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Struggle for baby ends in utter joy

From the Penarth Times, first published Thursday 28th Feb 2002.

AFTER an 11 year struggle to have a family, Darren and Jackie Baxter have brought their first child Louis home from hospital. Sue Vincent-Jones meets them.

Fast asleep and lying spread-eagled across his mother's chest, little Louis Baxter is unaware that he's attracting so much attention. At nine days old, he's oblivious to the flowers filling the living room and the hundreds of congratulations cards on the table.

Darren Baxter, 35, and Jackie, 37, married 12 years ago. Both were keen to start a family as soon as possible but there were complications to consider before they could even try for a baby.

In 1989, Darren's sister, Melissa, died of cystic fibrosis, aged only 16. Their brother, Wayne, underwent a heart and lung transplant in the same year - just days before Jackie and Darren's wedding. He died in 1994.

Jackie says: "Everyone was devastated. Cystic fibrosis is terrible and we wanted to make sure our baby didn't go through that. We both had to have genetic tests and they showed that Darren was a carrier of the gene but I wasn't. Both parents need to be carriers for the baby to inherit it so we knew there would be no problem."

But after two years, Jackie was still not pregnant. The couple went for a series of fertility tests but their doctors couldn't find anything wrong.

In December 1998, Jackie conceived naturally but their joy was short-lived and she miscarried on Christmas Eve. As friends and family celebrated, the couple were left to cope with the shock of losing their baby.

"It was one of the worst times of our lives," Darren recalls. "We had been so excited about the pregnancy, so positive, but it just didn't happen. We were devastated."

In February, Jackie was pregnant again but she didn't know it. It was an ectopic pregnancy, where the foetus grows outside the womb. She had been in pain for a few weeks but one day it became so severe, she collapsed on the bed in agony.

Unable to move, she managed to call Darren on the mobile phone he had bought her for Christmas and was rushed into hospital for emergency surgery to remove one of her fallopian tubes.

Jackie became pregnant again about a year after the ectopic pregnancy and Louis was born by caesarean section at Bishop Auckland General Hospital on September 25, weighing in at 7lb 5oz.

Jackie says: "Even during the last few months, it didn't seem real. I had this big bump and I could feel him move but until I held him in my arms, I didn't think it was happening. Even now, I keep looking at him and I'm overwhelmed. He's just so perfect." Within days, cards and gifts began to arrive from friends and well-wishers.

The couple are still mystified by their initial infertility, followed by three natural conceptions. Jackie says: "Like a lot of couples, we still don't know what the problem was or why I was suddenly able to conceive naturally. The doctors told us we had very little chance but once the hormones from the fertility treatment were in my body, I think that made a difference. Who knows? Maybe we just deserved some luck."

For the moment, they are just enjoying being new parents but there is already talk of another baby. Jackie says: "In view of my age, we're going to have to think about it soon. We're not going to push our luck because nature has been kind enough to give us this one but we would like a little sister or brother for him."

Louis sleeps on, untroubled, even when I lean over and peer into his little face. Perhaps he does know how precious he is, after all.

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