Mum’s the special word for Rosie

Rosie Bambrick’s first Mother’s Day is a milestone she doesn’t take for granted for a single moment. The Toowoomba mum has survived Hodgkin’s lymphoma twice, undergoing intense chemotherapy and a stem cell transplant in Brisbane, followed by radiation therapy in Toowoomba.

Her dream to be a mother seemed touch and go, at best. “With all the therapy I needed to survive cancer, my nowhusband Owen and I decided to freeze some eggs and embryos so we could start a family down the track,” Rosie says.

“We were lucky that our first IVF attempt was successful and, at around 12 weeks into the pregnancy, our fertility specialist in Brisbane was ready to hand us over to an obstetrician for the rest of the pregnancy,” she says.

“I was really keen to find a Toowoomba obstetrician who’d be confident in taking me on with IVF and my complicated medical history making it a high-risk pregnancy.

“From the first phone call, Dr David Chettle was great.

“He explained to Owen and me that he’d be monitoring me closely and he had a plan for anything that happened.

“As it turned out, I developed gestational diabetes and later in the pregnancy the baby’s growth rate slowed, which can be an issue with IVF babies.

“I also needed two transfusions to keep us going through the third trimester, as my blood counts were low.

“This was not only due to my cancer treatment history; I also have thalassaemia, a type of anaemia.

“Not all Australian doctors have worked with thalassaemic patients, but David was well experienced in what to expect.

“David talked us through every decision in terms we could both understand, so we felt very involved and trusted we were in safe hands.”

In July last year, baby Rosalinda Hope Bambrick was born via an emergency caesarean just eight days before her due date.

“Even when two attempts at inductions were unsuccessful, being prepped for a caesarean section was a very calm experience,” Rosie said.

“One of the midwives stepped in and took some photos, capturing Rosa being lifted out Lion King style.

“I found all the midwives to be very encouraging and supportive as I was determined to breastfeed.

“They really coached me through the early days.

“It was also valuable to have the in-house lactation consultants to help us get on the right track.”

Mother’s Day 2020 is set to be a quiet one for the Bambricks, but special nonetheless.