CHAT SESSION 31 with Ro
Topic- OUR IVF SUCCESS, ‘Never give up’.
Catch up and listen to our chat session https://megaphone.link/LCRUI5652826903
Monday 27th November 2023 1pm https://rppfm.com.au
After 3 years of being in a relationship with her partner Rach, 3 failed IVF cycles, 2 IUI transfer failures, 2 Ectopic pregnancies and 1 miscarriage, Ro finally gave birth to a gorgeous daughter. Two and half years later Ro was blessed to have another beautiful baby girl.
This is the story of Ro’s life, her fertility journey! A story of hope and frustration, joy, tears and how she coped through multiple IVF failures.
Ro is sharing her story because she knows how it feels to struggle with infertility. The experiences she went through made her feel lonely and the ongoing setbacks made her feel as though she wanted to give up. But Ro was determined to keep going. She remained focused, stayed positive and kept trying, time and time again.
Ro is sharing her story because she wants other people to know that “You are not alone’ and ‘it is a tough journey, but it is worth it, and to never give up”.
Stepping into motherhood with her two beautiful daughters has been one of the most exciting chapters in Ro’s life.
Ro remembers her failed IUI cycles, failed IVF cycles and having to switch from one obstetrician to another. She remembers all her surgeries and recalls her anxiety levels skyrocketing each time she was waiting for the IVF results to come through. Finally, Ro and her partner Rach were out of the dark clouds which surrounded them for so long. They received good news and everything they had hoped for was now a reality. Ro was pregnant. They were both ecstatic and overwhelmed with happiness.
Ro had been with her partner for three years when they decided to start planning for a family. Being in a same sex relationship and 40 years old, the odds were against them. Ro and Rach knew that it was not going to be easy for Ro to conceive but nevertheless they didn’t give up on their dream to have a family. Ro needed to check that her tubes were all clear and had an ultrasound test, known as a sonohysterogram to confirm that everything was as it needed to be, ready to start her journey to get pregnant.
Failed IVF | Feeling Despair
Before starting the process, Ro and Rach knew that being a same sex couple they needed a sperm donor. They went through a Fertility Clinic whose donors were from America and were provided with a full family and medical history. The information included hobby’s, photos etc of the person who potentially would be the donor. It was in 2010 when they tried IUI. The first 2 cycles showed there was no positive outcome. But with the 3rd cycle they decided to switch obstetricians and try again. Ro was prescribed a medication called Clomid and felt confident that she would get pregnant. Ro and Rach were super excited with good news and their dream of having a family felt real, more so than ever before!
Excited to be pregnant also resulted in complications. Ro and Rach weren’t aware of the high risk associated to taking the medication she was prescribed. As a result of taking the medication, 6 weeks into the pregnancy Ro awoke at 5am in the morning with extreme pain. Her partner Rach rushed her to hospital where she was examined and told that Ro had an ectopic pregnancy. Ro’s baby was caught in her left fallopian tube. Ro was in disbelief and thought how could this be? Was there a way to save their baby? Unfortunately, there was no way to save her baby as she was bleeding internally. Ro was rushed straight into emergency to remove her fallopian tube and her unborn child. This was her 1st loss, and it was heartbreaking. It was an emotional time for Ro and Rach, but they weren’t giving up. It was now time to give IVF a go as this was the only option left for Ro to be able to conceive a baby.
Ro started with her 1st IVF process and only got 3 embryos. Of the 3 embryos only 1 was viable. The fresh embryo was immediately transferred in the same cycle. Within 2 weeks Ro had a blood test to see if she pregnant. Waiting for results to see if the transfer was successful felt like forever but within three hours Ro received a phone call from her obstetrician, saying “Congratulations, you are pregnant”!
