26 December 2023 , 22:42
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Christmas has been extra special this year for one family who celebrated with their adorable baby daughter, Phoebe, born after 16 years of heartache.
Little Phoebe came into the world on July 5 weighing 7lbs 1oz. However, her journey was a lengthy one - with her embryo having been frozen for more than six years, and delighted mum Charlotte, 47, joking that she should’ve been called Elsa after the character from iconic Disney film Frozen
Charlotte said: “We were so excited for Christmas, Phoebe has been spoiled rotten by everyone. It’s something we’ve been dreaming of for years. She’s our wee Christmas miracle.
“We just had a quiet Christmas Day and then my step-daughter, Margaret-Ann and her little boy, Noah, 3, are coming on Boxing Day. So we’ll have a lovely family day together. Noah loves her to bits.”
Charlotte and husband Peter began trying for a baby shortly after getting married in 2006. They turned to IVF a decade later, after a lengthy spell of waiting and tests. But quickly Charlotte’s dream of becoming a mum turned to heartbreak - and left her questioning if she would ever be able to have a child.
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She explained: “We had our first round of IVF in 2016. We had three embryos, we had the first transferred as a fresh embryo and that worked. But when we went for the 12 week scan there was no heartbeat.
She was a Christmas miracle (Lennox Herald)
Phoebe Eliza Goodfellow Wallace was born in July after 16 years of trying and IVF (Lennox Herald)The Daily Record reported that the couple had a few miscarriages naturally. "When we had the first IVF we got really excited, but when we went for the scan it was very difficult to take. That’s why it took a couple of years to try again.”
Charlotte returned for a second round of IVF in 2019, which again proved unsuccessful - leaving Phoebe’s embryo as her final chance at becoming pregnant. But by that stage Charlotte had lost hope.
She said: “We were supposed to transfer Phoebe’s embryo in July 2020, but Covid-19 put a hold on that. Because of my age we were questioning whether to do it or not. But we thought she’d been in the freezer for six years, and if it didn’t work then at least she’d be back where she belonged."
“I didn’t think it would work. I kept saying I was too old and the embryo had been in the freezer for too long. I wanted to just get it over and done with. I was resigned to the fact that it wasn’t going to work. But on December 6 last year I got the news that I was pregnant.”
Charlotte continued: “When I got that phone call to say I was pregnant it was like getting on a rollercoaster. We had our first scan on January 3 to see if it was a viable pregnancy, followed by the 12 week scan which I was really scared of.
"I had a caesarean because I was carrying a lot of fluid as she was getting bigger, and I remember saying that all I wanted in the world was to hear her crying. That’s when I knew it was real. Hearing her crying was worth every injection, every emotion. She has brought so much joy into our lives."
“She spent a couple of weeks in the NICU (neonatal intensive care unit) at Paisley with a CPAP machine on to help with her breathing and nasal prongs. She was tube fed for a wee while. She did things her own way.”
Now happy and healthy, Charlotte and Peter finally got the Christmas they had been dreaming of - with Charlotte admitting that she still has to pinch herself. She said: “Phoebe really was our very last chance. We should’ve called her Elsa because she was frozen for so long! I feel like I’m looking down on someone else’s life now."