We had been trying for a baby for about 2 years. We decided to pursue the difficult and expensive process of IVF. Finally after our second embryo transfer, the embryo stuck and we were pregnant with Charlotte, our first baby. We found out in the beginning of November 2021. We were cautiously optimistic because we were nervous of losing this embryo. We were very thankful for each week that passed. Every doctor appointment went very well. The baby was growing and I was feeling good (minus general discomforts in pregnancy). At the time, we did not know she was a girl, we wanted to be surprised when she was born. Every week we fell more in love with our baby.
When I was 39 weeks and 4 days, I noticed that I hadn’t felt our baby move in a while. We went to the hospital and were told that our baby no longer had a heartbeat. We were and still are devastated and heartbroken. It was then that we found out that our baby was a girl and we started to grieve what could have been with our favorite girl. I was induced and delivered Charlotte on July 15, 2022, the day before her due date. It was determined that Charlotte passed away due to an umbilical cord accident.
We got to spend some time with our girl and take care of her. We cherish this time we had with her, and yet it will never be enough time. Charlotte was 7 pounds 2 ounces and 19.5 inches long. Charlotte has dark hair like her mom, and each little hair had a curl at the end. She looks just like her Daddy. Although we think she has her mom’s eye shape. Her feet were so big that they almost didn’t fit onto the business card size paper the nurses used for an ink imprint of her feet. She is the first grandchild on both sides of our family and first niece to all her aunts and uncles. We have a sense that our girl is sassy and also a sweetheart. She also goes by her nickname ‘Charlie’.
The Star Legacy Foundation has been helpful for providing resources for our family after losing our girl. We would like to help other families who have also experienced loss and find ways to prevent more stillbirths from occuring. We are walking for our daughter and all of the other babies who are not with their families in person.