Kirsty Cook: My Birth Story

Let’s start at the beginning of 2021. My husband and I were ready to try again for our second child as we felt our first was at the age that would be good for a sibling. It didn’t go as planned for us to start with. We unfortunately suffered two miscarriages within six months, and we were broken. I sat my husband down and said to him I’m not sure if I want to try again, but I also wanted to give my son a sibling.

Fast forward to the end of 2021 and I’d fallen pregnant again. I was scared, nervous and most certainly anxious. I was worried it would end in loss every day, and I would get so upset wondering if my baby was alive. I ended up paying for private scans every two weeks until I got to 12 weeks. We went for our 12-week scan and when we saw our baby’s heartbeat everything just relaxed for that moment. Our baby was alive, moving and it wasn’t going to end in loss.

The next day I got a phone call from the hospital to tell me my blood test had come back with a high chance of Down Syndrome. I cried on the phone and for the next few hours. I was in shock and unsure what to do. I had to go for another test to give a more accurate reading and I was a mess, uncontrollably crying as I wasn’t sure what my future was going to look like. My results came back as 99.9% and 1 in 4 chances of having a baby with Down Syndrome. The doctor told me my options and also gave the option of a termination. I very quickly said no. I’d lost two babies, and I wasn’t going to give up on this one.

My pregnancy was hard - I had to have scans every two weeks to ensure baby was growing the way they should. We found out we were having a boy and everything felt right. I was still worrying day-to-day about whether he would survive, and it felt like the longest pregnancy, but he was alive and kicking. That’s all that mattered.

I made it to 37 weeks when the consultant told me I’d have to be induced. My son had stopped growing and they were worried my placenta would stop working. I was induced and ended up going into labour in just six hours when they were expecting it to be over 12.

I had two hours of full labour with contractions coming thick and fast. The neonatal team came in and told me if my son wasn’t breathing when he was born, he would go straight to the neonatal intensive care unit. Children with Down Syndrome can sometimes struggle to breathe as soon as they are born and most will also have a heart condition, making them more vulnerable to needing Nicu care. 

Reign was born at 9.53pm on 14th May and he was breathing, crying and was placed on my chest. He wasn’t rushed away, he was with me, happy and healthy. I’d dreamt of this day for over a year, and he was finally here.

My husband and I gave such a sigh of relief when Reign didn’t have to leave my side during the first night. He was breathing so well on his own and that’s when I knew he had fought so much to be here.

We spent six days in hospital due to checks and also to confirm he had Down Syndrome. Reign also has a heart defect which is genetic, so the whole family has had to be checked but it’s a very rare heart condition. 

We left the hospital as a family of four. Reign is now two and a half years old and although the first year we had lots of appointments and check-ups, it’s all slowed down now and we enjoy him so much. He’s changed our lives for the better and has changed our outlook on life. He’s makes us slow down and laugh on a daily basis. He’s the cheekiest, funniest little boy and my older son is utterly obsessed with his little brother.