I Was Told to Abort This Pregnancy

Kristi was considered a "Miracle Baby" when she was born. Due to a complicated pregnancy that had me in problems before I could even suspect I was pregnant, the head of the OB/GYN, at that time encouraged me to abort her. Naturally, I refused. By the time she was only 3 weeks along in gestation (medically I was considered to be 5 weeks), she was subjected to the first of many ultrasounds. Each time the scan proved a live and growing baby, and each time that doctor tried to convince me to have her aborted.

We finally came to a headlock, and I left his office in a mad rage. Nothing could convince me her life was not worth giving every chance there was.

Eventually she was born, it took lots of determination, 17.5 weeks of continual hospitalization on my part, kicking that doctor off my case and out of my room, to accomplish the task, but on November 20, 1981, Kristi was born healthy and completely normal.

At birth Kristi was 5 pounds 8 ounces. She was about 16 inches long and healthy. Although she was small, she grew at a steady pace. She never experienced complications of the birth in any way. She is a perfect example that mothers can have a natural birth after having more than one C-Section.

Because I was having problems with iron deficiency myself, at 4 months, Kristi's hemoglobin levels were at a dangerously low level. I was breastfeeding which meant, if I did not have it to give, unless it was supplemented somehow, it was not there for her to receive. This was quick and easy to remedy without ill effects to the baby. I simply gave her 2 Tablespoons of liquid chlorophyll daily for two weeks. When she returned to the pediatrician, in 1 week, not the 2 weeks, I was told we had, she was back to normal, acceptable limits. At her next check-up, one week later, she was in great shape with her levels at the top. Her pediatrician said, "I don't know what it is you are doing, and I'm not sure I even want to know, but keep on doing what you are doing. This baby is wonderful health." I had told her about some natural approaches to improve Kristi's health.

Here is our full story.

Kristi was born November 20, 1981. After a long and difficult pregnancy we were very relieved to see that she was fine, healthy and normal in all aspects. Complications began before I even had reason to wonder if I was pregnant. Being in the military, I was subjected to who ever and whatever doctors were available. In the military, you either get great doctors or you get those who know they will never make it on the outside, and make a career of the Military for their own sake. My original OB/GYN was one of those who would never have made it on his own.

The pregnancy began with heavy bleeding before I was due for my next period. It had not stopped, so I made an appointment. The blood test revealed I was pregnant. I was hospitalized to allow the "Natural Abortion" to take place. I was released 3 days later in the very same condition I was hospitalized under, and told to just wait it out. A week later, I was hospitalized again for the weekend, and released once again in the very same condition as I went in. The doctor did the first of many Ultra-Sounds when I was approaching the point I should have had my first period.

By the time I had reached 2 months with the pregnancy, the doctor was trying to force me to allow him to abort her. "There is not one possible chance the baby could ever be normal, if the pregnancy continues." I refused. He did not agree with my choice, and made things pretty miserable for me. He kept telling me I was putting myself through un-needed-deeded stress, that the baby could not survive all this, and I was a fool to allow myself to undergo such emotional stress.

My own personal convictions could never allow me to abort a baby, even if it meant taking a chance on my own life. A baby is a baby, at any start of the pregnancy, it is a human being, and in no way, could I destroy this life that was getting such a shaky start inside my own body.

When I went in for a check up at about 3 months, I had been hospitalized 3 times for excessive bleeding, and released each time in the same condition, I was admitted. The doctor did another ultrasound, expecting to find the baby not even alive. He wanted me to sign papers to do the abortion. When I refused, he said, "Wait here", then he snickered, "You really don't have a choice. I will be right back." As soon as he left, I got dressed, opened up the curtain, and promptly left the room.

As I was walking out the door, the staff was calling me back. By that time, the doctor was also calling me back. I opened the heavy door that led to the hallway and with all the might I could muster up, slammed that door! This was a military base, and the hallway was narrow, the floors, walls and ceiling all covered in heavy ceramic tile. The door shut with such mighty force it sounded more like a bomb going off! The door closest to me was an emergency exit. I took that door, setting off the alarm. I did not care. My baby was not going to be killed and disposed of! If I miscarried, I would handle the situation. I had before. This was not my first complicated pregnancy, nor would it have been my first fetal loss! This was the first time I had ever been asked, no, "forced" to make a decision that would allow a doctor to abort a pregnancy, and in doing so, destroy my own child, killing her, making it impossible for her to survive, to grow into the person the Good Lord intended her to be! My own personal convictions would not allow such a thing to happen! Destroying human life is nothing short of murder!

One of my best friends was in practice in Spokane, a mere 30 mile drive away from the base. Dr. Claypool had been in the Military and had gotten out making his own practice downtown. As far as I was concerned, he was the best in the field. He had handled other complications with dignity, and ease. Never once has he ever, or will ever encourage a woman to abort her child. He is a man of character, of integrity, a man who knows the value of human life!

