For me, becoming a mother was a trial by fire. My husband and I went through a very painful period of infertility that took almost two years to resolve. Then during my pregnancy, I became dangerously ill with HELLP Syndrome, a serious form of pre-eclampsia. At 32 weeks and 5 days into the pregnancy, I was sent to the hospital where my baby was delivered by emergency C-Section in order to save my life and his.

I’ll never forget my first glimpse of my baby. Through blurry eyes, I was presented with his tiny 3 lb 15 oz self in an incubator at the foot of my bed in the ICU at Burnaby Hospital. He was flanked by two paramedics who were about to transport him to BC Children’s Hospital. I didn’t know that he had stopped breathing and had to be revived just minutes before. Or that the next 11 weeks of our lives would be spent in a hospital learning to care for our premature son as his breathing problems were treated and resolved by medical staff.

Today, I am the mother of a happy, healthy two year old boy and am so grateful for that. Looking back on how my journey into motherhood started, I can say that I learned a lot from our struggle with infertility and as the mother of a premie. And I’m learning everyday about how to be a parent to my son.

There are new challenges everyday. Right now, I am wondering how to get my little dude to stop pinching and biting. What should I do about discipline? When is the right time to start daycare? When do we start potty training? How can I find enough time for me and for us?

But what I know for sure is that the journey to here has been a gift, one I will never take for granted.

I’ve got so much more to say about all of my experiences to date, and the ones yet to come. Stay tuned!

<