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Micah (9/11/80) and Laura (5/7/80) met in 1999 and were married in 2001
(read more about that here).
Mia and Molly were born on 5/3/04.
William was born on 5/7/07. Lily was born on 5/28/10.
Snuggle, a Persian cat, was added to the family
in 2002. Tinsel, another Persian cat, was added to the family in 2005.
Barney, a rottweiler and labrador mix, was added to the family in 2011.
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 miscarriage at 5 weeks, 3 days. I went to the emergency room in severe pain, and the pregnancy was confirmed with blood work. Two months later, I had a positive result on a pregnancy test, but lost the pregnancy just a few days later. 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. The diagnosis of ectopic pregnancy was finally confirmed at 8 weeks, 3 days. I was taken to the emergency room, where a nurse prepared me for surgery. However, my doctor decided this was unnecessary. He ordered a Methotrexate injection. This did not cause my HCG levels to drop, so I returned for a second injection one week later. I was required to have blood drawn every two days for the next 5 weeks, until my quant. finally dropped to 0.
About 4 months later, in March, 2003, we went to another reproductive endocrinologist.
His first course of action was for me to have a Hysterosalpingogram (HSG), which came back
normal (my fallopian tubes were clear). Extensive blood tests also revealed no abnormalities.
Micah, however, had an abnormal analysis.
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 our third IUI 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 third 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 pregnancy test. Finally, I broke down and bought one at Target. I needed to go to the ladies' room anyway, so I impulsively decided to take the test. Immediately, a dark second line showed up! I met Micah as he was leaving work, where I showed him the positive result. 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 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), as well as 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.
On May 2, 2004, at 35 weeks, 4 days, I was hospitalized for hypertension and high blood pressure. My doctor decided to
induce labor. I delivered Mia successfully, but doctors were unable to turn Molly. An emergency cesarean section was ordered,
and both Micah and my mother were ordered to leave the room. I was terrified, but the outcome was all that mattered.
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 another 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 it 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. I got a tattoo of an angel on my right arm, surrounded by the dates of each pregnancy 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 because we were new to the area. The second
doctor scheduled an ultrasound at 7 weeks, at which time 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! 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.
In 2009, the twins were 5 years old and had just started kindergarten. Will was 2. We were open to the possibility of another
child, but we were not officially trying to conceive yet. It was my 10th pregnancy, but I still couldn't believe it. We were going
to be a family of 6!
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 was born via scheduled cesarean section on May 28, 2010. She weighed 8 lbs., 6 oz., and was 20 inches long.
We decided to be open to the possibility of having one more child. It was 2011. Lily was 14 months old, and I was still exclusively pumping. I wasn't sure if I would be able to become pregnant until she was weaned, so I began to track my cycles. We were happy to learn that I had become pregnant during our first cycle of trying to conceive. It seemed like our fertility issues were far behind us. I had an ultrasound at 6 weeks, 1 day, at which time the doctor was able to find a gestational sac and yolk sac. That ruled out an ectopic pregnancy or blighted ovum, but there was no baby or heartbeat. I knew my dates were correct, so it was clear that something was wrong. I miscarried just two days later, on Micah's birthday. We were sad, yet thankful that I had been spared from surgery once again. I had my tattoo updated to include the dates of our losses in 2006 and 2011. I also added a Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness ribbon.
