Timeline
1996 – I start on the birth control injection. First year of University
1999 – I spend a year in the USA
2000 – I spend almost a year in the UK, first pregnancy – terminated at 12 weeks by choice due to the circumstances. I never thought I would have problems later in life 🙁
2001 – I spend 6 months in Taiwan and 4 months in Australia.
2004 – Return to the US and spend 3 years there. Start on Depo Provera again.
Jun 2007 – Return home to South Africa.
Jan 2009 – Start dating B, my now husband.
Jan 2011 – I stop Depo Provera injections. I have been on them on and off for 15 years, non stop for the last 8 years. It takes almost 8 months for my period to return, which is then irregular and unpredictable for much of the next year. We are not “not trying”.
Feb 2012 – I become engaged to the love of my life. I start using an app to track my cycles. They start to settle down.
Aug 2012 – I marry the love of my life! We start trying to conceive in earnest.
Oct 2012 – I have my first miscarriage at 6-7 weeks, two days after having the pregnancy confirmed by blood tests with my GP (Dr F). I do it naturally, but bleed for almost 6 weeks. New gynea (Dr P) gives me something to stop the bleeding and I’m told to wait for my next cycle before we start trying again.
Feb 2013 – My cycles had settled down into a fairly regular 28 days. I have a weird cycle and realise when I was bleeding for longer than usual that I had actually been pregnant and was miscarrying at about 5 weeks.
June 2013 – Find out I am pregnant again. Symptoms are mild, but I am feeling slightly more positive about this one. Start this blog to deal with the fears.
Mid – July 2013 – Make it past 7 weeks and get hopeful, start planning a nursery and talking to family about the pregnancy.
25 July 2013 – Miscarry at 8 weeks and 2 days, Gynea sends me for multiple blood tests (10 vials of blood).
21 Aug 2013 – Blood tests have come back – everything is normal!
24 Aug 2013 – Change the blog to be about dealing with loss!
25 September 2013 – Find out that I am pregnant again.
25 September 2013 – Confirm with BETA result 7993 at 4w5d.
16 October 2013 – See Dr P for the first time while still pregnant – we see a heart beat!
12 November 2013 – 12 week scan confirms baby is all good, moving around a lot. Down’s Syndrome tests come back with low chance.
28 May 2014 – Kyle Connor Johnson is born by natural vaginal delivery at Westville Hospital. Dr P describes it as a text book birth.