Australian Birth Stories 23 | Gemma Taylor, IVF Journey, Gestational Diabetes, Unplanned Home Birth
In today’s episode, I interview Gemma Taylor. Gemma takes us through her difficult four-year journey trying to conceive her first child Flynn. Gemma suffered from mild endometriosis and a low egg count and conceived Flynn after a stimulated IVF Cycle. Gemma shares openly the heartache in miscarrying her first transferred embryo and the joy in going on to conceive Flynn. Flynn’s pregnancy began with severe morning sickness which didn’t subside until 24 weeks. Then at 27 weeks, Gemma was diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes.
Gemma’s labor with Flynn began at around 39 weeks after a week of pre-labor. When she went in for a stretch and sweep her midwife was surprised to find how favourable Gemma seemed and said she thought that she was going to deliver in the coming day. Several days later contractions began to ramp up on a Friday night. Gemma laboured at home until 2 pm the following day when she transferred to Randwick Women's Hospital hospital feeling exhausted after a long and trying week of on and off contractions. The midwife on duty suggested an epidural to give Gemma the chance to have some rest and they started an indiction drip to help progress her labour.
With her second pregnancy, after having gone through such a long a painful journey trying to conceive Flynn, Gemma and her partner decided to try quite quickly to try and conceive again. They began the process by having the frozen embryo (which was taken at the same time as Flynn) implanted. Unfortunately, this transfer ended in a missed miscarriage which Gemma had a DNC for at 7 weeks.
The next stimulated cycle for Gemma and her partner was somewhat different as the technology for IFV was continuing to evolve. There was now a new test available Pre-Implantation Genetic Testing. According to IVF Australia :
“Pre-implantation Genetic Testing (PGT) is a sophisticated scientific technique which can be used to test embryos for either a specific known genetic condition or chromosome abnormality. This enables only chromosomally normal embryos or those unaffected by a specific disorder to be selected for transfer during an IVF cycle, maximising the chance of a healthy baby. Up to 70% of embryos created, either via natural conception or IVF don’t survive the first 3 months of pregnancy and many don’t achieve implantation because of those two reasons.” ()
To hear more about how Gemma went on to have the first mosaic embryo transferred in Australia and how she ended up delivering her second son at home with the assistance of her sister in law and business partnerJenny tune into the show.
Topics covered: endometriosis, IFV, stimulated cycles, misses miscarriage, DNC, gestational diabetes, Mozaic embryo transfer, unexpected home birth, asthma, pre-labour.
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