Episode 20: From IVF to Fostering, with Megan Ballestero

05/15/25 • 69 min

Born on The Rock: Gibraltar Birth Stories

KEY TOPICS: 1 birth, miscarriages, hostile uterus, genetic mutation, clotting disorder, IVF, natural birth, fast delivery, depression, fostering

In this episode we meet Megan Ballestero, who describes her unexpected parenting journey to become a family of four!

Megan and her husband began trying for a baby soon after their wedding... but experienced recurring miscarriages over several years. Extensive tests revealed a 'medically complex' case: a genetic mutation (MTHFR gene), a blood clotting disorder (Factor V Leiden) and a uterus abnormality requiring surgery, which - all combined - made it almost impossible to get past the first trimester.

At significant financial cost, the couple began an IVF journey with a fertility clinic in Spain and were thrilled to experience a healthy full-term pregnancy. Deemed high-risk due to her medical issues, Megan was prepared for an elective caesarean... but her son had other ideas! She describes a very positive and smooth start to motherhood after his fast birth in December 2018.

When her son was a toddler, Megan attended a session run by the Care Agency seeking foster families. The realisation that there are local children in need was an eye-opening experience that Megan could not ignore. Her husband understood the compulsion to help, and eventually they welcomed a similar-aged little boy into their home! Proving that you don't have to give birth to be a loving parent, I'm very grateful to Megan for sharing her fascinating journey here (Recorded February 2025).

For information about the Care Agency: https://www.gibraltar.gov.gi/health/care-agency

More about becoming a Foster Carer: https://www.gbc.gi/news/care-agency-calling-out-foster-carers-their-social-media-campaign

For details about Care Link charity: https://carelink.gi/

Find Born on the Rock on Facebook and Instagram for more

Find 'Born on the Rock: Gibraltar Birth Stories' on Facebook and Instagram for more

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

KEY TOPICS: 1 birth, miscarriages, hostile uterus, genetic mutation, clotting disorder, IVF, natural birth, fast delivery, depression, fostering

In this episode we meet Megan Ballestero, who describes her unexpected parenting journey to become a family of four!

For information about the Care Agency: https://www.gibraltar.gov.gi/health/care-agency

More about becoming a Foster Carer: https://www.gbc.gi/news/care-agency-calling-out-foster-carers-their-social-media-campaign

For details about Care Link charity: https://carelink.gi/

Find Born on the Rock on Facebook and Instagram for more

Find 'Born on the Rock: Gibraltar Birth Stories' on Facebook and Instagram for more

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Previous Episode

Episode 19: A Fast-Tracked Family, with Victoria Sanguinetti

KEY TOPICS: 2 births, miscarriage, natural deliveries, puerperal haematoma, premature, postnatal depression, anaemia, Christmas

Let’s welcome our youngest mother to the podcast so far: Victoria Sanguinetti born in 1999. She’s packed in a rollercoaster few years since the pandemic - getting married, moving house and giving birth to her daughter in 2022, then son in 2023 (prematurely)... all while working and supporting her husband through an organ transplant!

Victoria describes both pregnancies as healthy but very different. She experienced a frightening haematoma complication after the rapid birth of her daughter that almost led to a blood transfusion. Victoria had postnatal depression after the traumatic event, but physically healed well and established breastfeeding. The following year she and her partner conceived their second child faster than planned... and he arrived sooner than expected too, at 34 weeks on Boxing Day! The birth and recovery was a positive experience, and the couple were fortunate not have to transfer care to Spain as is often the case for premature arrivals.

All of this happened just a few months before the couple’s wedding – and Victoria describes how much harder things could have been if her son was born later, while she supported her husband undergoing months of medical treatment in England. It’s an incredibly busy set of events, and she describes her story so calmly, showing true strength and resilience. I’m so grateful to Victoria for sharing her Gibraltar Birth Stories... and wish her family a very quiet and settled few years ahead! (Recorded February 2025).

Find Born on the Rock on Facebook & Instagram for more

Find 'Born on the Rock: Gibraltar Birth Stories' on Facebook and Instagram for more

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Next Episode

Episode 21: Plain Sailing, with Heidi Jeffries

KEY TOPICS: 2 births, PCOS, natural deliveries, fast labours, postnatal depression, allergies & intolerances

Heidi Jeffries is our guest on an episode we’re calling ‘Plain Sailing,’ as her birth experiences were very straightforward... and the family has multiple nautical connections! We’re travelling back to the year 2000, when Heidi and her husband started their family soon after getting married. After convincing her husband that the pregnancy was not an April Fool’s joke (!) Heidi had a good pregnancy journey – with an unusual craving.

She received conflicting medical advice about her labour due to a back condition in the third trimester, which influenced her choice of birth position for the natural delivery of her son. He had a safe textbook arrival... but Heidi describes how feeding and sleep issues then hugely overshadowed the following years, as her son suffered with several allergies and intolerances. She speaks candidly about the toll it takes on tired parents, trying to find solutions to make a child comfortable. Heidi mentions her mother’s support, as well as amusing nicknames she and husband had for the boys.

Heidi found it hard to become pregnant with her second child, and investigations revealed that she had polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Treatment helped her conceive, and she experienced another good pregnancy, but this time with a different craving. As with her other son, Heidi’s second child arrived before his due date and quickly – with his birth weight matching his date and month of birth! She describes the challenge of raising a child prone to accidents and injuries, and we chat about what it’s like to parent young adults, and the special bond between the two boys. Heidi is so proud of her sons, and I’m very grateful she’s shared her Gibraltar Birth Stories (Recorded April 2025).

Find 'Born on the Rock: Gibraltar Birth Stories' on Facebook and Instagram for more

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.