Pro-life video of the day: Runner gives birth to surprise baby
by Hans Johnson
Trish Staine of Duluth, Minnesota did a two-hour, nine-mile training run on Sunday, June 2 for an upcoming half-marathon race. She was concerned about a sore back that evening, and the next day the pain grew worse and worse. While on the phone with husband John it became excruciating - too much for her stepsons to take her to the hospital. So an ambulance was called. “I felt like I was dying. I didn’t know what was going on,” she said.
They were stunned to hear at the ER that a fetal heartbeat had been detected. Not only had Trish not gained any weight, but John had had a vasectomy. But in short order, baby Mira – short for miracle – was born at 3:25 p.m., joining Trish’s two other biological children, three stepsons, as well as foster children.
From WDIO:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9J7G6DB7Vw[/youtube]There was a discussion of the phenomenon of surprise pregnancies and births Thursday on NBC’s Today.
Email dailyvid@jillstanek.com with your video suggestions.
[HT: TheBlaze]
Jill Stanek is a nurse turned speaker, columnist and blogger, a national figure in the effort to protect both preborn and postborn innocent human life.
I seem to hear about one of these “I didn’t know I was pregnant” stories every other week. I suppose it’s really not *that* rare, although certainly far from the norm. Anyways, congratulations to Trish and John.
Congrats to them! What a beautiful little girl!
I had a student this semester who didn’t discover her pregnancy until she went home for spring break, at 37 weeks. She had the baby a week later.
In her case, though, I think there was a lot of denial involved, as she did look pregnant (more like 4 or 5 months than 9, though).
My uncle had a vasectomy which healed itself after several years, resulting in a surprise pregnancy and a beautiful younger cousin.
Contraception doesn’t work. Our culture needs help in realizing that there is no such thing as “protected sex.”
Lots of questions for her as one who has worked in maternity care. How do you deliver a live, fairly healthy newborn instead of a stillborn without experiencing any fluttering, kicking, stretching, moving, hiccuping, elbowing, etc. inside of your uterus and not consider pregnancy or at least seeing a doctor or an exorcist? Healthy, pre-born babies don’t stay still in utero. Did she have menstrual periods or not? Was she suffering from amenorrhea due to extreme athletic training?
That’s what I always wonder Prolifer L. When my wife was pregnant her entire belly would move around, you could see the kid kick her belly out like the alien in the movies. I thought this was a common symptom of pregnancy.
Though there’s psychological issues that can cause people to ignore their bodies, like disassociation because of childhood abuse. I wonder if that has something to do with these surprise you’re in labor things.
Sorry I watched the video after my post and it answered my questions whether she was having menstrual periods. I do understand that there are women who can still have menstrual periods while pregnant or do not have typical weight gain but having no clue while carrying a live, healthy, mobile baby for 8 months. I still consider it major denial not realizing that there is something or someone moving inside your body. A major heads up to all female teens or adults, if you are having sexual intercourse always consider pregnancy a possibility even if your husband has had a vasectomy. It may be rare but it happens. I have a good friend whose brother came after their dad’s vasectomy. I have friends who are healthcare workers who used 2 forms of contraception and still got pregnant, nothing is 100% except abstinence.
I totally agree Jack.
Hindsight can be 20/20 but carrying a healthy moving baby in your uterus for 8 months and having no clue is still a real stretch to me. The preborn and newborn infant do exactly the same things that I listed in my 1st post except they now suck on the breast to obtain nourishment instead of receiving it through the umbilical cord. That is what makes me so upset with pro-aborts who say it’s not really “a baby” unitil the mother says so. Guess this lady delivered “a blob” instead of “a baby” until she decided that she delivered “a baby”.
Anyway I guess I have to take her word for it that she did not know. At least she did not deny having sex. Right?
Well, if you have a dissociative disorder I can get why someone wouldn’t know, I just don’t get why an average person with an average pregnancy wouldn’t. Maybe her baby never moved or something. Does that even happen?
I have been told that if the placenta is in the right place the mom really can’t feel the baby’s movements. Also, not all babies are as mobile and active as others. My first barely moved at all, he was very still. He had two very brief periods of movement every day, one I slept through and only knew happened because I had occassion to stay up late a few times. I agree it always seems like major denial or some serious ignorance of your own body (feel the kicks or not how do you touch your belly and not feel at the very least something that makes you run to the doctor fearing a ‘mass’.
My daughter moved half as much as my boys during pregnancy (she also slowly rolled around and stretched rather than kicked and punched!). I have a real hard time believing that a woman could not know she was pregnant especially later in pregnancy and especially if she has given birth before. I remember too, Jack, seeing the baby moving around from the outside of my body as well.
The fact that the father had had a vasectomy tells us that he, at least, did not want more children. Maybe the mother unconsciously did not want to upset him and worried about what his reaction would be if she said she was pregnant. After all, the dad might assume the baby wasn’t his since he believed he could not have more children. I have a friend who did not tell the father until the month before her due date that she was pregnant because she knew he did not want more children and would pressure her to abort.
Denial can be a very strong thing. So can secrecy.
Guess this lady delivered “a blob” instead of “a baby” until she decided that she delivered “a baby”.
This reminds me of the episode of Frasier where the main characters help to deliver a cab driver’s baby, and the father, Martin, later talks about his amazement at childbirth. “One minute it’s a blob in some lady’s stomach, the next minute it’s a baby. Blob… baby. Blob… baby!”
Anytime I see that episode, I’m astounded at how stupid that line is – especially for such an intelligent show.
About this lady’s case – I agree with the sentiments that you’d have to be in some MAJOR denial to not feel a child moving around inside you, punching and kicking. You don’t necessarily have to *look* pregnant to *feel* pregnant.
Welcome precious Mira!! Oh my how beautiful is she??!!
And congratulations to mom and family!
However the pregnancy went, if mom did or did not know until she delivered, that baby girl is here because God wanted her to be and for that I am very grateful to Him!
Good luck and God speed to all of those training for Grandma’s Marathon in Duluth, MN including dear friends of mine!! Run your hearts out!
Psalm 139: 13-16
For You formed my inward parts;
You covered me in my mother’s womb.
I will praise You, for I am fearfully and
Marvelous are Your works,
And that my soul knows very well.
My frame was not hidden from You,
When I was made in secret,
And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed.
And in Your book they all were written,
The days fashioned for me,
When as yet there were none of them.
It is hard to fathom!
This athletic woman already had two children of her own womb, plus she is married to a man with children from a previous marriage and they also care for foster kids. These are all signs of loving mother with a sturdy grasp on her own physical and emotional health. She likely has some spiritual practice and fidelity to her husband, as well.
I can only guess that they placed so much faith in her husband’s vasectomy that any symptoms of pregnancy were ignored or denied as impossible.
I am so happy this baby is here and healthy too.
You may be right about some of her reasons for denial maybe she put so much faith in the vasectomy she did not consider the possiblility. I know women who have had birth control “failures” from every b/c method known to man and I do believe this baby was meant to be here. I have a friend who was given the ultimatum by her ex-husband “abort or I’m throwing you out”. Thank God she decided for life. This was the only child she could ever have and she is so grateful today although she went through a horrible time initially, she would never trade having her child.
Life is such a blessing. I think all of us parents can say we are so grateful for our children although life can be hard at times, right Jack?
I think everyone has a bit of the truth. An unusually “quiet” pregnancy, subconscious denial because of the vasectomy, etc.
Whatever the case, no wonder they named her Mira, short for “miracle” She is one. Just like more than seven billion others of various ages.