Sophia’s Journey
Every journey into parenthood is different. For Sophia Cheung, this pregnancy unfolded in ways she did not expect, despite having been through it before. In her first trimester, around seven to eight weeks pregnant, Sophia began experiencing spotting and cramping. It felt unfamiliar and deeply unsettling.
“I thought I was having a miscarriage,” she says.
Unsure of what was normal, she did what so many expectant parents do and turned to Google. The result was more anxiety, not answers.
Seeking reassurance, she went to Royal Columbian Hospital, unsure of what she would hear. The pregnancy had already felt harder than her first. With more nausea and even more exhaustion, she braced herself for difficult news. Instead, an ultrasound revealed something entirely unexpected. She learned she wasn’t carrying just one baby. She was carrying two.
“I didn’t even know I had twins until that moment,” Sophia says. “It was a complete shock.”
Navigating a twin pregnancy
What followed was a rapid shift from surprise to questions and a blur of appointments and referrals.
Sophia returned to her family doctor, who then referred her to an obstetrician. Shortly after, she was told she would need to see a Maternal Fetal Medicine specialist.
“I remember thinking, what does that even mean?” she says. “I didn’t know if that meant something was wrong.”
Maternal Fetal Medicine specialists provide care for higher risk pregnancies, including twins, which require closer monitoring, more frequent testing, and specialized expertise. By the time she reached her first Maternal Fetal Medicine appointment, near the start of her second trimester, her anxiety was still high. It was during that visit she met Dr. Niles here at the Jim Pattison Outpatient Care and Surgery Centre in Surrey.
“From the very beginning, she made such a difference,” Sophia says.
Dr. Niles took time to explain what they were watching for, why certain tests were needed, and what was routine versus what required closer attention. She answered every question without rushing and ensured Sophia understood each step.
“She explained everything in a way I could understand,” Sophia says. “She didn’t rush. She answered every question I had.”
At every visit, Dr. Niles printed ultrasound photos for Sophia to take home.
“I scrapbook,” Sophia says with a smile. “Those photos mattered to me. Every week felt like a major milestone.”
From Uncertainty to Reassurance
As the pregnancy progressed, Sophia began to feel something new alongside the uncertainty, reassurance.
Dr. Niles was honest about concerns when they arose, but never alarmist.
“She would tell me what she was watching, but she always reminded me that I had a whole team,” Sophia says. “She’d say, ‘You’re doing what you need to do. Just keep walking. Keep staying healthy.’”
For Sophia, that reassurance carried weight precisely because she knew how different this pregnancy felt from her first. It marked the moment she no longer felt alone in navigating the unknown.
Later in her pregancy, Sophia also met Dr. Andrews.
“He brought such a sense of warmth and humour into the experience,” she says. “He was funny, kind, and incredibly supportive.”
Together, the team made something complex feel manageable. Appointments, testing, and conversations felt coordinated and thoughtful. Sophia felt supported not just by individuals, but by a system working together around her.
“They made me feel like I was in the best hands possible,” Sophia says.
When discussions turned to birth, Sophia was met with confidence. “They told me I was a good candidate for a vaginal birth,” she recalls. “They believed in me.”
She would go on to give birth at Surrey Memorial Hospital a place that, by then, holding more familiarity in her heart than anxiety.
Gratitude and Reflection
Looking back, Sophia knows her journey was not without fear. The early uncertainty. The unexpected diagnosis, and the unfamiliar language of high-risk care.
But what stands out most, is the people who carried her through it.
“From the very beginning, I felt cared for,” she says. “Before birth, during birth, and after.”
Her journey reinforced something she now holds close. Even with prior experience, no two pregnancies are the same. Compassion, reassurance, and clear communication can change everything.
“I never felt like I was walking it alone,” Sophia says.
And that, she believes, makes all the difference.
Behind every pregnancy journey like Sophia’s is a team equipped with the expertise, technology and facilities needed to support families through moments of uncertainty and hope. As one of the busiest maternity programs in the province, Surrey Memorial Hospital cares for more than 6,000 babies each year. The generosity of donors helps ensure teams like Maternal Fetal Medicine have the equipment, resources and space needed to support complex pregnancies and deliver the specialized care growing families across Surrey and the South Fraser region depend on.
