I had a caesarean birth plan, a list of preferences. But that’s mostly all they were – preferences. Loss and infertility have taught me that sometimes the best laid plans go to waste and you have to adjust your expectations. Whatever would happen on October 24, there were four things that transcended any mere preferences: 1. That Baby V be…
Read More
Introducing Baby V
Baby V October 24, 2014 7 lbs 11 oz / 3,486 g 20″ / 51cms V, after my beloved great-grandmother. Her middle name is a twist on another family name, with a nod to Spain, where I grew up. She has made every bit of pain and suffering worthwhile. Without my loss and infertility, she would not exist, and I’d…
Read More
Caesarean Birth Plan
When I first embarked on this TTC journey, I imagined conceiving quickly, having an uneventful pregnancy, and a natural delivery. HA. By the time I was pregnant again, there had been so much pain that I truly believed nothing else could go wrong–except, perhaps, having another miscarriage. SIGH. How naive I was. Once I made it to the second trimester,…
Read More
36 – 37 Weeks
Crazy that I can now respond to the question, “When are you due?” with a one-word response: FRIDAY. Holy shit. I tweeted this last Friday. The next morning, DH said, This is our last Saturday before we become parents. I feel strangely calm. I’m ready to meet our daughter. And although I feel, were it not for the previa, she…
Read More
T-Minus 10 Days
Whoa. Ten days? Just… whoa. People keep asking how I’m feeling and if DH and I are ready. I say I feel great in spite of the discomforts, and that we are excited to meet our daughter but the main emotion in the V household is mainly one of terror! But are we ready in a Must Finish This Stuff…
Read More
Eight Months: T-Minus 2½ Weeks
I have officially reached the point in pregnancy where I can understand how some women long for their pregnancies to be over. I am physically uncomfortable much of the time. My belly feels like a lead weight, so it’s hard to get up without grunting, and hard to sit down without a clunk! I’m up several times a night, staggering…
Read More
The Countdown Has Begun
A year ago today (Wednesday — or, tomorrow, September 25th) I learned that I have a chromosomal issue which means I create abnormal embryos. Just thinking about the day I learned my AMH was barely detectable is enough for tears to roll down my cheeks. I can never relive that time in its full intensity, but I remember wanting to…
Read More
32 Weeks: We Have a Birthday…!
First, a few fun stats: Weight Gain: 28 lbs / 13 kgs (from 142 to 170) Cravings: Ice cold water, orange juice, milk. Aversions: Fish Belly Button: Beginning to do strange things. It sticks out more on my right and you can sometimes see it through my clothes, especially if V is directly underneath. Also Strange: So increased is my…
Read More
Seven Months
It’s hot. So hot. Possibly the hottest part of summer. My feet are swollen and I can’t wear flip flops because my arches have fallen. My arse, hips, and thighs are bigger which, along with this glorious bump I’m sporting, has changed my balance. Between that and the extra almost-25 lbs (11+ kgs), it’s a lot harder to go up…
Read More
29 Weeks: Another Ultrasound
What a week! Since my last post, I: started kick counts (I usually get to 10 movements in 5-7 mins, although it’s been in as few as 90 seconds or as much as 14 minutes); took an infant CPR class; noticed that my belly button is extremely shallow; have self-diagnosed diastasis recti (separation of the “6-pack” muscles); unpacked a fabulous…
Read More
