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SOPHIA: Thank you for having me!
MICHELLE: So, I know you got a lot going on, but like I said, you were part of the group, so you had several posts, and I know, again, this was a surprise pregnancy, but we're going to start from the beginning. So, just tell me how old you are now, and how old you were when you became pregnant with your son, your most recent son.
SOPHIA: I'm 42 now, and I was 41 when I found out I was pregnant with my son.
MICHELLE: How many other children do you have?
SOPHIA: I have two other children, two daughters, 19 and 14.
MICHELLE: 19 and 14, so just a bit of a little gap there.
SOPHIA: Just a big little gap.
MICHELLE: So, yeah, I can completely relate. If anyone has heard the podcast before I have an 18-year-old daughter, a 2 1/2-year-old son, and then a 9-month-old son, so a big gap there as well. One thing I can say, she is helpful, my daughter is helpful.
SOPHIA: Very, yes they are.
MICHELLE: When it comes to helping with the children, if I need that. I try not to put too much on her because she has her own life and all that, but there's definitely some help there. So, definitely good to have girls sometimes. So, you were 42 when you delivered. So tell us, you have an interesting story about how you found out you were pregnant, so just tell us your journey in that.
SOPHIA: The journey started back in 2017 when I found out I had Endometriosis and Fibroids. We had gone through a process for the last few years on deciding on what we were going to do to help with my health. In 2019 I decided to have a hysterectomy, it went up the line with my job or my insurance, or whatever. So, I was scheduled for a hysterectomy on February 28, 2020. I went in February 14, two weeks before my surgery, and took a pregnancy test and found out I was 5 weeks pregnant.
MICHELLE: Wow, so did you have any idea you were pregnant?
SOPHIA: No idea at all, no. I was tired, but I just thought it was because I was older and working, and the weather, just different little things. Pregnancy never crossed my mind.
MICHELLE: Did you even think you could get pregnant having the Endometriosis and the Fibroids? Did you think that maybe you couldn't get pregnant?
SOPHIA: No. The doctor told me, there's no way you can get pregnant, don't worry about anything. We're just going to go ahead and give you a hysterectomy, you'll be fine.
MICHELLE: Really?
SOPHIA: And I was 5 weeks pregnant.
MICHELLE: So, the doctor told you that back in 2017?
SOPHIA: Yes, because the Fibroids were so large at the time that he said, there's no way you are able to get pregnant, and if you were to get pregnant you wouldn't be able to carry the baby. So, I just put in my mind that I couldn't have any more kids, so I went and had fun.
MICHELLE: That's actually a testament to that doctors are not always correct.
SOPHIA: Exactly.
MICHELLE: We can not put 100% faith in what they say. I mean, I know there' statistics and numbers, but it is always, always, always possible. Wow. I know you had a couple things going on during your pregnancy, posted a couple things. I know this is your first boy and you were wondering how do you start from the beginning with having him. So, you found out you were pregnant. Now, you went to find out the gender/sex, were you hoping for a girl or a boy, or did it matter?
SOPHIA: I guess because I had girls, I was used to having girls. So, when I went in I felt like I couldn't have a boy. I'm like, well I've had two girls, I guess this is a girl too. I went thinking and expecting a girl. So, when I went and had my 20-week gross scan they told me it was a boy and I was truly shocked because I couldn't believe that I was about to have a son. So, that was a shocker. I'm a girl mom, or I was a girl mom, so I'm used to the barrettes, the balls, the pink, and the dresses. So, now I have to rethink picking out outfits for my son. Now it's khaki, dinosaurs, basketballs, soccer balls, and all these other kinds of outfits. I'm still lost like, is it too girly? I don't want it to be too girly.
MICHELLE: It's important stuff.
SOPHIA: It is. It's easy to transform a khaki and yellow to put a little bit of pink and blue and all the other colors in there, and I just don't have to do that.
MICHELLE: Right.
SOPHIA: I just put it on and go.
