Sterilisation reversal

Deb tells the story of her successful sterilisation reversal operation

When I met Jonathan, within the first few weeks I explained to him that I was sterilised and that I would not be able to have children. I was 34 at the time and he was 32 with no kids of his own. He told me it didn't matter as he had my two children whom he considered to be just like his own.

Over the coming months I noticed how he was when we met people with children and I could tell that he wished he had a child of his own. Whilst on holiday the following year we talked about it and he admitted that he wanted to be a father but there was nothing we could do so he would just have to live with it. I told him that it may be possible to have my sterilisation reversed.

Upon returning home I made an appointment for the doctors. I was expecting them to turn around and say "no", straight away, but the doctor I saw said that she didn't know much about it so would refer me to the gynae at my local hospital.

At the hospital we sat in the waiting room and I was really nervous and kept running all the things through my head that I wanted to say to try convince them that I needed to have the op done. When we went in the consultant shook my hand and said, "Hello, we meet again!" (he had performed my original op). He then explained to me that I was very lucky because the area I live in performs these ops on the NHS - I was over the moon. He said that I would go on a waiting list and it should take no longer than 6 months. That was in the December. In the January I received a letter telling me my op was scheduled for February, so quick that I hadn't even had time to think about it!

The op itself was quite a big one - very painful, much worse than I had anticipated - and I spent 9 weeks off sick from work, during which time I spent hours watching all the birth programmes on 'Discovery Health'!!

That August I got my 1st BFP, but sadly that beanie didn't make it and after 3 scans to look for a heartbeat I was taken in for a D& C. Jonathan took it really badly and sunk into depression. This was his first child and he had been so excited about it.

Two months later I fell pregnant again. Jonathan was very cautious and refused to get excited but this beanie stuck. I went for a 1st scan at the early pregnancy unit and a heartbeat was detected straight away. I was relieved, but still was cautious. When I went for my Nuchal scan at 12 weeks I saw that there was no longer a beanie there but a baby and the feeling of overwhelming love just hit me there and then.

When I was given the results I was told I was high risk for Downs - 1:143. My odds before the scan at age 36 were 1:158, so my odds had worsened. I got a bit upset to begin with but then decided that this baby inside me was loved whatever and there was no way I was going to risk an amnio. So I went through my pregnancy without giving the high risk a second thought.

On the 17th September 2005 Sofia was born a healthy 8lb 14 and completely normal. She is absolutely gorgeous and the apple of her daddy's eye. Was the pain worth it? Most definitely Would I do it all again? In a flash!

Deb

Update: February 2007: almost 3 years after her sterilisation reversal Deb is now pregnant again with her second child (post op), and she says that it only took 2 months of actively trying to conceive. Her message to those who have also undergone sterilisation reversal, or who are thinking of doing so, "Never give up hope!"

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