Reintroducing My Journey: A Story of Hope and Resilience

Our JourneyPregnancy LossIVF and Infertility

3 Feb

It's time for a reintroduction to me, Kirby, the heart and soul behind Coco's Fizz. I want to take a moment to share our story and the reason behind Coco’s Fizz and the power of giving back.

I'm Kirby, a 36-year-old from Kerang in country Victoria. My life took a beautiful turn when I met my husband Daniel in 2005. Back then, I was in Year 12, and he was on holidays from Newcastle University. Despite the four-year age gap, we fell deeply in love and got married in 2012.

Our journey to starting a family began with the arrival of our first daughter, Piper, in 2014. Watching her grow has been an absolute joy and continues to be everyday. It’s hard seeing her struggle with the loss of her siblings and how it affects her relationships with her friends. However, our lives took an unexpected turn when we faced the heartbreaking loss of our second daughter, Coco. She was stillborn at 36 weeks in May 2018, following a low-risk and seemingly easy pregnancy. To this day, we are unsure of the reason behind her passing.

Coco's passing became the driving force behind the creation of Coco's Fizz. Through our business, we donate a portion of every item sold to charities and organisations that support bereaved families like ours. It's our way of giving back and helping others navigate the painful journey of loss.

One of the organisations we support is Bears of Hope. They provide incredible support and guidance to families who have experienced the loss of a baby during pregnancy, birth, or infancy. Bears of Hope offers comfort, resources, and healing retreats, reminding families that they are not alone.

We also contribute to the Stillbirth Foundation Australia, an organization dedicated to reducing the incidence of stillbirth and ensuring that families receive the care and support they need during this devastating time. They fund research, raise awareness, and advocate for improved stillbirth prevention strategies.

Additionally, we support Heartfelt, a volunteer organisation of professional photographers who provide free photography sessions to families experiencing stillbirth, premature birth, or the serious illness of their child. These cherished photographs create lasting memories during the most challenging moments. Our journey hasn't been without its challenges. Since losing Coco, we have faced multiple losses and struggled with infertility. In December 2018, we experienced a missed miscarriage at 9 weeks. We tried conceiving naturally for over a year without success and turned to assisted conception with medication to assist with ovulation.

In March 2020, we began our IVF journey. We underwent three egg collections and transferred two embryos in October 2020, resulting in a confirmed pregnancy with twins. However, one of the embryos implanted on my caesarean scar, which posed significant risks for both the baby and me. I had to undergo surgery to remove the baby on my scar, and sadly, the other baby didn't survive.

In 2021, we persevered with two more egg collections and several frozen transfers, but luck wasn't on our side. Then, in March 2022, a glimmer of hope emerged as we received a positive pregnancy result after transferring two embryos. Once again, we were pregnant with twins. Unfortunately, one twin passed away at 8 weeks, and I faced various complications, including bleeding and inflammation. It led to the shortening of my cervix, requiring a cervical suture and a prolonged hospital stay.

But we tried not to give up. We continued to fight, even when the odds seemed stacked against us. Despite no fluid around him, our son Sawyer continued to grow. However, the journey took another heartbreaking turn when I experienced a prolapsed cord, leading to the delivery of Sawyer at just shy of 17 weeks.

Further medical investigations revealed chronic endometritis, inflammation in my uterus. With treatment and determination, we embarked on more frozen transfers and egg collections. Though the road has been challenging, we try not to let go of hope. We just put one foot in front of the other each day and focus on our next step.

Our numbers tell a story: 16 stimulated IVF cycles, including 9 egg collections and fresh embryo transfers, 2 cancelled cycles, 4 frozen transfers, and one frozen cycle where two embryos didn't survive the thawing process. That’s 6 pregnancies, and 8 babies, with only one living child.

We have now closed the door on carrying a pregnancy myself and we are now exploring the possibility of surrogacy with a lady and family who have offered to do this for us. She has undergone testing and we are relieved and pleased to announce that she is medically approved to carry our baby. We are just in the process of undergoing counselling sessions and organising the legal side of it.

We are so grateful that this family has said they are willing to give us this incredible gift. It is truly a life-changing act and we are so honoured to be exploring this path together to hopefully give us a live baby.

Please reach out to us through our Instagram page @our.journey.to.our.rainbow. Your support, encouragement, and the power of community mean the world to us, and we are forever grateful for your presence in our journey.

I want to express my deepest gratitude to each and every one of you for reading, following, caring, and supporting both my business and my life. Your presence means more to me than words can express. Thank you for being a part of my journey.

Kirby.