Moms often joke about how crazy it would be to get pregnant again very soon after giving birth. It doesn't happen very often as new parents, frankly, are often just too tired to have sex to make a baby, plus our bodies often don't recover in time. One mom, though, defied the odds and had two of her babies just 8 months apart. Her story comes with miracles, true miracles.
Claire Ormrod, 26, is from the UK. She had three children when she got pregnant with her fourth. Each of her pregnancies happened when she was on birth control -- either the Pill or coil, so they weren't planned and were unexpected. Her pregnancy with her fourth child, however, ended early due to complications, and she had baby Alice at 25 weeks by emergency c-section. Alice weighed just 1 pound, 3 ounces and wasn't expected to survive.
Alice was the smallest baby born in Wales and she defied the odds, surviving her complications. Mom Claire also defied the odds and got pregnant seven weeks after Alice was born. Claire was on the Pill and even on the waiting list to have a tubal ligation. But this pregnancy was met with fear, and some doctors suggested that Claire terminate the pregnancy because they felt it was life threatening and they feared the baby wouldn't survive. She ignored them. She told the Telegraph:
I was absolutely petrified when I found out I was pregnant again. My GP said I should have a termination, he said it would end up killing me and the baby and that it wouldn't be fair to put me through it. But I said no, straight out.
Eight months later Claire had to undergo another emergency cesarean at 29 weeks. Baby Gareth was healthy despite being just 2 pounds.
Alice had to spend her first year in the special care baby unit at Glan Clwyd Hospital in Rhyl. She's 13 months old now and weighs 12 pounds, 14 ounces. Doctors aren't sure of the degree of brain damage she suffered, but she is certainly a miracle baby proving many doctors wrong. Her brother Gareth is doing great and is now 4 months old and weighs 7 pounds, 14 ounces. Once they are older and it's time for school, the siblings will be in the same class.
What a terrifying experience Claire went through, worried about the health and early deliveries of two babies within a year. It's similar to what many moms of multiples go through when you have two born early at the same time. I can relate to that since I had twins who were both under 5 pounds. Though nothing is as frightening as having a tiny baby in the NICU for a long time. I love hearing the stories of survival of the littlest of babies. Life is precious, but we are strong, even the smallest of us. What little miracles!
Do you worry about getting pregnant soon after giving birth?
Image via Ben Husmann/Flickr
This Hot Dad Wants to Do Your Ironing
This Hot Dad Wants to Cook You Dinner
This Hot Dad Cooks AND Does the Dishes
Kanye West is Gay?! 
Comments 13
Exactly how is America headed in that direction? Because a system in which everyone has insurance coverage through various companies is exactly the same as a universal single-payer healthcare system with waiting lists for non-emergent procedures? Sure, that makes sense. Or not. smh
I had a friend who had something similar happen. Her preemie was in the hospital still when she became pregnant. She carried the second for 9 months and he always looked like the older child when they were little. :)
Ummm SuzyBarno, Depending on the OB, in America you need to wait for a Tubal after having a baby. I have a friend who was told to wait 12 weeks pp to have a tubal after her last baby. She was told by her doctor that it is better to wait then to do it right after having a baby since there is a higher risk of it nor working if done at the same time as a C-Section. I do not know how true or not true this is but I have heard of others drs saying this.
What a brave mom Claire is! I really admire her for telling the doctors no when they wanted her to have an abortion. I'm sure Gareth will thank her someday, too.
I live in the southern U.S. I didn't have any of my 3 kids early or too close together. I did have my tubes tied immediately following my 3rd C-section. It's been 20 months and I have had no further pregnancies. My step-sister had 4 vaginal births and her doctor told her to wait a few weeks before her tubal ligation. So, it just depends on the doctor.