Claudine
The trauma, uncertainty and pressure of being responsible for those decisions never leaves you.
After a beautiful and positive pregnancy and birth of our first child, my husband and I were devasted to learn at the 20-week scan of my second pregnancy that our baby had spina bifida. Unfortunately, no one could tell us where our baby girl would fall on the spectrum of outcomes of this complex condition.
After an agonising week of sleepless nights, we made the heartbreaking decision to discontinue the pregnancy. Leaving the hospital the following day without our baby daughter was almost unbearable.
Unbelievably, our third pregnancy brought an almost identical diagnosis at the 20-week scan and again, we made the devastating decision to say goodbye to our third daughter. This decision almost broke me. The trauma and pressure of those decisions have never left me.
When our fourth baby, a son, was also diagnosed with spina bifida at a 16-week scan, I knew I couldn't make the decision to discontinue the pregnancy again. Our specialist told us about pioneering spina bifida in-utero surgery in Brisbane and we made the decision to do this. It felt like providence.
Our son was born and has surpassed every expectation. He is a cheerful, inquisitive and active boy who loves sport.
Our fifth pregnancy was a surprise and despite a uterine rupture, our daughter arrived safely.