by Alisa Mantall

Created on: March 01, 2007   Last Updated: October 31, 2008

The miracle of conception blessed me days before I was to have my tubes tied. At the time I didn't think it was a blessing. I had had four miscarriages and was devastated at the thought of losing another baby. I was 24 years old and a mother of 2 gorgeous children, a daughter age 6 and a son age 4. I longed for a big family all of my life. I had just had a miscarriage one month prior to popping a positive blood test for pregnancy. The doctor came into the room and told me I was pregnant. I actually cried and told him it was impossible because I had just had a negative test come back from a few days ago. I was scheduled for surgery in 3 days, how could this be happening to me? Through my tears I looked across the room to see a giant grin across my husbands' face.

I was nervous and careful throughout the first 4 months. I had ultra-sounds every month and the doctor watched me closely. She took special measurements on his femur and showed concern as it wasn't growing to the rate she expected it to grow. I was called in to the office every 2 weeks for more tests and eventually was transfered to a special care clinic for high risk pregnancies. Although the drive was long and over 70 miles one way I continued going weekly.

I had a great support person who went with me several times. Her name is Kathy. She is my mothers' twin sister. Kathy was losing her eyesight from diabetes but continued to go with me to doctor visits. One day while we were waiting the hours on end for my appointment time we went snooping the hallways. We were checking out the different offices and opening one clear glass door after another when something unexpected happened.

I was following Kathy as she walked right dab smack into a clear glass door. We laughed so hard that I about wet myself. Shortly after that I was called into the room for my amniocentesis. My aunt watched on the screen as they put the needle into my stomach to retrieve fluid from the sac my son lay in. They were concerned he had down syndrome. Along with the fears of this I also was told that my son was in danger. he wasn't getting sufficient nutrition due to a problem with the placenta. The doctors were checking his lungs as well with the amniocentesis to see if they were developed enough to induce labor.

The results came back both good and bad. Thomas' lungs had not yet developed enough for them to induce labor but he didn't have down syndrome. I was told in one week they would admit me to start the procedure to induce labor.

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