• “My Journey” by Bridget Schwartz

“My Journey” by Bridget Schwartz

When I reached mid thirty, and was still unmarried and partnerless, I started to think about my life and the looming 40s. I did not feel remorseful that I hadn’t yet found a husband or partner, but I knew I would have been remorseful if I missed the opportunity to have a child. I knew with absolute certainty, that I wanted to be a Mom, and I also knew that I could do it alone. I had the support of my family and friends.

From my first appointment at the Care Clinic, I knew I had made the right choice of Doctor and team. I knew that they would help me fulfil my dream. Dr Ramdeo is wonderful, and I felt comfortable and had absolute confidence in him. I never doubted that he would be honest with me if there were any stumbling blocks and I knew that he would help me have a baby.

I must admit that choosing a sperm donor was a lot tougher than I thought! I had the list of donors and pondered over the list, got advice from family and friends and finally narrowed it down to 3 choices. Dr Ramdeo helped me make my final decision and then I was set to start!

I first tried AI (Artificial Insemination), I did this a number of times, with no success. I will be honest and say it was tough. The negative blood tests were heartbreaking and each one was a big emotional setback for me. In early 2013, I decided to go on a holiday with my best friend – we took a dream trip to Washington, New Orleans and New York. I came home energized and I had made the decision that I was going to do IVF (In vitro fertilization). After consulting with Dr Ramdeo, I started this process. My advice to anyone going through this is to have a good support group to help you get through the hard days. Cut out as much stress as you can and keep believing that miracles are possible.

I had 3 viable eggs and on the 28 th of October 2013, I had 2 embryos transferred. I took a week off work. I literally did nothing except relax and did things I enjoyed. Two weeks later, it was time for my blood test which I had at Care. That morning, I knew was going to be a turning point in my life. I was either going to have a baby, or if the result was negative, I would have to choose a different path for my life. I will never ever forget the moment when Vanessa called me in and told me my test was positive! I still lose my breath when I think of that moment.

On the 2nd of July 2014, my little boy, Rourke was born and delivered by Dr Ramdeo. At 39 years old, my dream had become a reality and I was now mother to this beautiful perfect little boy. Making the decision to have a baby on my own, was the best thing I had ever done. The Care Clinic team were amazing, and I honestly couldn’t have asked for a better team to enable my dream. The staff are caring, knowledgeable, compassionate people who will be there when you need a hand to hold or to shed tears of joy!

Thank you, Dr Ramdeo and team.
I am forever grateful for my amazing boy. He is everything I dreamt of and so so much more.
– Bridget Schwartz

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