These stories of 5 celebrity APAS moms will make you believe in miracles
Daily medication, needles, and excruciating pain.
These are the struggles that pregnant women diagnosed with Antiphospholipid Antibody Syndrome or APAS have to take in order to conceive a baby.
According to mayoclinic.org, APAS occurs when the immune system mistakenly creates antibodies that make the blood much more likely to clot in the veins and arteries.
There is no cure for this but current treatments can significantly reduce the risk of developing blood clots.
This just means that pregnant APAS patients have to be treated with more caution than usual for they are more prone to miscarriages and other childbirth complications.
Get to know to more about the autoimmune disorder through these celebrities' inspiring stories.
Sitti Navarro
Sitti Navarro underwent two failed intrauterine inseminations (IUI) but got pregnant naturally with daughter Issiah Dañelle.
Given that, her doctor asked her to take immunological blood tests for she's suspected to have APAS.
When the result came out, Sitti learned that three out of five categories of APAS applied to her: Category 1 - no blocking antibodies, Category 2 - thrombophilia (abnormality of blood coagulation), and Category 5 - elevated natural killer cells that "might attack the baby."
Her doctor then started prescribing her aspirin and huge doses of antibiotics because she does not have enough antibodies to protect her baby.
Also included in the long list of her medication is heparin, an anticoagulant or blood thinner that prevents the formation of blood clots.
Despite all these, Sitti kept her spirits high and remained a firm believer that "God has made everything beautiful for its own time."
Rica Peralejo
Just like Sitti, Rica Peralejo had a history of two unsuccessful pregnancies prior to her second pregnancy with newborn son, Manu.
LOOK: Rica Peralejo gives birth to baby boy at home
The former sexy actress underwent several workups and attended numerous doctor appointments to secure that she is healthy enough bear a child.
Rica did not question her reproductive issues but, in fact, it has taught her that having a child is always worth the wait.
Her first son, Philip, is now 5 years old.
Miriam Quiambao
Being diagnosed with Obstetric APAS, Miriam Quiambao only had 1%-2% chance of getting naturally pregnant at her age, according to her husband Ardy Roberto's Instagram post.
The former beauty queen took all the necessary precautions and followed her doctor's prescriptions for the sake of her miracle baby.
In an Instagram post, Miriam said, "I was advised to avoid any long-distance and out-of-the-country trips until the end of my pregnancy to avoid unnecessary exposure to stress, infection, and radiation in the plane.
“I had to cancel most of my confirmed talks within the country and cancel all talks & trips abroad including those in Hawaii, Singapore, Korea, and the US.
“I was willing to do this for the sake of my miracle baby but I have to say that I was beginning to grow restless staying in the city all the time.”
Miriam, now 44, gave birth to her first baby, Elijah, last February.
Miriam Quiambao gives birth to baby boy
Nadine Samonte
“If you are gonna ask me, I will do it all over again.”
This is what Nadine said in an Instagram post where she shared her two babies' portraits enclosed in syringes used during her delicate pregnancies.
LOOK: Nadine Samonte decorates babies' photo shoot with syringes used during pregnancy
It has since gone viral and served as an inspiration for the those aspiring moms who are also diagnosed with APAS.
The StarStruck alumna braved huge doses of tablets a day and multiple injections during her pregnancy with firstborn Heather Sloane and newborn son Austin Titus.
LOOK: Nadine Samonte gives birth to baby boy, Titus
Mariel Rodriguez
Even though she had two miscarriages and tested negative for APAS, Mariel Rodriguez's OB treated her as an APAS patient that's why she successfully gave birth to Isabella, her first child with Robin Padilla, in 2016.
Unfortunately, it is not the only disease that she has to deal with.
She revealed in an Instagram post, "I have no fertility issues but aside from APAS, I also have PCOS. I had cysts in my ovaries, I even had gestational diabetes with my other pregnancy wherein I needed to inject insulin as well."
As an APAS mom, Mariel injects Heparin two times a day to keep her unborn baby safe and healthy.
She does not mind the pain that comes with it because for her, it is a small price to pay in exchange to be a mother.