Roya’s Story: A Pregnancy Journey/ Giving Birth During the COVID Pandemic

This HERStory is presented by Shadan Rahmani, as told to her by her cousin Roya.

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On April 12, 2020 Roya received the most preeminent news of her life. She and her husband, Arya, have been married for three years. The two have shared many special memories with one another. After a year into their marriage, they decided it was time for them to try for a baby. The two spent some time trying for a baby, but they noticed how they were not getting a positive result. Roya began to get worried, thinking that something was wrong. Eventually, they decided to go visit a doctor to figure out the problem.

Roya has lived in Tehran, the capital city of Iran, her entire life. She went to school there, where she studied computer science and began to work in a company part time. Sometime later, she met Arya, who is now her beloved husband. The two both worked in similar fields and when they married, she soon stopped working. Because of the kind of family that she comes from, she knew that she wanted a family similar to hers. A big, happy, and close family is what she hoped for. However, she soon realized that it wasn’t going to be as easy as she imagined.

At their visit, the doctor gave them hope by stating how they should continue to try for natural pregnancy and if they st