Dunbartonshire couple wait 16 years for ‘dream’ Christmas with precious baby after IVF success
A couple who suffered over a decade of heartache[1] before their precious baby was born have spent their first Christmas with their "wee miracle", making the day extra special for the Dunbartonshire family.
Charlotte and Peter Wallace, who live in Old Bonhill, were over the moon when little Phoebe was born on July 5, weighing 7lbs 1oz. Her journey into the world did not come without its challenges - with her embryo having been frozen for more than six years.
Mum Charlotte, 47, even joked that she should’ve been called Elsa after the character from iconic Disney film Frozen.
She told the Lennox[4]: “We were so excited for Christmas, Phoebe has been spoiled rotten by everyone. It’s something we’ve been dreaming of for years. She’s our wee Christmas miracle.
“We just had a quiet Christmas Day and then my step-daughter, Margaret-ann and her little boy, Noah, who is three are coming on Boxing Day. So we’ll have a lovely family day together. Noah loves her to bits.”
Charlotte and husband Peter began trying for a baby shortly after getting married in 2006. They turned to IVF a decade later, after a lengthy spell of waiting and tests.
But quickly Charlotte’s dream of becoming a mum turned to heartbreak - and left her questioning if she would ever be able to have a child.
She explained: “We had our first round of IVF in 2016. We had three embryos, we had the first transferred as a fresh embryo and that worked. But when we went for the 12 week scan there was no heartbeat.
Phoebe, born after 16 years of heartache. (Image: Lennox Herald)
“We had a couple of early miscarriages naturally. When we had the first IVF we got really excited, but when we went for the scan it was very difficult to take. That’s why it took a couple of years to try again.”
Charlotte returned for a second round of IVF in 2019, which again proved unsuccessful - leaving Phoebe’s embryo as her final chance at becoming pregnant.
But by that stage Charlotte had lost hope - before getting the news she thought might never happen.
She explained: “We were supposed to transfer Phoebe’s embryo in July 2020, but Covid-19 put a hold on that. Because of my age we were questioning whether to do it or not.
“But we thought she’d been in the freezer for six years, and if it didn’t work then at least she’d be back where she belonged.
Phoebe was born in July after 16 years of trying and IVF. (Image: Lennox Herald)
“I didn’t think it would work. I kept saying I was too old and the embryo had been in the freezer for too long. I wanted to just get it over and done with. I was resigned to the fact that it wasn’t going to work.
“But on December 6 last year I got the news that I was pregnant.”
And on July 5 she said all the emotional and physical pain was made worthwhile, as little Phoebe entered the world five weeks early - weighing a healthy 7lbs 1oz.
Phoebe was born on July 5 weighing 7lbs 1oz. (Image: Lennox Herald)
Charlotte continued: “When I got that phone call to say I was pregnant it was like getting on a rollercoaster. We had our first scan on January 3 to see if it was a viable pregnancy, followed by the 12 week scan which I was really scared of.
"I had a caesarean because I was carrying a lot of fluid as she was getting bigger, and I remember saying that all I wanted in the world was to hear her crying. That’s when I knew it was real. Hearing her crying was worth every injection, every emotion.
“She has brought so much joy into our lives.
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“She spent a couple of weeks in the NICU (neonatal intensive care unit) at Paisley with a CPAP machine on to help with her breathing and nasal prongs. She was tube fed for a wee while. She did things her own way.”
Now a happy and healthy tot, Charlotte and Peter finally got the Christmas they had been dreaming of - with Charlotte admitting that she still has to pinch herself.
She laughed: “Phoebe really was our very last chance. We should’ve called her Elsa because she was frozen for so long!
“I feel like I’m looking down on someone else’s life now. When I say ‘come to mummy’ it makes it feel so special because that’s me.
“I’m hopeful that sharing Phoebe’s story will raise a bit of awareness of IVF and infertility. There’s always hope. Sometimes people don’t get their baby and it’s heartbreaking.
“There’s a lovely community out there where everyone is so supportive. And you never know what might happen, even if you feel as if you have given up.”
References
- ^ heartache (www.glasgowlive.co.uk)
- ^ Glasgow family devastated by flood get 'Christmas miracle' thanks to local hero plumber (www.glasgowlive.co.uk)
- ^ First picture of Rutherglen woman found dead days before Christmas as murder investigation launched (www.glasgowlive.co.uk)
- ^ Lennox (www.dailyrecord.co.uk)
- ^ Glasgow Live's Whatsapp Community here (chat.whatsapp.com)