After 16 years of marriage, Assunta de Rossi and husband Jules Ledesma are finally expecting their first child. The mom-to-be shared the good news on her Instagram account on May 5, 2020, and as expected, the well wishes came pouring in from family, friends, and fans.
Assunta, who has been struggling with myoma and endometriosis, shares that she and Jules had long accepted that it would be difficult to conceive because of her existing medical conditions. However, that did not stop them from trying other ways to get pregnant, like in vitro fertilization (IVF) in 2016. Unfortunately, it was not successful.
ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOWMyoma, or uterine fibroids, are non-cancerous growths that develop in the wall of the uterus. Many women have myoma, but it often goes undetected, as it usually has no symptoms. Myoma doesn’t usually get in the way of pregnancy.
On the other hand, endometriosis is a condition that may interfere with getting pregnant. The disorder causes the uterine lining (endometrium) to grow outside the uterus, such as in the ovaries and fallopian tubes. It causes painful menstruation and damage to reproductive organs.
In an interview with PEP.ph, Assunta shares that her pregnancy came as a shock. “It surprised both of us. Not only did I conceive naturally, but it was also unplanned… it was like, ‘This is actually real! There is a life in my womb!’”
No pregnancy symptoms
CONTINUE READING BELOWwatch nowOn the day of her 37th birthday, February 26, 2020, Assunta noticed that she had missed her period. She was celebrating her birthday in Amanpulo, so she didn’t pay any attention to it, but when she came back to Manila and it still hadn’t come a week later, Assunta decided to have a checkup with her OB-GYN.
“He (Jules) was the one who suggested I might be pregnant,” Assunta tells Pep.ph. “Siyempre ako si Madam Negativa! Sabi ko, ‘Hindi siguro! May infertility nga ako, ‘di ba?"
She also thought of the embryo transfer and second round of IVF that they were planning. “Sayang ang embryos na nasa freezer! Mahal ‘yun! Wala rin akong symptoms, so hindi ko alam,” she says.
But after an ultrasound and blood test, Assunta’s tests came out positive. She was pregnant.
“Hindi siya nag-sink in, to be honest. I just couldn’t believe it, kasi tanggap ko naman na hindi ako mabubuntis naturally because of my condition,” Assunta shares, adding that she and Jules even discussed going abroad to find a fertility clinic if their second attempt at IVF failed this year.
ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOWShe went back for another scan a week later, and Assunta says her pregnancy became real to her, “when I heard a soft heartbeat.”
Pregnant during COVID-19
Assunta shares that she is worried about this pregnancy, just like other expectant moms or those giving birth in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. “Hindi ako makapag-pacheckup kasi lahat kami takot pumunta sa ospital o clinic,” she says. “I hate not knowing. All we can do is pray and be optimistic.”
ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOWAdding to her worries is that her pregnancy is delicate. “All I do is eat and sleep, like a baby. I don’t know how long they will last. Maselan ako, e,” she says. "Jules is freaked out, actually. Naninibago siya. He feels like he’s dealing with a very sick person, and there’s nothing he can do.”
Nevertheless, the soon-to-be mom is thankful that her husband is by her side. “Him just being there is more than enough for me. We’ve become so much closer since there’s nothing else to do,” Assunta says. “He would sometimes talk to the baby, which I appreciate.”
Naturally, the two are excited to meet their bundle of joy. “I pray all the time that I will be blessed with a normal and healthy baby,” Assunta shares. “Just to be able to experience this miracle is a huge thing for me.”
ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOWGiving birth during the COVID-19 pandemic? Click here for what to expect when you get to the hospital.
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