A "BIG" Surprise

I could not believe what I was hearing. Even though I already knew the truth in my heart, it was still difficult to hear the nurse from my doctor’s office say it out loud. “Yes, you are pregnant. As a matter of fact, you are VERY pregnant!”
After our first two children were born, (both of them were girls), my husband and I had not decided for sure that we wanted a third child. Although, he had stated that he longed for a son. I had decided to nurse our second daughter. When she was nearing one year old, I determined it was time to start losing some “baby weight”. I started eating healthy and exercising, and I actually lost 5 pounds. However, within a few days, I could not button any of my pants!

“How crazy is this!” I thought to myself. My stomach was continually growing larger. Surely I must have a tumor or infection or something really bad to cause my stomach to swell so quickly. Something inside, (my motherly instinct I guess?), told me to do a pregnancy test, although that was the last thing in the world I would have imagined the problem could be.
To my utter surprise, the test was positive! I thought, “This infection is so bad, it’s causing a false-positive pregnancy test result!” In a frenzy, I frantically dialed my doctor’s office. I requested a pregnancy test as soon as possible.

My doctor’s office gave me orders to go directly to the hospital for blood work. The test they did there would be more accurate, especially if I was not very far along in the pregnancy. The test proved that I was indeed “very pregnant” according to the nurse at the doctor’s office after she received the results from the hospital. I asked her exactly what she meant by “very pregnant”. She said my hormone levels were very high, so I could be as far along as 7-8 weeks. Wow, I couldn’t believe it. I was in total shock.

My youngest daughter was only 1 year old at the time, and I was unsure about having another baby. Well, little did I know, more surprises were in store for me. I went to the doctor’s office a week later for my first prenatal exam. The doctor began conducting a sonogram. His eyes grew larger and larger.

Apparently, I was “very pregnant” indeed. “Amanda,” he exclaimed “Were you trying to wait until you went into labor to come in and see me?” After doing some measurements, he estimated that I was already 16 weeks pregnant! My pregnancy was almost halfway over! In addition, he said, “I’m almost certain you are having a boy!”

As we left the doctor’s office that day, I told my husband, “Well, at least I can go home and put on some maternity clothes and get comfortable!” As we told the news to all of our friends and family, I was still in utter disbelief that I was going to have a third child. Not only that, the two younger children would only be about 17 months apart.

Close to the end of the pregnancy, something started to feel “funny”. The little “kicks” felt very different than they did during the first part of my pregnancy. It felt as if the baby’s feet were trying to leap from my womb, literally! I went to the doctor for my 38-week check-up. A sonogram revealed the doctor’s dire suspicions. The doctor told us that somehow, 10 days before my due date; the baby had turned to a breech (“feet-down”) position. He also estimated the baby to be about 8 pounds 15 ounces, maybe more.

He looked at me and said grimly, “I’m sorry Amanda, but we will have to schedule you for a cesarean delivery tomorrow morning. I can try to turn the baby when you get to the hospital, but I think it is nearly impossible at this point for a baby so large to turn back to the correct “head down” position within what is now a very tight space. Even more, if I could somehow manage to successfully turn the baby, I think he is too large for a non-cesarean delivery.”

After having my first two children without surgery, I shuddered to think that I might have to have a cesarean. I’m a real “scaredy cat” when it comes to surgery. I had also heard it is extremely painful for the doctor to try and turn the baby. Nonetheless, we were told to be at the hospital the following morning.

My husband and I had a strong belief that prayer could change our situation in a miraculous way. That evening after we left the doctor’s office, we had several people to pray with us for a divine intervention. As I lay wide awake in my bed that night, I rolled over to look at the clock. It was 1:30 a.m. All of a sudden, I felt two big “jolts” within my belly. The “jolts” were so volatile; my husband was nearly kicked off of the bed! Startled, he awoke and said, “Hey, are you O.K.?” I smiled and said, “Honey, I think everything is just fine now!”

The following morning in the hospital, the doctor walked into the room and asked if I was ready for him to try and turn the baby. I said, “Doc, I don’t think you are going to have to turn this baby.” He said, “Well, you know your body better than anyone.” He performed a sonogram to check the position of the baby.

He could hardly believe his eyes when the sonogram revealed a baby in perfect “head down” position for a natural delivery! He said, “I guess you were right. However, I still think the baby is too large to deliver any other way besides a cesarean section, but I’m willing to let you try.”

After a few hours on Pitocin, a drug used to speed labor, I was ready to deliver. My son was born into the world at 9:45 p.m. on December 8th, 2005, without a cesarean. He weighed in at exactly 9 pounds and perfectly healthy! I had never believed in the power of prayer as strongly as I did the day my big, beautiful baby boy was born into the world. Our prayers had been answered. At exactly 1:30 a.m. on Thursday, December 8th, 2005, The Great Almighty Himself had reached His hand into my womb and turned my baby!