MICHELLE: It's a lot easier, I can attest to that as well. So, since you had your youngest daughter, were you pregnant at any point in between? Did you have a miscarriage in between your daughter and your son?
SOPHIA: I had a miscarriage between my two daughters. I had a son at 16 weeks between them in 2003. I think that was another reason I couldn't have boys, because he didn't survive. So, the girls did, so I just figured I couldn't have boys for some reason. When I got pregnant '01, '03, and '06, and I thought I was done. Then, 2020 came and there it was.
MICHELLE: Yes, 2020, that's all you need to say a lot of times now, just 2020. Let me go back to that loss that you had. So, 16 weeks is kinda the beginning of your second trimester, which is not super far along, but it's pretty well along in the pregnancy. Do you know what happened with that baby?
SOPHIA: I don't. Actually, I had found out I was pregnant probably 3 weeks before I lost him. I didn't know I was pregnant, I didn't have any symptoms, but I was working two jobs and I had a 2-year-old at the time, so I just didn't pay attention to my body. At the time, when he was moving around I thought it was just gas or something, bloating, just something other than a baby. So, I went and took a pregnancy test because I hadn't had my cycle, wasn't paying attention, and that's when I found out I was pregnant. Then, when I tried to get prenatal care started up, that's when I found out he was not viable.
MICHELLE: Wow, ok. I know that's still got to be hard, even years. A lot of women in the group, just a loss at any point is hard and devastating, even if you do have children afterward. Ok. so I know you had those three pregnancies before your most recent, your son. Now, were there any differences in your pregnancies with your daughters some years ago, to now with this pregnancy with your son?
SOPHIA: Yeah, I was tired, I was always tired. From the time before I found out that I was pregnant to this morning, I'm still tired. I'm just so tired, and it's totally different, because with my girls I was full of energy. Like, I can go to sleep at 12, midnight, and wake up at 5 in the morning and be energized, and that's with having both of them at the same time. Now, I have to take a nap in between my naps., cause it's a lot.
MICHELLE: So, extremely tired when you were pregnant with your son. Did you have anything else going on? Did you have morning sickness with him?
SOPHIA: I had, probably I was sick three times with him, and that was because of heat, being in the heat. I'm a city bus driver and at the time it was really, really hot and I just got sick from that. But I did have morning sickness. I didn't have weird cravings, well I did, I wanted ranch dressing with everything. That was it really, that was it. But it was a "normal" pregnancy for me, other than I had high blood pressure. Medically I had high blood pressure and I'm anemic, but I've been anemic most of my life, and that was a scary thing. I kind of believe that was an attribute of my miscarriage, because it was a lot of medical things going on that was associated with the anemia. So, I think that was a reason why he probably didn't survive, because afterward I started having a lot of iron infusions and I had to take a lot of iron pills and stuff after I found out I was anemic with him. That was 20 some years ago, 23, something like that, when I was pregnant with him.
MICHELLE: OK, so with the high blood pressure, did you have high blood pressure before this pregnancy, or just during this pregnancy?
SOPHIA: I had it before, but it increased, it was worse, when I found out I was pregnant. It kept elevating, which is a part of the reason I was induced, because it kept getting higher and higher the further along I got.
MICHELLE: Now, were you put on any medication for the high blood pressure during pregnancy?
SOPHIA: Yes, I was.
MICHELLE: What were you put on?
SOPHIA: Labetalol.
MICHELLE: That seemed to help?
SOPHIA: At first it did, then they had to increase because my numbers, my bottom number was rising, so they would increase it a little by little. Next thing you know they were at the max of dosage for me when they had to induce because they couldn't give me any more Labetalol.
MICHELLE: Now, did you see a specialist during this pregnancy, or did you just go to the regular OB?
SOPHIA: Yeah, I saw a specialist.
MICHELLE: When did you start seeing a specialist?
SOPHIA: I think I was in my second trimester, so about 12 weeks, 14 weeks, something like that.