Eight weeks into her pregnancy Ro had a check-up with her obstetrician. He did the usual ultrasound to see how their little baby was growing but he could not see the baby like previously. The obstetrician said there was blood in Ro’s uterus and informed her that she needed to go straight to the hospital. Ro and Rach were so confused. What was going on? What was happening? After further tests at the hospital, Ro and Rach got the bad news. Ro had another ectopic pregnancy and was wondering why this had happened again? Unfortunately, there was no way of saving their baby. Ro then had a Cornial Ectopic, which is quite rare. The embryo was stuck on the leftover stump of the fallopian tube and her uterus. Once again, Ro was back in surgery. The medical team had to remove the left-over stump from her uterus from her previous ectopic, and her unborn baby. Losing two babies was too much to handle. Ro felt as though she did not want to continue trying to get pregnant anymore. The heartache of never being a mother made Ro feel sad.
Rach, Ro’s partner saw how tough it was on Ro, but she too was also feeling sad about the loss of the two pregnancies.
To have a break and a well-deserved rest from everything, Rach decided to surprise Ro with an overseas holiday. The getaway provided them both with some time out to recover from all they had been through. It also made them think about how they could reset their mind to move forward and try to get pregnant again. After so many losses and tests their obstetrician informed them that Ro’s eggs weren’t any good. She was classed as infertile. You could only imagine how Ro felt. “Nooo!! I’m never going to be a mum”. Ro was devastated.
But then Ro and Rach realised there was another option. There was still hope. Rach was able to donate her eggs to Ro. This was perfect. All hope was not lost and a new vision for a positive outcome was in sight. Ro’s obstetrician said, “No matter how long it takes, I will get you pregnant.” Rach and Ro never gave up hope of having a family together!
IVF | My partner Rach, thirty-four years old donates her eggs.
1st IVF cycle, 3 embryos, one viable.
The fresh embryo was transferred but not successful.
2nd IVF cycle, 6 embryos, 4 viable.
The fresh embryo was transferred and the remaining 3 were frozen.
Two weeks later Ro had her usual blood test and was waiting for a happy phone call from her obstetrician. Ring, Ring “Congratulations, you are pregnant”!!
Ro and Rach were so excited and felt good about this pregnancy. Finally, some positive news.
They decided to keep the good news to themselves for the first 20 weeks, considering the bad luck they had previously. This time they wanted to be sure everything was ok before sharing their happiness about the pregnancy.
In 2013, their first daughter was born. She was beautiful. Ro and Rach felt so blessed. It was a miracle. Ro’s emotions were of pure joy. She had never experienced overwhelming happiness like this before. The unconditional love Ro felt was instant. Their newborn baby girl was just perfect in every way.
Extending the Family | Feeling Excited
It was only eighteen months later when Ro and Rach decided that they would love to extend the family unit.
Rach had 3 frozen embryos left from the last cycle, so Ro had 1 embryo transferred and then waited anxiously for two weeks before getting results. Ring, Ring “Congratulations, you are pregnant again”!!
Ro and Rach were in shock. This is amazing. “I loved being pregnant and I love being a mum. My dreams have come true once again, not only once but twice”, said Ro.
Ro and Rach now feel complete with their beautiful family. Mummy, mama and two precious girls.
Happy Beginnings | Pregnant With my daughters
In these transfers, Ro conceived, and her joy knew no bounds.
After two and half years of trying to conceive, 3 failed IVF cycles, 2 IUI transfer failures, 2 ectopic pregnancies and 1 miscarriage: Finally, some success. With such a beautiful outcome of being blessed to get pregnant twice, giving birth to two gorgeous girls who are now ten and eight years old. Ro forgets about all the pain and sorrow she endured when her two daughters smile at her.
Every woman has her own infertility journey and has the right to become a mother.
From their own personal journey Ro and Rach have learnt so much about life, and its ups and downs.
As it is said, ‘the sky view can be beautiful if there is a chance, and no matter how little it may be, take that chance, go for it, and never give up on your dreams’
My hope is that when you’re looking at yourself in the
‘The Daily Mirror’
YOU SMILE
EMBRACE BEING YOU
AND FIND 10 MINUTES IN YOUR DAY TO NOURISH YOUR SOUL!
To get in touch with Cathy email smileinthedailymirror@gmail.com
'The Daily Mirror' acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as the Traditional Custodians of the land and acknowledges and pays respect to their Elders, past and present.
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