"My mom had healthy pregnancies. I don't have medical information about my grandmother's pregnancies. But both my sisters had an identical poorly-understood complication, which led to intensive care unit (ICU) stays and, for one of them, a very close brush with death. Both had long recoveries, and one sister is going on two years of reduced mobility and medical monitoring. Both kids are healthy."
"My OB-GYN had no answers about risk, and I paid out of pocket for a specialty OB-GYN visit. She said that on paper, my health stats make me a candidate for a healthy pregnancy, but this complication is poorly understood and could certainly happen to me. I'm torn. I brought up adoption and alternatives with my husband, but he wants biological kids of our own."
Couple planned to start a family at 30; at 29 the writer wants children but fears a poorly understood pregnancy complication that affected both sisters. The sisters experienced identical complications causing ICU stays, one nearly dying, prolonged recoveries, and one sister facing two years of reduced mobility and ongoing monitoring. Both sisters' children are healthy, yet both parents decided against future pregnancies; one is pursuing adoption and the other plans a one-child family. A specialty OB-GYN said the writer's health appears favorable on paper but could still be affected by the complication. The husband strongly prefers biological children, creating conflict.
Read at Slate Magazine
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