Our Journey So Far - Post 2

My Positive Pregnancy Test taken at 1:03 am on 29th October 2011.

The Test

On Friday 28th October 2011, I sat in the staff room minding my own business during the luncheon period. Someone decided to microwave a chicken sandwich, the scent of which sent me rushing to the bathroom to hurl my snack and breakfast into the toilet. While rinsing my mouth, I came to the realization that I had missed my period. I closed the toilet, sat on it and started counting on my fingers. I had spotted the previous Monday and presumed my period was on the way. It never came and I never noticed. I walked out of the toilet somewhat dazed at the possibility. Once I spotted my period usually followed within three days. It had been four days. On my way home, I purchased an early pregnancy test and told myself I would test as soon as I woke up on Saturday morning. My husband was working overnight so I had privacy. I put a styrotex cup on the toilet tank so I would not have to hunt for one the next morning. I went to sleep at 9 pm that night with the intention of waking at 6 am the next morning. I woke at 1 am. When the anxiety was too much to overcome, I went and took the test... at 1:03 am. When I saw the two lines I was overwhelmed. I could not laugh, I could not cry. Instead I sat on the toilet bowl, my new favourite place it seemed, and stared dumbfounded at the test. I eventually gathered my wits, took a picture of the test and sent it with the following message to my husband in a MMS text:
Here is a classic text for you to keep. Congratulations baby!

As the reality dawned on me, I called my Mom who lived in Florida. As I said the words, "I'm Pregnant!" the reality hit me and I started crying and bawling my eyes out. My mom told me to relax but I was so overjoyed I could not control myself.

Eventually I called my best friend who lived in London and told her. She was also ecstatic. 

Through it all, I kept waiting for my husband to call in response to the text. When he did call, more than five hours later, it was to make sure that all was well. He never got the text... damn phone company did not deliver the MMS. I told him I would text him and sent him a plain SMS. His response was: "How sure are you?" It was a funny exchange as we dealt with the news. He leaned on the side of caution. I was too happy to be cautious. Finally,,, we were pregnant.

The First Trimester

That Monday and once a week for the next three weeks, I went in to my Gynaecologist. Once it was established that the baby had a heartbeat and therefor the pregnancy was viable, it became all the more real. Very early it was established that poultry and eggs were to be avoided at all cost since they had me throwing up. I was too excited to hold back. I loved my baby and gave my whole heart although it was a risk because it was so early. I floated through the first trimester taking all the side effects in stride. My stomach was huge and theories of twins and multiples were being formulated by friends and acquaintances. The doctor's report however stated it was one live foetus.

The Second Trimester to Date

The mystery of the enlarged uterus was eventually solved. On the first Friday of the New Year, I arrived home only to discover that I was bleeding. I panicked and called my husband who was not yet home, I called my parents while screaming. Eventually, I found that my husband was taking too long so I decided to drive myself to the hospital. The journey was torturous. I was crying and speeding and almost did not realise that my husband's car was acting as escort. After about 3 hours I was admitted to the ward with the warning that I could be miscarrying. I cried and prayed and begged for the life of my baby. I spent the night at the hospital and the bleeding slowed and eventually changed from bright red to black to brown. I was released but told to return for an Ultrasound on Monday and instructed to stay away from work for 14 days. On Sunday night, while praying for the life of my baby, I felt a light flutter under my hand. I was hoping that it was my baby letting me know that all was well. 

On Monday it was revealed that I had three fibroids. However, the bleeding was unexplained. At my next Gynae's appointment two weeks later, this was confirmed and furthermore stated that one fibroid was directly under the placenta. All hopes of returning to work were dashed. The greatest fear was that something would happen and my baby would not survive. I lived on the edge of anxiety counting every single week as a milestone. During my 21st week I had the most excruciating pain for about 72 hours. It was later diagnosed as red degeneration meaning that at least one of the fibroid had died. That knowledge was worth the pain. During that week, I also discovered that I was going to have a baby boy. By week 24, my little one was moving up a storm in my tummy. I have never in my whole life thought that it was possible to love and fear this deeply.