Eggcellent Mom Chronicles

I’ve learned to always hope for the best but expect the worst. IVF and infertility teach you to protect your heart; you never know what news the next appointment or phone call will bring.

This week, I fully expected to hear that I had gestational diabetes and that I’d need to prepare for a C-section due to a placenta issue. To my surprise, neither happened. The placenta shifted on its own, which means I no longer have to worry about a planned 37-week early-term delivery. Not only did I pass my glucose test, I passed it by a mile. Of course, Baby Girl can still decide her own timing, but it was a huge relief to have those “what ifs” lifted.

It never ceases to amaze me what my body—and this baby girl—can do. I am considered a multi-level high-risk pregnancy due to IVF and “geriatric” maternal age (a phrase that feels particularly cruel at 39). Both are elevated risk factors for complications we monitor closely. And yet, my OB has never once made me feel singled out, isolated, or old. In fact, at my appointment last week, he walked in and said, “I am really, really happy with everything.”

Good news still takes me by surprise, but I am here for all the milestones to come.

Today marks one of the biggest: viability week. At 24 weeks, a baby can survive earthside with medical intervention. While the odds are a mountain to climb, medicine is incredible. Baby Girl is now measuring over 1 pound, 4 ounces, which feels both surreal and reassuring. The ultimate goal is 39 weeks, and I tell her every day that she is safe and does not need to hurry.

This milestone has me feeling more excited than ever to prepare for her homecoming. But to be very clear: not yet, Baby Girl. Keep growing stronger every day. You are so loved.

I want to end by giving a shout-out to my village. My basement is quickly filling with lovingly passed-down items from you and your families. Thank you for sharing, rooting for us, and following along. My heart is full.