MICHELLE: Did you get the genetic testing done?
SOPHIA: No.
MICHELLE: Did they offer it to you?
SOPHIA: They did.
MICHELLE: What was your reason for not doing it?
SOPHIA: There was a reason for him to be here, and I didn't want to know one way or the other, he was going to be taken care of and loved either way. Obviously, doctors don't know what they're saying. Then, from reading a lot of people on Facebook that have the genetic testing done and will find out if the baby was, something was wrong with the baby, and that added stress. I didn't need that as well, I'm already 40+ years old, trying to make sure I maintain being a parent to two teenage girls, and then carrying my baby, working with the public with this COVID, I just didn't need this added stress. So, I felt that what God had for me, he had for me. I just took it and kept going.
MICHELLE: So, I know with me and a lot of other women, once you're 40 the doctors prescribe a low dose aspirin, was that something that was prescribed to you?
SOPHIA: Yes, he did. He prescribed it to me, which I did not want to take, because I know with my anemic, it thins out my blood. So, he wasn't on me that much to take it, but he wanted me to take it to make sure that my pregnancy was ok. But, I had faith in God, I'm not going to lie, I really didn't take it like he wanted me to take it.
MICHELLE: What was it? He wanted you to take it every day once a day?
SOPHIA: Yes, one pill a day, and I took it every so often.
MICHELLE: I can understand that as well. When I was pregnant with my son at 40/41, I was prescribed a low dose aspirin, and I took it, and I took it faithfully throughout the whole pregnancy. But, when I delivered him, right after labor, I was bleeding so much that the doctor had to give me something to clot my blood so I'd stop bleeding. So, when I was pregnant again at 42/43 I was advised to take the low dose aspirin as well. Same thing, I didn't take it as much, in the beginning, it was maybe once or twice a week. Towards the end of the pregnancy, maybe 35 weeks or so, my blood pressure started going up a little bit so I started taking it a little bit more, but I definitely didn't take it the whole time. Then, when I delivered him I didn't have the same issue with the extreme bleeding. So, I attribute it to low-dose aspirin, because it is a blood thinner. But yeah, everything was ok with that. So, take us to the delivery, shortly before the delivery of your son, is it, Emerson?
SOPHIA: Yes.
MICHELLE: OK, Emerson. So, you were induced, but just tell us that day, what happened? I'm assuming you didn't know you were going to be induced, or did you know?
SOPHIA: They kind of played around with, maybe… I knew I wasn't going to go the full 40 weeks, I knew they didn't want me to go to full 40 because of my age and I had high blood pressure. So, they told me that they would let me go to at least 39, but by the time I hit 35 weeks I started going to the doctor every week, and then my blood pressure numbers kept increasing, so they started having me come twice a week. I believe they saw something in my ultrasound, to be honest, because they were on the ultrasound, every two days I had an ultrasound.
MICHELLE: Really?
SOPHIA: Yeah, my numbers were increasing slowly, which they kept telling me wasn't a big issue, but if it wasn't why was I coming twice a week? I think, I believe they knew, but they just didn't tell me to get me upset or whatever. I had to go two days before my induction, I had to go take a COVID test. They were like, well, we just want to make sure you're ok. Then they called me the day before and told me, guess what? You're going to have a baby tomorrow, but we need you to come in tonight so we can get your induction. I went in that night, thinking I was going to have a baby tomorrow, the next day, and I didn't. They induced me with, I think it was Cervidil, something, and that was 12 hours, progression was very slow. So, they ended up putting me on Pitocin, that was slow. Then, they did something else, they put a balloon in, that helped some, and the next thing you know, day 2--I went in on the 23rd, and on the 25th--was where my labor progressed, and I was able to give birth, but it took me 2 whole days to give birth. But, I was adamant about not having a C-section, because I didn't want an epidural. For some reason, I didn't want to have an epidural, I wanted to have him natural, and they allowed that. My blood pressure did good, and then at the very end, I developed Pre-Eclampsia. They were livid, because it just went quick. One minute I think my blood pressure was 120/65, something like that, next thing you know it was 175/120, and it kept getting worse and worse, and they were like, we got to get the baby out. It just so happened when they were starting to get worried he crowned, and was coming out. It went quick, they checked me at 5, blood pressure started getting high, then around 7 o'clock, they were like, if something doesn't happen in the next hour or two, we're going to have to do something. That had me scared because I just did not want to get a c-section. I had him at 8:30.
