I have been following a blog about a woman trying to conceive and then getting pregnant with quads. She lost one of her babies resulting in triplets. She went through IVF, implanting two eggs, one of which split three times resulting in identical triplets and a singleton. She lost one of the triplets. She is now planning on selective reduction. She hasn't made it clear if she will abort, oh sorry, selectively reduce the twins or the singleton. She says she will be fine with twins, but when two babies share the same placenta, you can't only reduce one....both will have to be reduced to leave them with one baby or they will reduce the singleton leaving them with twins. I'm not writing this to judge this other woman or attack her. I know of several people that have made the same decision as her so this is my know means directed at one person. It's just something I feel very passionate about and want to share my opinion. I don't know her personally, I've only read about her story. I've followed her journey through trying to conceive and then finally conceiving. I'm not going to like her, or any other person that makes this decision any less because they make the choice to selectively reduce. I am simply writing this in hopes that someone out there that is facing the same decision will read this and think twice about reducing. Maybe someone will read this and think that it will be ok and that they can do it!
I have shared before that our pregnancy started as quints and we lost sweet #5 around 8 weeks. As soon as we found out how many babies we were having, our doctor immediately brought up selective reduction. I told him no. No way. No! Don't even bring it up again, it's not an option. To me, selective reduction is only a nice way to say abortion. Abortion, selective reduction....whatever, same thing. It's all about killing a baby. Taking a life that God created. It's wrong. I believe life begins at conception. Abortion is wrong. Not going to happen! He never brought it up again. When we met with our high risk doctor for the first time he also brought it up. He said he knew we weren't considering it, but he still had to talk about it. So he told us all the risks and I still told him it wasn't an option. I left his office knowing that, God willing, I was going to carry four babies. I know there are times when reduction is the only option. If a baby has a condition that it is 100% known he won't live outside the womb and reducing him would give the other babies a better chance at survival, then that is different. What I am talking about here is situations like ours. Where all the babies appear to be healthy and developing fine.
Now, let me honest. Totally, brutally honest. This next part is hard for me to write. It's not something I'm proud of. I hate this part of myself, these thoughts that went through my head. I walked out of the doctor's office with my head held high. I knew what my decision was, that we would continue with the quad pregnancy and hope and pray for the best. Once we got in the car though, I had a breakdown. Complete and total breakdown. I started really freaking out. Four babies??? Holy shit, I can't do that. Four? We can't afford that! We don't have a big enough house, big enough car, enough money! I will need to work just to support these babies, but I don't want to work and how could I work?! I would be working to pay daycare! I want to have ONE baby, be a stay at home mommy. Spoil him or her rotten. Focus all my attention on ONE baby....not four! I told Lee maybe we should consider reducing. He looked at me like I had completely lost my mind (I think I had). I had always said I was very strongly absolutely opposed to abortion and there I was completely freaking out and basically saying that I thought we should reduce our pregnancy! After Lee was able to calm me down and I regained my composure, I realized what I was saying. It was a weak moment that I am not proud of. I was saying that I didn't want all of my babies that we had created! Ha! I was having ridiculous, crazy thoughts and I actually laughed at myself. Yes, I was still scared out of my mind but I knew it would be ok. I think I briefly panicked and had to say all the thoughts in my head and hear them out loud to reaffirm what I already knew. I knew that we could do it. I knew it would be hard, but I knew that it was the blessing I had been given and I accepted that. God gave me these babies so I was responsible for them. I would never give one of my babies up. I was going to do everything I could to protect them, carry them as long as I could and give them the best chance for a good life.
I knew all the risks. I knew that higher order multiples have a huge risk of being born with serious disabilities. I knew we would deliver early and most likely spend some time in the NICU. I babysat triplets for several years starting when I was in high school. I knew how much work multiples would be. I knew we were going to be short on money, completely broke actually, for the next several years, well, the rest of our lives really. I knew everything was going to be hard, really, really hard. I also knew that it was going to be ok.
My babies were born at 23 weeks and 5 days. They technically shouldn't have survived. They should have had major complications. Don't get me wrong, they had their share of difficulties those first few months. For the first couple months we didn't know if they were going to make it. The 137 days they spent in the NICU were the hardest thing I have ever done. It changed me forever. But it changed me forever in a good way. I have a much greater appreciation for the little things in life. I have a stronger faith in God. I believe in myself more. The days after they came home were hard too. Cooper came home on oxygen and all but Brett were on monitors. I constantly had people in my house. I needed the help so that was a good thing, but it was hard. Our marriage has been pushed almost to the breaking point, but we stuck it out and now we are better than ever. I rarely slept when they were babies. I was tired all the time. I was physically, mentally, emotionally exhausted. But I was so full of love for my babies, that it was worth it. Snuggling my sweet babies was amazing. I never had empty arms because there was always someone that wanted to be held. It was awesome. Kaden has cerebral palsy and wears braces on both legs. He has sensory issues that have made a lot of things difficult for him. Cooper still has some breathing issues. They have mild problems that we deal with everyday. It should have been more serious issues. If my children were severely disabled I wouldn't love them any less. I can't imagine not loving an incredible gift straight from God. After trying for so long to get pregnant, I would love my children no matter what. Sometimes the days with my kids are sooooo long and soooo difficult. Sometimes I hide in the bathroom and cry because I can't do it anymore. Sometimes when Lee gets home from work, I leave. I go to the park. I enjoy the silence.
But then I go home to my kids. All four of them. I wouldn't change it for anything. I love the way my life has turned out. Who would of thought that having four kids would meet every expectation of my life I have ever had. My kids are amazing. They are beautiful. Wonderful. Incredible little people that fill my heart with so much love that I feel like I could burst. What an amazing feeling. I quite possibly could be the luckiest mom in the world.
If we would have opted for reduction, we would have aborted Brett and Kaden. Oh, how that thought hurts my heart. I can't imagine not having my buddy Brett. My momma's boy. The boy that doesn't like to be away from me. I can't imagine not hearing his giggle, watching him sleep, hugging him every morning. What would life be like without Kaden? Daddy's little mini me. To not hear his "I love you, mommy" every day. To not get hundreds of kisses from him everyday. To not hear his knock, knock jokes, see him entertain everyone and work hard to make sure that everyone around him is happy!
Sorry I have rambled for so long and congratulations if you actually made it to the end of this. Please, if you are considering abortion or selective reduction, think about it again. Think long and hard and make sure it's something you really want to do. Something you really want to live with for the rest of your life. Feel free to comment, but please keep in mind that this is only my opinion. It's something I feel strongly about and wanted to share my thoughts.
Cooper, Brett, Parker and Kaden
