Superwoman Zara Dawson; Endometriosis, IVF and OHSS (trigger warning)

Today’s episode is with Zara Dawson “the most unbelievable woman Zoe’s ever spoken to”! Zara talks about her traumatic and frightening fertility journey and opens up about her difficult pregnancies and her unfortunately flawed pre and post-natal care. This is an emotive episode which shows how incredible women can be and Zara’s incredible resilience and strength.   KEY TAKEAWAYS   Zara has family history of endometriosis and fertility problems so always thought she may have some difficulty in becoming a mother, after a year of trying she went to her GP and was referred for IVF. On top of this Zara had multiple medical problems throughout her pregnancy, it was a very complex pregnancy and extremely scary for Zara and her family. OHSS is a very serious condition that isn’t spoken about enough. Many women going through IVF aren’t aware of the risks of OHSS. Despite the multiple problems Zara had to deal with in pregnancy and birth she wasn’t offered any mental health support. She suffered with undiagnosed PND when Jax was born. Zara’s second pregnancy was also complicated, not helped by the reminders everywhere of the issues she suffered with her first born Jax. She felt she just ‘knew’ that things were not going to be ok. Zara’s second baby Jesse was diagnosed with Body Stalk Anomaly, she did not receive the care that she needed or deserved. Because of Zara’s determination and hard work Tommy’s, Arc & Petals are now creating a campaign to break the silence for termination for medical reasons. This is just the start but will help so many women in the future.   BEST MOMENTS   ‘If she doesn’t have this operation I don’t know if she will be here in the morning”   “YAY for that Midwife!”   “I just did not let myself get connected to him”   “It is quite barbaric what has been going on behind the scenes”   VALUABLE RESOURCES  www.petalscharity.org www.tommys.org www.arc-uk.org Eggsnsoldiers.com Eco-aware and sustainable baby shop in Dubai. Use ZOECM10 for discount. ABOUT THE GUEST Zara Dawson Zara is a businesswoman, actress, style-icon and designer. She is a mum to two boys and has been tireless in raising awareness of TFMR after her own experience highlighted the huge pitfalls in cohesive care and support. Instagram: @littlenorfolkcottage      ABOUT THE HOST Zoe Cresswell Devoted mother of two (and a big hairy dog), UK trained midwife, doula and personal trainer, specialising in pre and postnatal fitness. Zoe was born in the UK and before moving to Dubai in 2013 and worked as a midwife in central London, both in a birth centre and a very busy NHS hospital. Although late to the scene, Zoe is an aspiring athlete having won numerous triathlons and representing Great Britain where she placed within the top 10 on the world stage. With her husband James, the couple will soon be launching their cloth nappy company, Bop & Bee, where they hope to inspire families to swap a few disposable nappies a day for the more planet friendly option of cloth. Zoe’s goal is to share her knowledge and experience, tell real life stories, manage expectations and open up those often difficult conversations. Zoe’s own motherhood journey has been full of twists and turns as she put everything on hold and went through numerous miscarriages and rounds of IVF.   CONTACT DETAILS Instagram : @zoecresswell_me Facebook: Zoe Cresswell LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/zoe-cresswell