I drove the distance there never calling my husband, or telling anyone where I was going. I just got in the car and left that base, before the doctor could possible have time to call the gates to make them send me back to him. I did not need to go through those gates to continue downtown! Dr. Claypool received me without hesitation. He called the doctor there on base to see what was going on and got as much information as he could from him. We settled on a plan. I would return to the base for care, if that doctor would not continue to force an abortion on me.

I did go back, and he never once mentioned an abortion again. He was not the kindest person by any means, but he did his job without forcing the issue.

The bleeding episodes continued until I was about 3 1/2 months along. At that time things seemed to straighten up and I was allowed to take on normal activity.

Then without any notice or warning, I began having contractions when I was not quite 4 months along. Again I was hospitalized. This doctor who wanted me to abort was the Head of Obstetrics, and was there to check me in. I was on the monitor, contractions peaking at 75 and lasting about 45 seconds, coming about 8 minutes apart. The outcome looked grim. I will never forget the look on that doctor's face, not the tone in his voice as he said, "Just because you had problems before, doesn't mean you are having problems this time." That was my 4th hospitalization! This time I would be confined to the hospital for the duration of the pregnancy.

That doctor had introduced me to the other doctor who had come into the Military. Since Dr. (We will refer to him as Dr. Ugly from here on), was going on leave of absence, he was introducing me to the new doctor, who would be taking care of me for the time Dr. Ugly was to be on vacation.

That was fine with me! I wanted nothing to do with Dr. Ugly.

During the time I had spent in the hospital, a total of 17.5 weeks without a break, (except for an occasional time I was able to go home to visit for a few hours, once even over night, as long as complications did not return) my eyes were really opened as to the personality differences in some doctors. The new doctor, we will refer to as Dr. Good, was pleasant to be around. He took interest in how things were progressing, how the baby was doing and how I was feeling, not only physically, but emotionally. He did confer with Dr. Claypool on many occasions. By the time I had reached 4 1/2 months in the pregnancy, I had Dr. Ugly kicked off my case. I had said, I would remain there, if that was the only way to give my baby a fighting chance, but only if Dr. Ugly never once stepped foot inside my room, nor was permitted to speak to me. He just never had anything nice to say, even though he never brought up abortion again, he sure wished I would go ahead with it, and made little digs about me being there in that hospital bed, when I could be home with my other children instead. I knew what he was getting at. Besides, I had seen him come into the hospital in the middle of the night, angry and mad that these women could not choose a better time to have their babies. At times h e literally kicked the walls as he grumbled his way down the he hall to the nurses station! Not one of them liked him, nor did they appreciate the way he behaved. They did get great joy out of getting him out of bed, just because of his reaction. One time the nurse on duty was in my room when he came kicking, cussing and grumbling his way down the hall. She said quietly to me, "I will never understand why that guy ever went into obstetrics. He is such baby himself! People like that need to be locked up, and not turned lose in public!" I told her that I was so happy I had him kicked off my case.

I was now 37 weeks along and told that I could go home in a few days, if nothing more developed, that the pregnancy had made it to a safe point, and if the baby were born, there was a great chance everything would be fine. That was November 17th, and I was told I could take some time to be away to gather things I needed for the baby's birth, but would have to come back for some tests on the 19th. I did go home, and I did go back into contractions, so I was told to report back to the hospital again. After many hours the contractions did settle down, and I was hoping to be able to go back home. However, I was asked to stay the night.

In the middle of the night, November 19th, 1981, I woke with contractions. Nothing out of the ordinary, that is what I had spent the last 17.5 weeks in the hospital doing. Reluctantly I called the nurse in and told her the contractions had started up again. he felt them and sure enough they were there. This time they were different, she even commented on that. he hooked up the monitor and for the first time I had been hospitalized, nothing was showing! She checked me, and no progress was being made. She said she really should call the doctor, but the one I wanted was not on call until 6 A.M. The one who had wanted the pregnancy aborted was on call. I had him kicked out of my room and off my case early on in the pregnancy, and would have nothing to do with him at all. The nurse was not sure what to do. "Simple", I said, "You can't call him in because the monitor does not show anything this time, therefore you have no proof." She finally decided that this could be the case. Besides, when he was called in the middle of the night a few nights prior, he came up literally kicking the walls and stating, "Can't these women choose decent hours to have their babies!" Not one of the staff wanted to work with him, and I had been commended several times for having stood up to him and kicked him off my case. He was the HEAD of OBSTETRICS!

I was checked several times through the night, with very little progress being made. 5:45 A.M. came and the nurse let me know she had called my doctor. He would be in right away. I knew it would be okay to allow labor to progress, and said, "You mean I can go into labor now?" Her reply was quick and pleasant, "Yes! It is okay this time. The baby has progressed to the point it will survive! You can have contractions without us doing everything to stop them." Immediately, the contractions started up full force. I could not believe the way I had obviously slowed labor telling myself I could not go ahead with it. I knew I had been holding back by my own mind.

