One mom recently had a pregnancy like no other. Jaiden Ashlea gave birth to her son in July … for the second time. Yes, you read that right.
Jaiden had birthed her son once already after it was determined during an 18-week anatomy scan that he needed lifesaving treatment. The scan showed the baby had spina bifida. But in order to treat him, he had to be delivered first.
It sounds impossible, but modern medicine just made it happen.
“I was in shock," the 23-year-old mom said of finding out her baby had the rare condition. "I couldn’t even speak when the doctor was telling us this."
At first, doctors didn't think there was any hope for saving the baby. They told the panic-stricken mom-to-be and her fiancé that the child would be born brain-dead.
“I remember saying to myself, 'This isn’t real, this isn’t happening,'” she said. “It was a nightmare.”
But Jaiden wasn't ready to give up hope. She and her fiancé found specialists who might be able to help and found out that surgery was an option. But first, she had to deliver the baby.
About six weeks after receiving the baby's terrifying diagnosis, doctors cut the mom open and essentially delivered the baby via cesarean section. Then they were able to successfully repair the baby's spine abnormality before placing him back inside her uterus.
Jaiden was then placed on strict bed rest.
The surgery is incredibly rare, but luckily, after the surgery things looked promising. “Since the surgery, [doctors have] seen so much more movement, and signs of any malformation in his brain are reversing,” she said while still pregnant.
“He’s kicking his legs, and twisting his ankles in there. I can feel him moving."
In July, Jaiden underwent another C-section at 37 weeks' gestation. Her baby boy had to spend a bit of time in the hospital but has since been discharged. Jaiden and her husband couldn't be more grateful for modern medicine.
