Pregnancy Gave Me the Motivation To Defy the Odds

Day 14: The statistics said I would die soon after giving birth

Photo Credit: Melinda McKeon

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Beliefs are not always what they seem

I grew up believing that I wasn’t going to grow up. And if I did reach an age to be considered an adult, children were out of the question. Because people with CF were infertile, or so we were told.
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Neither of those things turned out to be true.

Pregnancy for a woman with Cystic Fibrosis was considered a massive risk in 1995. There was little data about outcomes both during pregnancy and after birth — and it wasn’t positive.
When I accidentally-on-purpose fell pregnant, it changed the dynamics of my life.
Now I had a reason to defy the odds.

Throughout my pregnancy, the you can’t, you shouldn’t, and you mustn’t brigade were in full force. But I had thrown down the cards fate dealt, and I was determined to be in charge of my narrative.

The not-so-special specialist
My pregnancy was mostly uneventful, and at 33 weeks, my not-so-special specialist obstetrician admitted me to hospital for bed rest and extra physio. Once on the hospital ward, a different version of events unfollowed. The bed rest was plentiful. The physio — lacking. There was one physiotherapist trained to do the airway clearance I required. I could only access her services for ½ an hour, twice a day.
This fell short of normal requirements — so the term extra physio was a stretch.

Then my not-so-special specialist stopped by on ward rounds. Immediately he started to lecture me. “I do not believe that women with CF, can go through normal delivery. Nor will I be letting you go to term. At 36 weeks, you will undergo a planned C-section. You’ll stay in the hospital until then.”
“I don’t think so,” I snapped right back, but he ignored me and proceeded on his rounds. That was okay — I was well versed in the art of ignoring instructions. Nor did I have any interest in the nonsense he was sprouting. So I promptly discharged myself.

I went on to deliver my son naturally, and without any intervention except paracetamol for pain relief.

​And I walked out of the delivery room & up to the ward — because I am CF Strong.

31 Days of Cystic Fibrosis Bonus Fact
A few days after Jarryn was born, my not-so-special specialist bounced in. He was clearly not-so-good at reading medical charts and was full of assumptions. Namely that I had returned to the hospital because I couldn't cope at home.
​“I’ve pleased you’ve come back, it’s not easy to admit you’re wrong and need help,” he said. “When would you like to book in your C-section?”
His delight faded when he found himself on the wrong end of a lecture detailing exactly what women with CF can achieve when they set their mind to it.

Next in the 31 Days of Cystic Fibrosis series - There's No Point Having a Baby if You Can't Be a Mother

​Most new mothers tend to place their needs last. I had to juggle to ensure that I could continue to be a mother. Because I knew that the moment I slipped, and stopped looking after myself, CF would strike.

31 Days of Cystic Fibrosis is an awareness-raising campaign to coincide with
the national Cystic Fibrosis (CF) awareness month in Australia.
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​If you’ve just joined the journey and want to start at the beginning, you’ll find the first post here: Your Daughter Has Cystic Fibrosis