I have decided to create a blog for the purpose of documenting the struggles, milestones, and adventures that are ahead of us now that our girls have arrived. My husband B and I have been together for 10 years and married 7 of that. We TTC our family from 2007-2012 on our own with no success. In 2010 we discovered that we were suffering from male factor infertility but did not have the financial means to pursue IVF treatment. After two years of prayers for God to provide the avenue we were supposed to take. B got a new position at a hospital which provided insurance coverage up to $15,000.00 on IVF/IUI treatment. Praise GOD!
In 2012 we decided to start treatment and we straight to IVF. Our first try at IVF resulted in a singleton pregnancy. Unfortunately I suffered a miscarriage at 13 weeks after a difficult first trimester that was filled with delayed development. I opted to not do testing on our child because I knew I wouldn't have been able to handle a normal result finding. During our grieving B and I went to Hawaii to recover and find ourselves again. I convinced our RE to test me for MTHFR which came back positive for a mutation of both the C677t and A1298c gene. I knew in my heart that this was the reason we had delayed development in our angel. So, if we decided to do another round of IVF we would have a new protocol to follow in a pregnancy. We spent the next year going to school, enjoying friends, family, and the summer together.
In 2013 God placed it on my heart that we needed to try IVF #2 again. I spent several months listening and trying to decide if this was God's calling or if I was speaking. The thought of IVF was full of anxiety for me. Especially because our insurance would only cover one more try. What if we lose our child? I wasn't ready to face the fact that if it didn't work we wouldn't be able to afford IVF again. During the last month of our Fall semester we decided to go for it. We started IVF #2 in November 2013. This time we left it to go to give us how many embryos we were to transfer. On the day of transfer we had two beautiful embryos to transfer. Twin pregnancy fears aside, we transferred both. 4 weeks later we discovered that we were pregnant with TWINS!
My pregnancy turned out to be more difficult to manage than I thought. I suffered a SCH from 6 to 15 weeks. My incredible OBGYN Dr. V placed me on blood thinners from 7 weeks until delivery to prevent MTHFR from causing issues with the pregnancy. I was also on baby aspirin, folic acid, and double prenatal/DHA's. After the SCH passed I started to relax and accept that my pregnancy was here to stay. Then at 18 weeks I began having what I thought were braxton hicks. Over the next week they became more regular and patterned. April 1st, I woke up and before getting out of bed my braxton hicks/contractions were every 20 mins. I decided to go to work but I knew I didn't feel right. I called my OB and went into the Dr to get checked. We discovered I was in preterm labor at 19 weeks. TOO EARLY! I was placed on strict bed rest and prescribed procardia every 6 hours. I managed to stay on bed rest at home until May 1st. At a routine Dr appt we discovered my cervix was beginning to shorten and funnel. I was placed on hospital bedrest on May 1st 2014. I remained for 6 very long weeks. I managed to convince my Dr to let me go home and finish my pregnancy in the comfort of my home.
During this pregnancy the girls remained small but strong. They weren't growing at the rate that the Dr's wanted but the continued gaining allowed them to stay put. At 35 weeks baby B (Ryan) didn't gain much over a week. It was decided to deliver at 36weeks exact. We welcomed our lovely ladies via natural delivery in the OR in July 2014. This blog is to document the adventures that are to come now that God has granted them to us.
Ryan: 3lb 14oz
Harper: 4lb 14oz
