FIGHTING REAL-LIFE
Rachel Gore, 36, just wanted her little girl to be OK...
Waking up to the warm Florida sunshine one morning in October 2016, there was something I had to do first.
Heading straight to the bathroom, I tore the wrapping off the smooth, flat stick.
Hovering over the toilet, I prayed it was finally time.
My period was due yesterday, I reasoned with myself.
Me and my husband Michael, 35, had been trying for a baby since January 2016 and I sadly suffered a miscarriage at just seven weeks, six months prior.
I hadn’t realised quite how badly I wanted to be a mum until I met Michael.
Falling in love on a film course at Full Sail University, Florida, it wasn’t long before I realised I wanted to spend the rest of my life with Michael, and we tied the knot after our graduation back in May 2011.
Since my miscarriage I was testing every month and tracking my periods, desperate to find out if I was pregnant.
So, when I saw the two red lines, clear as day on the little stick, I was over the moon.
I was pregnant!
Unable to contain my excitement, I couldn’t wait to tell Michael. Waiting for him to come home, I wished I had surprised him at work.
I was thrilled she was a girl
But I was still processing the news when Michael got home. ‘Guess what,’ I said, excitedly.
‘We’re pregnant!’
‘Wow,’ Michael was equally surprised. ‘That’s amazing.’
Thinking of my miscarriage, I couldn’t help but worry that this pregnancy would have the same result as before.
But Michael always knew exactly how to get rid of any negativity that Iwas feeling.
‘We’re as ready as we can be,’ he said. ‘This time it will be different.’
The first seven weeks came and went and I was still pregnant. And on 16 March 2017 we found out we were having a little girl.
I had been getting a little cranky because we had meant to find out the gender earlier.
‘She’s just been keeping her legs crossed,’ Michael joked –he was always good at getting me out of a grump.
But I was thrilled we were having a little girl –I knew Michael would make a fantastic dad to a girl.
He had a great understanding of female emotions and any little girl would be really lucky to have him as their father.
At 30 weeks, my mum Susan, 65, held a baby shower for us.
The house was filled with family and friends, who also brought their mothers –we played lots of games, celebrating our baby daughter.
But at our 31-week scan, our celebrations started to sour.
‘She’s measuring as 26 weeks,the doctor told me. ‘She should be larger by now.’
‘What does that mean?’ I asked.
‘You need to go to the hospital for a few tests,’ they replied, vaguely.
I
