A big thanks to Gennima and its team.
I cannot express enough my gratitude as I look at my beautiful little girl. This would never have happened without your input!
From the moment we met Dr Mantoudis we knew we were in good hands.
You gave me hope at a time I had convinced myself I would be a great aunt. You gave me the best present: becoming a mum.
You are reassuring, realistic but also you believe in miracles. And I loved that about you and your team! Μost importantly you love what you do and I never ever felt I was just another patient. The medical aspect of things was always accompanied with humanity and love.
Our journey started with Dr Dimopoulos (thank you) for making my uterus welcoming and ready for its new adventure! (And special thanks to Iota who was so patient during the surgery and the anesthesist that managed to make me laugh just before the I went into sleep).
For all the appointments that followed we were given clear instructions and expectations. No glitter, just the truth and all the available options.
You answered every question I had (yes Roula, I do realise now that I asked whether eating too many cherries can make you loose your baby) You stayed past 8pm on a Monday evening waiting for me that had a strange sensation behind my belly button (yes that one was on you mr Vlachopoulos so patient with my anxieties ) you saw me when I was panicking about breathing patterns (thank you Mrs Pitsouni) and the weekend before 15.08 because I was worried I lacked oxygen (my dear doctor Tsoumpou) you followed me through these 9 months with so much patience and care and love.
In French we would describe your ‘psixremia’ (ψυχραιμία) as ‘Olympian calm’, you manage to soothe me at every single appointment even if my fist question was always: is the heart still beating? ( thank you Litsa for accompanying doctor Tsoubou with kindness and care)
Thank you to the team of egg donors (Evie and Maria) that were so professional and reassuring when we made this decision. Everything was in point clear and transparent.
Thank you to the logistis who was always flexible and patient with payments.
Thank you to the embryologist (I think it was Anthoula) that told us we only got one egg but it’s a good one (she said AAAA and I could not help thinking it’s like a battery qualification term) and gave us hope and thank you to all the secretaries Magda, Eri, Evmorfia, Eirini and everyone else that changed my appointments and were flexible with every request, prescription, last minute change we had. Chitchatting about traffic in Athens, weather and all sorts of conversations were perfect just before our appointments). You would recognise me over the phone and I felt everything would be ok.
I am not forgetting the whole team of midwives, always present always smiling always reassuring always remembering your name and a little detail about your life.
Eleutheria, I can tell you the zouzouni is serious like her dad and looks at me like I am a giggling alien.
A big big thank you to Evie and Katerina and Theodosia. Thank you for being available at all times for all the questions a new Parent may come up with even at night even on a Sunday even on Xmas eve. Thank you for those classes that definitely prepared us to the tsunami of doubts and emotions we would live once the baby is here.
Evie and Katerina, having you on my side during birth was such a help into making labour easy and I will be honest labour was no pain at all.
Evie you believed until the last minute we could give birth without a c- section and, god, we managed and that is because you did not flicker despite me panicking completely.
Katerina, I will never forget the first breastfeeding we gave our baby with your help.
And Dr Mandouvis I will never forget the moment the baby came out and how you turned her upside down and she started crying and my heart filled with indescribable joy.
Thank you from the bottom of our hearts. What you are achieving for so many couples is the greatest gift of all.
The way you achieve it is what makes you different.