The Magic Words
Last we talked, I was struggling with hope.
We were lucky with our egg extraction. Even after the first round of IVF, we still had enough eggs left to do multiple rounds. After taking a break, we did a second round of IVF. And I was so thankful that this round only included the insemination.
The break was good because it allowed me to find my hope. I took time to concentrate on me—not our relationship, just good old me time. And it helped me feel better.
Tip: If you are going through this, a break might help with the emotional rollercoaster. Also, don’t forget to be nice to yourself.
I’ve always heard that you will know when you are pregnant. There are so many women right now going through infertility—so many women at this moment wishing for morning sickness, tender breasts, heartburn, and more.
How do I know? Because I was one of those women, looking for some sign before the test to show me that I was pregnant. Fourteen days is such a long time to wait when the news is this big.
I was excitedly nervous to make the call to our doctor to hear the results. I knew that I had gone in too late to call the same day. So after a sleepless night, I took a
break at work to call in the morning. The woman on the other end of the phone simply told me that I would have to come in for a different test.
More nervous excitement… I asked her about my pregnancy test. She wanted me to call later, but I was tired of waiting. I pushed again… and then the magical words “You are pregnant.”
I was at work, and they all knew what I was going through—so I forced back the tears of joy. I messaged Chris that we should call together at the normal time during our lunch. Cue hours of work, not being able to jump up and down with joy, or touch my stomach too much.
I also had to rehearse what I was going to say to my husband. I have always wanted one of us to get the news in a cool way. In case you are curious, here is the video of me telling Chris.
Knowing that the majority of miscarriages happen in the first trimester, there was always that worry in the back of my mind. I had one day that was terrible (did I mention how lucky I am?). I woke up puking and couldn’t keep anything down.
Because we were in Germany and I wasn’t sure I could explain this in German, I called my mom. My mom, who didn’t know, found out because I was worried something was wrong. Also, being unsure if this would keep happening, I let my boss know that I might not make it in the next day. So I’m pretty sure she knew.
Tip: Call your doctor. Even if you are stationed overseas, there are people that work at your on-post clinic that can help you with translation.
Being a first time mom, everything was new to me. So I still don’t fully know how it will be different if I am pregnant in the states. However, the great thing about doctor’s visits in Germany when you are pregnant is that they do an ultrasound at every visit. It was wonderful getting to see our future baby so much.
I’m lucky and my pregnancy was great. My birth story, well that’s another story for another time. For now, I’ll simply soak in the quiet while Owen, my now 8 month old, sleeps.
