Chesca and Doug Kramer on IVF and their wish for a fourth child
Early March was abuzz with news of Doug and Chesca Kramer going through InVitro-Fertilization (IVF). We got to do a quick interview with the power couple at the launch of Trill matress by Uratex, and asked them how they are doing:
With three adorable children, Kendra (9), Scarlet (7), and Gavin (6), one would think that the couple is set in terms of their family planning. But this good-looking family changed their mind, and their fans were thrilled to hear that Doug and Chesca are trying for a fourth child.“Actually, a big part (of trying to get pregnant again) is also because of our children. Kendra, Scarlett and Gavin have been requesting that they want to have a baby. And Gavin would always ask, ‘Can I be a kuya?’“
Doug revealed that the kids didn’t want to have another baby at first, but have been asking for another sibling the past two years.
So who among the three kids wanted to have another sibling the most? The couple answered in unison, “Kendra,” with Chesca adding, “Always, all the time, non-stop.”
Chesca added that the three kids always have a lot of their cousins coming over to play. The proud mom shares, “Kendra is so ready to take care of her own sibling. She loves all her cousins. She’d always think, ‘ What if we have another baby?’"
“It took us two years to really think about it hard. Back and forth, talking to our OB, our doctor.” Chesca stressed the importance of the couple conversations.
The questions that they discussed together were: Are we really ready? Do I want to go through it all over again? How old will we be when the baby is born?
Doug agreed that they had to prepare themselves mentally and physically. “Mentally—more us. Physically, we had to make sure that Chesca is okay,” he said.
Chesca chimed in, “It wasn’t like an overnight thing where we decided one day ‘Oh, let’s have a baby.’ No, this is like years of us talking: Are we really ready? Should we do this? Am I ready to go through it? More than Doug, it’s me and it’s my body. It’s me who’s going to carry (the baby). Am I ready physically and mentally? At this age, because we are already in our late 30s, di ba? Kaya pa ba ng bodies natin? So I really thought about it hard, and I prayed about it, too. Me, being pregnant when I was 33 is totally different from me being pregnant at 39.”
Chesca was ligated after giving birth to Gavin, so they cannot get pregnant the normal way. Doug explained the options, “Two options ‘yan, eh. Either you unligate which is another procedure, another surgery. It doesn’t really matter, if you’re cut or sunog. You really have to open up, and then you have your healing period.”
“We could have opted for that, but since we could do IVF, it’s a lot easier.” Everything happened in two months’ time, with Chesca going through blood tests as the start of their journey. “They can’t just do all these, and then you have complications. They have to be aware with what’s happening to your body,” added Chesca.
Everything was fast because Chesca had good results, which meant she was ready to go through the procedures. “After the first day of her period, the second day, we started with her injections. And then, embryo transfer,” explained Doug, who was in charge of the daily injections around her navel area for 10 days.
“That’s all in two weeks, then we wait again for two weeks. Parang you’re missing your period. If I miss my period and I’m regular, then I’m pregnant,” said Chesca.
Doug explained, “And it’s not over yet. There has to be a cycle. Sometimes, you might get it at the first, second, or third, it depends. So, sana we get it the first time. We always say keep us in your prayers. Nothing is sure yet.”
The couple seems very prepared, with realistic expectations, too! “Doug and I decided that if it doesn’t work at this point, then we will not force it. We will take it as our cue. We will never try to force anything,” added Chesca.
When asked what the kids are hoping, Doug and Chesca shared that the older sisters Kendra and Scarlet want a girl, and Gavin hopes for a boy.
“But he says, if it’s a girl, that girl will be half-predator, half-human being,” the parents laughed.