My Miracle Baby

Honestly, if you really think about everything that has to happen, every baby is a miracle baby.  My youngest, loves to hear the story of my pregnancy with her.  She asks me to tell it at least once a year.  :)  I call her my miracle baby because she almost didn't make it.  

I was about 7 weeks pregnant with Abbie when I found out that I was pregnant.  Tim (my husband) had decided that 2 kids was perfect.  We had a boy and a girl and he though that that was good enough.  Well, it was, but I always wanted a big family.  I just didn't feel done and I was struggling to accept it. 

 My mom and I were going to a friend's wedding and I thought that if I was going to drink champagne I wanted to make sure that I wasn't pregnant.  I drove to the drug store and bought 3 (overkill, I know...).  I did one and then the other and then the other and they were all POSITIVE!!!!  I was so excited that I ran outside to tell my neighbor Mark and locked myself out of my house!  The joy continued throughout my pregnancy, but the challenges were about to begin.  

One morning I woke up and felt like I had a bladder infection so I went to the urgent care.  They said that I was fine, but that my sugar was REALLY high.  I didn't have diabetes so I thought that was strange.  I told them that I was pregnant and they had me follow up with my doctor.  I had gestational diabetes at only 8 weeks along.  The doctor said that this was really early.  I could handle that.  I saw a dietician and went on a diabetic diet right away.  

Two days later, I woke up in the middle of the night with a pain under my right rib.  I thought it was gas, so I took a warm shower, drank some water, took a malox.  I was able to fall asleep after a few hours.  When I woke up, I felt a little better, but still had a gassy feeling.  This is not uncommon in pregnancy, so I went to work.  

I distinctly remember working away in my office when a very sharp pain hit.  I began to worry that it was the baby.  I tried to walk it off and it only got worse.  I was doubled over in pain and I called the doctor right away.  He was worried that it was an ectopic pregnancy, so he had me come in right away.  I had a very long drive around the interstate, but didn't want to wait for a ride or inconvenience anyone, so off I went.  I was sweating the whole drive from the pain.  I felt so afraid.  

When I got to the doctor's office, they ushered me to the ultrasound room right away.  The nurse handed me a gown and left the room.  It felt like any other routine visit.  Then she started the ultrasound and I started screaming.  It was so very painful I thought I was going to die.  I kept asking her about the baby.  She wouldn't answer me and only said, "Oh my God" and left the room.  The doctor came in right away and said that they needed to get me to the hospital for emergency surgery. I had a cyst in my body that was the size of a cantaloupe.  He couldn't tell where the cyst was attached and it was beginning to rupture.  He said that I could bleed to death if it did.  

My mind become painfully focused on the baby.  Will the baby make it through the surgery?  The doctor told me that no she wouldn't.  He said that he had to think about me.  I asked if there was a chance that it could stop.  My doctor decided to take a chance on me.  He agreed to wait on surgery if I spent some time in the hospital on the surgical floor in case it ruptured all the way.  I agreed.  Laying there for four long days was absolutely excruciating.  I couldn't eat in case they needed to rush me into surgery.  I just laid there worrying about losing my baby.  

I am so grateful to my Dr. because he was willing to take a chance.  He gave her the gift of time to get bigger and stronger before surgery.  He released me from the hospital after four days.  The agreement was that I would have the surgery when she was 18 weeks along because it was safer.  Whew!  He told me I had to have an ultrasound weekly, but I didn't care.  My baby had a chance!  

Eighteen weeks came quickly.  The doctor wanted to see me the Wednesday before my Friday surgery.  I went in and asked him how small it would have to have gotten to avoid surgery.  The Dr. told me 6 cm.  I asked him to do an ultrasound and he told me that he had been patient enough and that it was time to get this thing out.  I begged him to look.  When he did, the cyst was only 6 cm exactly!!! Praise God!!!  So many prayers had been answered in that moment!  

A few weeks later I had some routine blood work done.  The dr. called and told me that the baby could have Down's.  I thought to myself that it would be ok.  I will help my baby through any challenge, but I decided to have the level 2 ultrasound in case I needed to tell my  6 and 8 year old why their baby sister looked different.  Tim and I went through all of the genetic history questions and then we got to have a really good look at our baby.  They looked at her heart (all four chambers), and measured her arms, legs and head.  They told us that Abbie was really healthy.  

Two days later, my dr. called and said that my blood work was showing a potential for ovarian cancer.  He wanted to take the baby early and remove my cyst to do a biopsy.  I am a stubborn (or stupid) woman, so I refused.  Abbie's cocoon was going to remain intact and untouched.  No one was taking her early.  

When Abbie was born (a week early due to size from my diabetes), I had a complication.  This meant that I had to have my first c-section.  I was really scared, but so anxious to see my baby!  It actually turned out to be the best thing in the world!  My doctor took Abbie out and then he held my ovary in his hand with ZERO cyst in there.  

I believe three things happened.  I believe that God performed a miracle and took the cyst away, the doctor took a chance on me and saved my baby from being miscarried and I learned to let go and to count on God to do the best thing in my life, whether it was what I wanted or not.  AND I get to raise my sweet sweet Abigail which is the BEST part of all!!!!