By the time the doctor had arrived, I was making good progress. He checked with the pediatrician, who said she felt that there could be complications with the baby due to the high doses over a long period of time, I had been given. She did not feel comfortable with me possible delivering there if the baby may have to be transported into Spokane for care. Arrangements were made to transport me into Spokane for the delivery.

The only hang up was he needed to have an accepting physician. "Dr. Claypool is the one." I told him. A phone call was made, and his wife had answered. The doctor was unavailable, as he was out chasing down cattle that had escaped the fences and were scaring the kindergarten kids waiting for the school bus. Someone had called the police, and another neighbor had informed the Claypool's that the police were out there in patrol cars, sirens blasting, lights flashing, chasing them in their cars! (Where's the video cameras when they are needed most?!!!)

It took a couple of calls before things were rolling in the right direction. Cattle in place, Dr. Claypool accepted me as a patient, and I was already being prepared to transport to Deaconess Hospital in Spokane, Washington.

By the time we arrived, there was no question that I was going to get my way with the type of delivery. I had two previous C-Sections, and did not want this baby C-Section. Dr. Claypool was hesitant, and not willing to take the chance. The Lord was on my side, however, and we had progressed to the point that delivery was taking place within a couple of minutes. There was no time for preparation, no time for a C-Section, and the doctor was entering into a new situation to him. In 1981, at the hospital where Kristi had been born, a V-BAC (vaginal birth after C-section) was just not done.

At 9 weeks old, Kristi looked more like a Newborn, than the two month old she is in this photo. She continued to grow, gain weight on a steady basis, and began to fill out to look more like a real baby. She was a happy, easily contented baby.

It does not take a trained eye to view the photo above and see a beautiful, healthy, normal baby. Had I been inclined to believe that one doctor who felt that for my own good, she must be aborted, Kristi would not have been born, nor would she have been able to experience life as she has. Not only Kristi would have been cheated out of her life, unable to experience it, we as a family, and all those who we have come in contact with would have been cheated out of knowing her. Cheated from the love and joy she brings to everyone around.

She always had a special charm about her that pulled people to her. She was good at minding as well. She got along with her brothers and sisters, and they with her. (Although, now that she is older, we do hear lots of stories of the mischievous things she has done along the way!)

While still in the hospital, she became the "hospital favorite", personnel who did not even work on the maternity ward heard of her and came to see her.

The staff in the Newborn Intensive Care Unit made comments all the time about how "their" baby was doing. I had no doubt at all, she was getting the best care and was not lacking in attention when I could not be with her. She was a bit early, and needed to be observed for a few days due to the medications I had been on to keep her from being born earlier than she was. I spent every hour I could spare with her in the hospital, and even went up in the middle of the night as often as I could. The staff was so supportive of me being there. I knew it meant the difference in her doing well, and in the infant/mother bonding and subsequent relationship, between the two of us. Nothing was going to interfere with our relationship! No doctor, no hospital, nothing! And nothing did.

Thank goodness to a wonderful friend who was also an OB/GYN doctor, who was able to communicate between this other doctor and me, I never heard another thing from the other doctor about having an abortion. Dr. David Claypool, and his family will always have a special place in our hearts for his personal convictions, integrity, and ability to stand steadfast for what he knew to be a correct and true principle!

At three, Kristi was still a real heart stopper. Her charm took every one in and won her many, many compliments from friends and strangers alike. She has had special charm about her since the day she was born. Look at her eyes, her smile, the serenity in her face. She is normal in every way. She has added such sweetness to our family, and is a gentle, loving sister. She was worth every thing I had to deal with to have her develop and be born. She has always had a special love for animals, babies and children.

Today Kristi loves roller balding, animals, she wants to become a Forest Ranger so she can be in the outdoors and work with nature and animals. She loves her family deeply, is intelligent and has a clear picture in her mind what she wants to accomplish in life. She knows who she is, and where she is headed.

Why do I feature her over all the other children?

Kristi helped to pave the way in medical history. It was through her and others like her that women can now have a V-BAC without being considered they are being stupid, and risking their own lives for something that cannot be, cannot be normal, cannot bring joy and happiness. I do plan on telling other birth stories as well. For now, hers was the most profound, as she would never have had a chance in life, had I listened to the doctor who was in charge of my pregnancy at first.

She beat the odds, and has lived a happy, healthy, normal life and is now looking forward to college, a career and in the future becoming a wife, a mother and continuing the "Circle of Life".

"WITH THIS, I REST MY CASE!"

Click here for Kristi's Mini Story and photo's. Uplifting, Feel Good stories and Poetry

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