"Ayrshire maternity unit"

After suffering with fertility issues for a number of years and undergoing both a financial and emotional rollercoaster of ivf, we were blessed with success on our third attempt.

As I'm sure every pregnancy is precious we could not believe it had eventually happened for us.  However our joy was short lived as at week 6-7 I began to bleed. I was very anxious and feared the worst, I was aware of the early pregnancy unit however was apprehensive that as I was so early on in pregnancy I would be dismissed. However I decided to call and spoke to a lovely midwife Jackie who arranged to review me despite my early stages.  Although it was a waiting game with bloods/scans the support given to myself from her was so appreciated at this time.

Fortunately my pregnancy progressed although the emotional rollercoaster continued when at 12 weeks I received the news that my bloods were abnormal and may indicate a congiental defect.  We were seen promptly by Elaine pirrie who supported us and allowed us to make an informed decision on our options. Thankfully everything was okay.

At 36 weeks i attended a routine appointment with Dr Irvine where I explained my levels of anxiety were increasing regarding the miracle pregnancy that I thought at one point was never going to happen. Again the support provided was excellent and subsequently arranged closer monitoring at day care unit. The reassurance given to myself from Elaine and Lisa was really appreciated and prevented me from panicking at home.

Although I have another few weeks till our miracle arrives I will be forever grateful to the staff who have provided the support in our journey. Having worked for NHS Ayrshire & Arran for the past 18 years it has been insightful to see what it's like on the other side as a patient , my care has been excellent.