MICHELLE: So I'm going to go back a little bit. You said you got your call, you took your COVID test, everything was ok, then you got a call saying, hey we're going to have a baby. So, did you not know you were going in at that point?
SOPHIA: No, I really didn't. Until they gave me the call. I always make sure I have everything prepared, because I was 37 weeks so I knew something was coming soon, the baby or induction, one of the two. So, I had my bags already packed. When they gave me the call I was like, OK, cool, cause I'm tired, let's have a baby. I didn't think that anything was wrong. Come to find out, when I had him, his umbilical cord was wrapped around his neck twice, and it was a knot in his umbilical cord. So, I'm kinda thinking the doctor saw something and that was the reason they pushed for the induction so soon. I had just had a doctor's appointment the day before they called me, then next thing you know, they call me and say, yeah, come in tomorrow night and have a baby.
MICHELLE: Ok. So, I know you went the two days, and you were adamant about not having an epidural. Were you all-natural with your two daughters?
SOPHIA: Yes.
MICHELLE: Is there a reason you said you refused to have an epidural, you didn't want an epidural.
SOPHIA: It sounds strange, I didn't want that added pain to my back. I don't know. I just didn't want an epidural, I've never wanted one. I didn't have one with my other two babies, and they were large babies, way bigger than he was. I just didn't want an epidural, I don't know why.
MICHELLE: So, on a scale of 1 to 10, how was labor for you as far as pain? As you know, it's one of the worst pains we've ever experienced. Some people can get through it, some people have quick labors, but for me it was horrible, and the last one I was like, I don't want to feel any pain at all so give me what you got. How was labor for you? Did you feel like you could just take it, you're ok, you're built for this, or did it not hurt that much?
SOPHIA: I did, for two days I breathed through it. The nurses were like, good job mom, we're so surprised that you're holding out. A couple times I broke and had a little bit of pain relief, but for the most part, I just breathed through it. But, right at the end, I'm not going to lie, I told them to go ahead and give me the epidural. But, when I told them that, I was 9cm, he was coming out, but I didn't know that. I think it was a mental break for me at that time, because it was back to back labor pains and I was like, I can't do it anymore, it's been two days and I was tired. Then it was like, guess what? His head is out. I was like, oh, ok. Well, cancel the epidural.
MICHELLE: So, you said you broke and got some pain relief. Now, I know I've heard before, we can give you something just to take the edge off. I don't know what it's called, but for me it did nothing. Did it actually help you out? That medication they gave?
SOPHIA: It did, it really did. It just calmed me down. I don't know if it was a placebo, I don't know what it was, it just calmed me down. I was able to close my eyes and have a little bit of a moment to bring myself back to woosah, and then I was ready for it. When it wore off I was like, I'm ready for this, I can do it. At the end, I was like, please no, I don't think I can do it.
MICHELLE: You know, sometimes you just take it to the point where we can't do it anymore, and when we're at that point, just right there, and that's it, your body takes as much as it can and then it's done. So, as far as pushing, was it a long pushing period?
SOPHIA: Two pushes, and that was it. I was pushing when I wasn't supposed to be pushing. I probably pushed ten minutes before they told me to push, because it was so intense it was like I couldn't NOT push. Then when it was time for me to push it was only two pushes. Which was good, because like I said, his cord was wrapped around his neck twice and had the little knot in it. It helped get him out as quickly as possible. When he got out, he didn't cry at all, which scared me. He wasn't lifeless, but he was limp, light limp. He was just like, let me catch my breath to see what is going on, then he let out a little cry. Oh, and they put me on magnesium because of my blood pressure, they did. They put me on magnesium because they were scared I was going to have a seizure, and I think that was a little part of him being lethargic, because he had a little quick shot of magnesium in him.
