February 16, 2002
pg. 6-7
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Lucy baby terror
Lucy Lawless went through hell when doctors told her that her baby could have a chromosome defect
Kiwi superstar Lucy Lawless has revealed she suffered a heartbreaking miscarriage last year and also feared for the health of her new baby.
Lucy, 33, suffered a miscarriage about a year ago and was overjoyed when she fell pregnant again, with the baby due in May.
But doctors warned the stunning actress that the child she is carrying could have birth defects.
The normally fearless mother-of-two admits she was devastated when specialists informed her they suspected there could be serious complications with the tiny foetus.
And Lucy's heart sank when they told her a risky amniocentesis test would be needed.
'When I knew I was pregnant, we went to the doctors, but after doing some tests they told us there was some bad news,' Lucy recalls.
'They suspected problems with the foetus' chromosomes and felt immediately that amniocentesis was required.'
Chromosomal abnormalities can cause Down Syndrome and other physical and mental disabilities.
'Waiting out the results of the test was torture,'Lucy admits. 'It was very worrying and we just hoped for the best the whole time.'
But the doctors' terrifying initial fears proved to be wrong and after rigorous tests, both mother and baby were given a completely clean bill of health.
'After waiting for what seemed like an age, we got word back and fortunately all the tests came back okay and we could breathe again,' smiles Lucy.
'You think you're Superwoman and that you just pop babies out, but, of course, it's not that straightforward.'
A miscarriage made Lucy even more fearful. Yet the sultry Kiwi admits she felt twice the fear for her unborn baby because she had already had to endure a miscarriage just weeks after shooting finished on her last series of Xena: Warrior Princess.
At the time a new child would have been the perfect start to a new chapter of her life of luxury with Robert Tapert, their son Julius, 3, and Lucy's daughter by her first marriage, Daisy, 12.
The actress and her director and producer husband were on cloud nine for weeks, but were stunned when Lucy lost the child and endured weeks of grief as they rebuilt their lives.
Now, with the blessing of her new child on the way, Lucy is philosophical about her ordeal and has the strength to face new challenges.
She says:'Looking back, it seems like just a part of life's experience and, in a weird way, it actually made perfect sense.
'Looking back, I knew there was a problem. I felt that something wasn't quite right because I wasn't feeling how I felt with my last two pregnancies.
'I feel more powerful as a woman more relaxed. It's a real subtle confidence. Somehow your spirit gets a little bigger.'
Lucy, who starred as swashbuckling Xena for six years before choosing motherhood and a more sedate lifestyle, admits that although she has no regrets about the show, she won't ever do it again.
She also enjoyed a brief stint last year as an FBI agent on the X-Files, but didn't fancy a long-term future on the supernatural show.
In fact, she admits that most of the blessings in her life came directly through her role as the Warrior Princess, but she could never again be tempted to re-don her sexy leather tunic.
'How can I regret something that was so enjoyable?' she laughs.
'It has given me a husband, a beautiful family and a home. It taught me a lot. It is probably the best role I will ever play in terms of scope and range and I enjoyed almost every minute of it.'
And instead of denying her millions of fans the opportunity to see her, she will soon be seen live on the Auckland stage in the controversial play The Vagina Monologues before her child is born in May.
By Jason Kerrigan
What is amniocentesis? • Amniocentesis is a procedure in which a small amount of fluid surrounding the fetus is withdrawn through a needle for testing.
• The test is used to check for chromosomal abnormalities. Down Syndrome is the most common abnormality, but there are others.
• Amniocentesis is normally offered to pregnant women over the age of 35 because the risk of having a Down Syndrome baby rises with the age of the mother. Twenty-year-old women have a one in 1500 chance of having a Down Syndrome baby, whereas 35 year olds have a one in 170 chance.
• There is a small risk of miscarriage with amniocentesis. About one in 200 women will miscarry following the procedure.
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