My journey into motherhood was prolonged somewhat.
Endometriosis, a painful and debilitating disease which I have lived with for most of my life, was always there under the surface causing harm, routinely I would undergo laparoscopies to laser off as much of the scarred tissue as possible.
But every so often it would rear its nasty head causing irreparable damage, this time to my fallopian tubes, resulting in a double salpingectomy. (Removal of both tubes) Long story short, I could no longer conceive naturally and the only option for me to have a biological child, was to do IVF.
Not sure if anyone is aware, but the cruel irony of this disease is that symptoms and pain are reduced when you are pregnant, yet most people with endometriosis struggle with fertility.
NHS IVF postcode lotteries were a barrel of laughs, with our area falling short in all of the eligibility criteria, which subsequently meant that we would need to go private.
So private we did.
First round – Donated my eggs, felt invincible and was 100% sure we would get our baby at the end of it.
Second round – New clinic, still donated my eggs – unfortunately a failed round
Third round – 36 eggs collected, 16 donated and voila we finally reached viability
IVF Journey
We couldn’t believe it, I was pregnant. £10,000 of baby was sitting comfortably within my womb and all the morning sickness in the world could not stop me smiling, or holding my tummy (anyone noticed how we all do this instinctively?)
We had been trying to conceive for around ten years, so it was safe to say I had dreamt up every possible baby shower, shopping trip and Birthday scenario. I had notes in my phone, websites saved and literally laid awake at night consumed with excitement.
Then you happened… COVID.
My baby fairytale seemed ever so far from reality now, instead I sat on a pregnancy ball isolated remote working 13-hour days, unable to leave my home, my husband unable to attend pregnancy scans and unable to stay in the hospital with me.
Scared, anxious and uncertain about what the next chapter would look like, this is when I started to overthink, over analyse, fret, and fall down the ‘blue’ hole, that I later found out was the start of my post-natal depression.
Stacey’s story to be continued…
Thank you to our guest author, Stacey Smith.
Hi,
I’m Stacey, I am a SEN mum and the owner of Smiths Writing Services.
I specialise in creating relevant yet optimising content for your business, using your tone of voice and reflecting your brand values. As a highly experienced freelance writer and HR professional, I pride myself on direct and personable communication, packing a punch with a word or two, and supporting business owners to achieve milestones, visions and goals.
I have over 15 years of collective business knowledge and experience and am lucky enough to say that I have worked in some amazing industries during that time, including:
HR
Marketing
Retail
Education & Training
Legal
NHS
Aviation & Aerospace
You can find me at www.smithswritingservices.co.uk