MICHELLE: Now, the magnesium, that's to counter the high blood pressure or something?
SOPHIA: Yes.
MICHELLE: Now, how much did, do you call him EJ?
SOPHIA: Yes.
MICHELLE: How much did he weigh when he was born?
SOPHIA: 6 pounds and 13 1/2 ounces.
MICHELLE: So, was everything ok with him? I mean, he looks like a healthy baby boy. Did he have any issues, or he was perfectly fine?
SOPHIA: He did have issues. I think the magnesium was a little shock to his system. They had to end up putting him on a C-Pap mask to help him with his breathing. He had jaundice, and he was in NICU for 11 days. His jaundice just left about a month ago, so it was a long process to get the jaundice out of his system. But other than that, he's a healthy baby boy.
MICHELLE: So, he was specifically in NICU for the jaundice?
SOPHIA: Yeah.
MICHELLE: OK, that's just interesting to me because my last two sons had jaundice, but neither one of them were hospitalized because of that. My most recent son, he was there, we had to take him to the hospital every day for the first 12 days just to check his levels to see if they were going up, coming down, and all that. I know sometimes they send you home with a special light for the jaundice. I know a lot of times if they can send him home they will. It just sounds like EJ's numbers were kinda higher.
SOPHIA: They were. They were real high, because they were really concerned. I never asked what the next thing they were going to do, because it seemed like his numbers weren't going to move, I just kept believing that he was going to come home. I didn't want to know what was the next step, because in my mind there wasn't a next step, he was coming home to me, because that was my son, I want my baby home. That's what I kept telling myself, when is my baby coming home. His numbers, if they weren't going high, they would just stay the same. So they would end up, they put him under a special light, we did a lot of skin to skin with him. Those were the things, mostly, that we did. I had to end up, instead of me breastfeeding him I ended up pumping him and had to bottle feed. They told me that would help more get the jaundice out of him, than giving him the breast. I tried anything, I just wanted my son home.
MICHELLE: Right, so I know that has got to be so hard to leave the house after you've had your baby, and they're still in the hospital and the NICU, so what was your arrangement? How did you see him? Did you go every day? Did you stay all day? How did you make it through that period? I'm sure a lot of prayer was involved. On a day to day how did you make it through and what was your routine?
SOPHIA: Well, see, I lived in a little small town of about 30,000 people. We were in the hospital that was 30 miles away. I had to travel 60 miles, 30 there and 30 back. I would get up and leave, go to the hospital about 7 or 8 o'clock in the morning and come home about 7 or 8 o'clock at night. I made sure I attended to him as much as possible. Me and his oldest sister, we went back and forth every day, and spent 10 to 12 hours a day. I fed him, I made sure he was bathed, I did skin to skin, I was there because I wanted to make sure he knew who I was. I prayed. I started developing Post Partum Depression because I had my other two children here, I didn't have my son, I started to think something was wrong with me, I did something wrong in my pregnancy, it was just a lot of stuff. The Devil can trick you a lot of ways, but you can just think anything, the reason your child was sick was because of you. That's what I thought, that he was sick because of me, it was my fault that he was sick, and he's never going to come home, because every time I would go they would say, “Oh he'll come home tomorrow.” Then tomorrow, well we checked his levels and they're not good, gotta stay another day or two. That was a disappointment, and as I said, that started me to have a little Post-Partum Depression, especially with me having let down. Breastfeeding, I would wake up and my body would be like, "it's time to feed baby, and then there wasn't a baby around. So, I was starting to get sad and depressed about that. My children, they were doing the best they could. My oldest daughter was graduating, just about to start college, my other daughter just started high school. So, with this remote learning, I'm trying to be a mom to them, then be a mom to my son, and I forgot about myself. I really did. I actually don't know how I made it. It's like I got up like a robot. I got up, I ate, I bathed, I did something, and then I went and seen about my son, come home, see about my kids, go to bed, and then I'd get up and do it all over again. So, it was kind of a rhythm that I just kept going, I never paid attention to myself, but I made sure that everybody else was taking care of.
