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Micah (9/11/80) and Laura (5/7/80) met in 1999 and were married in 2001. Mia and Molly were born on 5/3/04. William was born on 5/7/07. Snuggle, a Persian cat, was added to the family in 2002. Tinsel, another Persian cat, was added to the family in 2005.
Shortly after our 2001 wedding, we decided that we wanted to start a family. After 7 months of waiting, we decided it was time to start trying. I got pregnant almost immediately, but suffered a very early miscarriage at 5 weeks, 3 days. Two months later, I had a positive result on a pregnancy test, but began to bleed several days later. It appeared that I had a second, very early miscarriage, though it was never confirmed by doctors. We went for an initial consultation with a fertility specialist in November, 2002, and found out three days later that I was already pregnant. We were excited, but something just wasn't right from the beginning. I began to bleed at 6 weeks, 2 days. Doctors were concerned that this time, I had an ectopic pregnancy and that one of my tubes could rupture. Without the right care, I would be in great danger. I found the best care through an OB-GYN who was caring through the emotional distress we faced. I was given two separate injections of Methotrexate, one week apart. The ER was preparing me for surgery when my OB decided it was unnecessary.
About 4 months later, in March, 2003, we started seeing an infertility specialist.
His first course of action was for me to have a Hysterosalpingogram (HSG), which came back
normal (meaning my fallopian tubes were clear). Extensive blood tests also revealed no abnormalities.
Micah, however, had some slightly abnormal test results.
The doctor recommended that we try intrauterine insemination (IUI), a fairly noninvasive procedure.
The first two cycles we tried were without any fertility medications, but when we had no success,
the doctor prescribed Clomid (100 mg). When this didn't work, and we hit the 18-month mark of trying,
I was ready to give up. We decided to take a break from infertility treatments for a few months.
The cycle that followed our 3rd IUI was more relaxed. I still took a round of Clomid, but did not test to find out when I was ovulating or even try to time anything correctly. Towards the end of my cycle, I noticed that I didn't feel "like myself" and debated over whether to take a HPT. Finally, I broke down and picked up a test at Target. I needed to go to the ladies' room anyway, so I figured "what the heck" and took the test. Immediately, a dark second line showed up. I was shocked! I ran outside to the parking lot and showed my sister, who was thrilled at the news. We met Micah as he was leaving work, where I showed him the test. He was even more shocked than I was! I started blood work the next day, and all the numbers looked great. I knew I was going to have a healthy pregnancy.
Our first ultrasound at six weeks revealed we were having twins! Babies "A" and "B" measured correctly based on their age and had beautiful beating hearts. We were shocked but felt incredibly blessed and excited!
The second half of the pregnancy was far from easy. At 20 weeks, we found out we were having two little girls. We also found out that both babies had an echogenic focus (spot on the heart), short femur and humerus measurements. One baby also had a choroid plexus cyst (on the brain). All of these were markers of chromosomal abnormalities.We were referred to a perinatologist who monitored the babies via level 2 ultrasound. Each week, I would have another appointment, and the doctor would flip-flop his opinion. The fear and stress were overwhelming, and we prepared as best we could for the birth of one, if not two, children with disabilities. I opted against amniocentesis, despite the low risk. The AFP test was not an option because multiple gestation threw off the numbers. All we could do was wait and pray, and many people were praying for our babies.
Mia Elizabeth and Molly Eileen were born healthy on May 3rd, 2004, weighing 5 lb., 3 oz., and 5 lb., 8 oz., respectively. They measured 18 and 18 1/2 inches long. We were in awe of their strength and overall health. Molly was born with a port wine stain on her forehead, but it did not cause any neurological problems. We enjoyed every moment of our first year with the girls.
We knew we wanted to have one more child, but there was no rush. I was shocked when I became pregnant in March, 2005. The pregnancy was confirmed with blood work, but I miscarried shortly thereafter. In May, I learned that I was again pregnant. My second HCG quantitative analysis came back high, and everything seemed to be progressing normally. However, when the third result had not risen much higher, we knew something was wrong. An ultrasound showed fluid around the endometrium, but no other visible development. Doctors confirmed that I would experience another miscarriage. Since I had been pregnant six times and only carried successfully once, we decided to set up a consultation with a Reproductive Endocrinologist. Doing so would allow us to undergo testing in an attempt to reveal the cause of recurrent pregnancy loss.
Our new specialist did not seem as concerned with my recurrent miscarriages as I had anticipated. She ordered another HSG, which came back clear, and I began taking Clomid again. I was convinced that this would somehow help us, since Molly and Mia were conceived while I was taking it. I also went in for routine ultrasounds each month to check for mature follicles and receive a HCG shot to trigger ovulation. On my third cycle, I became pregnant.
Once again, my HCG levels appeared to be rising appropriately. After three blood tests, my OB had me set up an ultrasound. At exactly six weeks pregnant, the ultrasound revealed "a possible gestational sac that was too small to measure properly." Initially, the OB suspected another ectopic pregnancy. However, over time it became evident that I was having another miscarriage. Again, we were lucky that the loss occurred early, and I did not need a D&C. The loss was still difficult and discouraging. As we grieved, I realized that a lot of my feelings stemmed from my feelings that our angel babies would not know how loved and wanted they were. I didn't want to just move on and forget the brief time that they were a part of my life. I made the drastic decision to get a tattoo in memory of our six angels. It covers half of my right forearm, and includes the month and year of each loss.
We moved on and kept trying. Seven months later, in June, 2006, I found out that I was pregnant again. History repeated itself as our confidence built and quickly shattered. We sought the help of a fourth reproductive endocrinologist, who told us I already had all the testing that could have revealed the cause of my recurrent miscarriages. He told us that having healthy children, coupled with the fact that my pregnancies ended too early to produce tissue for testing, ruled out a number of possibilities. He suggested that we take the most aggressive approach possible, but I wasn't ready to hear that yet.
We took a break from worrying in August, 2006. In December, our insurance coverage would change, at which time we planned to undergo IUI. Fate had other plans.
On September 12, 2006, I realized that I was one week late and that I should take a pregnancy test. I was in denial that I could even be pregnant, since I was not on any medications and we had no medical intervention whatsoever. To my surprise, the test was positive! I booked appointments with two obstetricians in the area so that I would have some choices. The second doctor scheduled an ultrasound, at which I was told that there was "no fetal pole or heartbeat" and that I should follow up to schedule a D&C. I was devastated. I made an appointment with the first doctor, and he immediately brought me in for an ultrasound. I nearly fell off the table when he showed me the heart beating, telling me that the baby's measurements were right on target. From that day forward, it was smooth sailing. In December, we learned that we were having a son! It was a shock, but we went straight to work on the nursery and decided to name him William Alexander. Will arrived safely into the world via scheduled cesarean section on May 7, 2007 (my 27th birthday). He weighed in at 8 lbs., 3 oz., and measured 21 inches long. Finally, our family was complete... or so we thought!
In 2009, the twins were 5 years old and had just started kindergarten. Will was 2. I was concerned I could be pregnant, though we were not trying to conceive. It was my 10th pregnancy, but I still couldn't believe it. We were going to be a family of 6! This time around was more difficult. I suffered from severe morning sickness, possible H1N1, a sinus infection, and other illnesses brought home from Molly and Mia's school. My doctor was briefly concerned about placenta previa, but otherwise there were no serious concerns. In January, 2010, we found out we were having another daughter. We decided to name her Lily Mercia (Mercia is my mother's name). Lily is due to arrive by scheduled cesarean section around May 27, 2010.
