Durban - In what is being termed a ‘miracle’, a Bluff woman who reluctantly opted for surrogacy after a six-year battle to fall pregnant, has given birth to a beautiful baby girl.
Swastika Sirohi, 38, the co-owner of a metal export company, was diagnosed with an unviable uterus and was told by doctors she could never carry a baby, but months after choosing the surrogate route she was granted a second blessing when she found out she was eight weeks pregnant.
Sirohi said she and her husband, Mayanak, cried and laughed with joy when they learnt of the unusual turn of events that was nothing short of a miracle.
“We never believed God would bless us with so many miracles in one lifetime, but I consider myself extremely lucky.
"I have an indescribable human being of a husband, Jasvi, a miracle in hand who was born in December, and Teyaana, a second daughter who arrived just last month.”
The couple began trying to conceive in 2010, a year after they tied the knot.
But she had several complications, including Asherman syndrome, severe polycystic ovarian syndrome (PSCOS) and sdenomyosis.
Sirohi nevertheless underwent six in-vitro fertilsations (IVF), an intrauterine insemination (IUI), and two gamete intrafallopian tube transfers.
All attempts were unsuccessful, and they resorted to surrogacy.
“It took me a long time to digest the idea and the thought of someone else carrying my baby.
New mom Swastika Sirohi is on double duty with her special ‘twins’ born four months apart.
"I would torture myself year in and year out with all sorts of assisted reproductive technology. I could never accept failure in general.
"After seven years of marriage, I finally took the plunge.”
Obstacles
However, this route also came with its own obstacles.
“Our doctor had to submit in writing for a high court order to be issued to allow for surrogacy, an order to state that I could not carry my own child.”
Then a lengthy process began.
“My baby came seven surrogate failures later. She was the last embryo and had been sitting frozen since November 2012.”
The surrogate was 20 weeks into her pregnancy when Sirohi was seven weeks late in her menstrual cycle.
“My husband convinced me to take a home pregnancy test, and two lines appeared. I laughed and told him he had bought a ‘cheapie’ reject test.
"The following morning he purchased a digital test that revealed I was more than three weeks pregnant.”
But Sirohi remained unconvinced.
“I made a gynae appointment a week later and was told I was eight weeks and two days pregnant. I was in total shock, to say the least.
"Imagine being told by different doctors that I would never fall pregnant, even by IVF, and now I’m pre gnant with no fertility or ART.”
Sirohi gave birth to a healthy little girl via C-section on Good Friday at 33 weeks and refers to her babies as her twins despite the four month difference.
The new mom described taking care of two infants as challenging, but she has a nanny, a caring mother-in-law and a hands-on husband, which makes all the difference.
Her advice to women struggling to fall pregnant: “Live life and take care of your health. Through the years I neglected myself, and it’s only when I cut out the sugar, started going to gym and living freely, that my miracles happened.”
Her plans for Mothers Day: “Juggle my babies and make it through another day alive.”