MICHELLE: Right, and that's something that we as mothers, we as women, we just do, we do it naturally without thinking to the point where we just get overwhelmed with it. So, you said it felt like you had Post-Partum Depression, did you feel like it broke, or did you take something for it, or do you feel like it broke when you brought EJ home?
SOPHIA: It broke when I brought him home. I was complete, because he was the missing link, at the time. I was like, ok, once he came home and I started getting on my own schedule of things. OK, I got her, her, and him. At the moment I just felt lost because I had nine months of being prepared to have a son, well 8 1/2 months of preparing for a baby to come home, and then next thing you know, I came home and no baby. I see all the baby stuff, and no baby. So, it was hard at first, and then once he came home, as soon as he came home it was a sigh of relief. Now, he's home, he's not going anywhere, he's mine for sure, everything is ok. Then, I was able to be a mother. In my mind, I was a mother of three, but one was in the hospital, but now, completely a mother of three at home.
MICHELLE: Yeah, I got you. So, when did you give birth? What month? I know it was 2020.
SOPHIA: September 25th.
MICHELLE: So, of course, things have been crazy all year round. Did you have any anxiety or nervousness throughout your pregnancy? I'm wondering, COVID, and/or because of your age and being able to sustain a pregnancy, was that ever an issue for you throughout the pregnancy, or were you pretty much ok?
SOPHIA: The main issue, like I said, was me working with the public was COVID. In the beginning, of course, nobody spoke about pregnancy and COVID, it was always, well if you have certain other preexisting conditions you're at a higher risk. They didn't say anything, really, about pregnancy and COVID until it got July or August, to the worst part. I was always concerned about, because listening to the news it was saying how severe it was doing on people, on people who had diabetes or asthma. I'm thinking, our immune systems when we are pregnant is weakened, so what about us? So, I had anxieties about that. The age thing, the only thing I had anxieties about my age was being able to keep up with the midnight feedings and trying to distinguish what's wrong with him once he's crying because it's 15, 14 years since I had a baby. So, I didn't really understand the communication. Once he came out and was in my arms I remembered all that. So, the age, I don't want any more children, but if I was to have another one, I wouldn't have a problem with it with my age. I'm perfectly fine with it.
MICHELLE: So now EJ is about 2 months now, so you said he just got over the jaundice. Now, are you still nursing, are you formula feeding, are you supplementing?
SOPHIA: I'm doing both, because I started back working 3 weeks ago, and am already having that bond with him, when I breastfeed. So, we have breastfeeding at night and I give him bottles during the day.
MICHELLE: Do you pump at all?
SOPHIA: I do.
MICHELLE: I just dread working with people, at this point, just having younger kids. I tip my hat to you for going to do that and doing what you have to do. So, who cares for EJ during the day? Do you take him to a facility? Is he home? What is your arrangement like?
SOPHIA: His lovely, lovely sisters take care of him during the day. My oldest daughter, she hasn't started school yet, she starts in January. So, I have her for another month or so, and she'll be starting school, so it will be less stress on her, or not stress, but responsibility on her. My other daughter, she's in remote learning, online learning, so she's helping the sister out. Now, I need to try to find somebody to help out once the oldest daughter goes to school. I really don't want to put him in a facility, because I'm so afraid of the COVID, but we got to find somebody. I don't know what I'm going to do yet.
