From the desire to have a child to motherhood, bringing a little one into the world can sometimes be like a roller coaster. Sophie tells us about her journey.
Sophie, 29, became pregnant with great difficulty. She and Dogan, 30, are now the happy parents of Theo Kaan.
“My journey to becoming a mother was not easy. I had to deal with 2 miscarriages and after the last one I didn’t get pregnant spontaneously. I consulted a gynecologist who diagnosed cysts on my ovaries. I was given medication to induce ovulation, but it didn’t work. The next stop was the fertility clinic, where I underwent a laparoscopy. This revealed that I had endometriosis and that my fallopian tubes were damaged after the second miscarriage. In addition, I suffered from chronic inflammation of the uterus.
Also read: BABYSTORY: “The C-section was a traumatic experience for me”
In vitro fertilization
I had little hope of having a baby, but we received amazing support at the fertility clinic. They first tackled the infection, then performed 3 inseminations at the time of my ovulation. Unfortunately, I didn’t get pregnant and we moved on to in vitro fertilization. 10 eggs were found, all of which were fertilized. Normally the transfer takes place after 3 days, but we opted to do it after 5 days because the embryos are stronger at that time. After these 5 days, 5 embryos survived, and one of them was transferred to my uterus. The other 4 were frozen in case the first attempt was not successful or for later, if we had another desire to have children. After 10 days, I had a blood test to check if I was pregnant. Being a nurse myself, I asked a colleague to do it. The next few hours were exciting. When I saw that I was pregnant, I ran crying to my colleagues, who spontaneously started crying too. It was a wonderful moment that I will never forget!
With every cramp, I was afraid of having a miscarriage.
Anxiety and fear
The joy I felt quickly turned into anxiety. I was afraid things would go wrong again. With each little cramp, I was terrified of having another miscarriage. Fortunately, the ultrasounds reassured us each time, but secretly, I continued to prepare myself for bad news. In retrospect, I regret that this prevented me from fully enjoying my pregnancy. During one of the last checks, when I was 39 weeks pregnant, it was found that my blood pressure was too high. The baby’s heart rate was also elevated. I asked for the labor to be induced. I wanted to hold my little miracle in my arms, because only then could I have peace of mind. The gynecologist granted my request. The next day I was in the hospital.
Suction cup
My dilation was very slow. I asked for a peri, but it didn’t work and I continued to suffer. I was given a second injection, which fortunately worked. Then things picked up and I had to push, but after an hour of hard work, the baby still wasn’t there. I had no more energy and the gynecologist suggested I use the suction cup. This instrument was placed on our baby’s head. After 2 pushes, our little boy came into the world. When we heard him crying, my husband and I started crying with happiness. We had waited so long for this moment. I cut the umbilical cord myself, because my husband was still emotional (laughs). We named our son Theo, which means ‘gift of God’, and his middle name Kaan means ‘king’ in Turkish. My husband is originally from Türkiye, hence this choice.
We want a second child. I hope it will be one of the 4 embryos waiting for us at the hospital.
A question of organization
To all those who are on their PMA journey: try to keep your spirits up, even if it is difficult, because it is doubly worth it. I am immensely grateful to be a mother every day. My heart overflows when I look at my son. I have to admit, though, that I wasn’t on that pink cloud right away. Because I wanted to be a mom so much, I tended to put aside the difficult times that all new moms face, like lack of sleep. Since becoming a mother, I have learned to plan better and be more organized. My husband and I really want Théo to have a little sister or a little brother. I hope it will be one of the 4 embryos waiting for us at the hospital. »
Round belly
I took this photo during my last week of work before going on maternity leave.
Pregnancy announcement
Our dog Hugo played an important role in announcing my pregnancy. There he sits quietly for the photo, but before that we needed a lot of patience and treats.
Welcome, Theo!
This is the first photo of Theo after his birth. We fell in love with it straight away!
Birth shoot
When Theo was 2 weeks old, we planned a photo shoot. He did very well and the photos are a nice souvenir for later.
Iron dad
We take daily walks with our dog Hugo, and then it’s easier to take Theo in the carrier. He loves it, and my husband also enjoys having Theo so close to him.
3 months
In this photo, Theo is 3 months old. Time passes so quickly, and sometimes I miss the newborn phase. Theo is a very calm baby, which allows us to take him everywhere. We only hear him when he’s really hungry.
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