MICHELLE: We have a little bit of time, not a lot of time, but a little bit of time to try to figure it out, but I'm sure it will be fine. So, I just assume, daughters, that they have taken well to EJ and that he's just part of the family now, like he's always been there. How were their responses when you found out you were pregnant with him?
SOPHIA: When I found out I was pregnant, my oldest daughter was a little bit upset. She was like, mom, what are you doing? I'm almost of school, we were almost out of there and you come in with a baby. She quickly got over it, and then she thought, with me, that we were having a girl. So, we were team girl. My youngest daughter, she was like, nope it's a boy, I know it's a boy. So, when I found out it was a boy and made the reveal to them, my oldest daughter had a few moments of upset tears, but then it changed to joy, because she was like, I finally got a brother. The youngest daughter was like, Yes! I got a brother!
MICHELLE: She was like, I won!
SOPHIA: Yeah. As soon as they saw the ultrasound and saw it was a boy they were like, it's our brother! they were in love. They've been loving on him since 12, 13 weeks pregnant.
MICHELLE: Well, thank you again so much for coming on and sharing your story. I know all these stories are always an encouragement when you're over 40. Right? Whether you think you're going to have a baby, whether it's a surprise, or whether it's planned. Again, thank you for sharing your story. Are you still part of the group or did you leave the group?
SOPHIA: No, I'm still part of it.
MICHELLE: OK, when I looked at the profile I wasn't sure. A lot of times it tells me and has your membership information, but I didn't see yours on there, so I was wondering if you left.
SOPHIA: I don't think I did. I hope I didn't. If I did I'm going to rejoin.
MICHELLE: Every once in a while somebody will say something or ask a question, if you get in there at the right time you can get in there and say, yes, I got pregnant. It's possible. I have to ask this question. I know you said if you had another baby you'd be able to keep up, but what is your plan as far as future children? Do you plan on going forward with the hysterectomy or other form of birth control?
SOPHIA: I haven't thought about birth control, I haven't had a chance to, to be honest. I don't think I'm going to go with the hysterectomy. Which, quick thing. When it was brought up about having a hysterectomy they were talking about how it was beneficial for my health, which I understood. But, in the back of my mind, before I even got pregnant, I had a little bit of depression because that's the gift that was given to women, and I felt like it was being taken away from me. I was like, I don't really want to have it, but I know I need to have it in order for my health. When I found out I was pregnant I think I was ecstatic on the inside like, yes! It still works! It's not going to get taken from me. Now, since I went through this process I don't want it to be taken away, but I'm going to prevent anything from happening. But you know, prevention still isn't foolproof either. So, I haven't thought about it, but if it happens, it happens.
MICHELLE: So, did you have your six-week Post-Partum checkup?
SOPHIA: Yes.
MICHELLE: So, were they able to look and see how the Fibroids look? Or were they able to see that during the pregnancy?
SOPHIA: The Fibroids moved during the pregnancy. They were expelled out after I gave birth.
MICHELLE: Really?
SOPHIA: So, I have no more Fibroids.
MICHELLE: So, all it took was to have a baby to get rid of your Fibroids?
SOPHIA: Yeah, and the Endometriosis, which is a thick lining of your uterus. It's primarily gone.
MICHELLE: Wow, that's amazing. So, you wouldn't need a hysterectomy now, anyway?
SOPHIA: Nope.
MICHELLE: Because that issue has resolved.
SOPHIA: Yes.
MICHELLE: So that's what we need to tell people, if you want to get rid of your Fibroids and Endometriosis, have a baby.
SOPHIA: It can happen, you never know, like you said, doctors don't know it all and things happen for a reason, and just go with it.
MICHELLE: I know all your children are a blessing to you.
SOPHIA: They are.
MICHELLE: So again, thank you so much for coming. I hope you stay in the group and just every once in a while, I know you're busy, if you see something just offer those words of encouragement to other women kind of going through the same thing. We always appreciate that, get back to your children and you enjoy the rest of your day.
SOPHIA: You do the same and thank you.
MICHELLE: thank you.