Lucy June Hietter…My Miracle Baby

In honor of Lucy’s 9 week old birthday, I’d like to share a story about our little miracle. 

On September 4, 2013 I was 9 weeks pregnant.  Johnny and I were absolutely over the moon planning for baby #2.  That morning I woke up with really bad cramps and  I was bleeding a lot.  I called Johnny (who was at work) in tears and told him that I thought we were loosing the baby. 

We immediately called our Doctor. Her office instructed us to go to Cox Urgent Care.  We showed up at Urgent Care in tears.  The whole family did.  My mom and dad, my sisters, my brothers.  Everyone was there.  We waited the usual BS inordinate amount of time to see a Doctor. During this time we called my Doctor’s office twice just to make sure Urgent Care was where we were supposed to be. 

Finally the Doctor walked in.  I was still bleeding a lot.  He checked me and confirmed that I was, indeed having a miscarriage.  My cervix was open and we were loosing the baby.  I remember feeling like I was floating.  Like I was looking in on someone else’s life that wasn’t mine. 

I had already cleared out a bedroom for the nursery.  The baby had a crib.  This baby had a place in my heart and how could it be gone? 

Johnny and I just cried.  We walked into the waiting room and the whole family cried together.  My mom held me and assured me that my baby was in heaven with all of the other babies that have been lost, including hers.

That night Johnny and I grieved together.  I think I drank a bottle and a half of wine.  We stayed up late talking with each other and just got drunk. 

The next day my mom sent me flowers.  She brought over a big Starbucks Coffee that morning and we just sat on my couch and cried together.  I managed to go on a short run to try to sweat out the stupid amount of wine I drank the night before.  While I was running I remember blaming myself.  If only I hadn’t done this. Or that.  I had closed the door to her nursery.  I’d deal with that later.

The Urgent Care doc instructed me to follow up with my obgyn in the next week or so.  I called her office and they said they could get me in that afternoon…or I could wait until Monday (it was a Friday).  I decided to get it over with and just go. 

I think the appointment was at 3. I remember looking at all of the other pregnant girls in the waiting room and being so jealous.   The nurse called my name, I went in, and they took me to the ultrasound room.  I was lying on the table and made a conscious effort NOT to look at the screen.  I just wanted it to be over. 

The ultrasound tech did the belly-gel stuff and said, “and I see a baby.  See.  Right there.  She looks good.”

“Wait…what?  No…that can’t be right.  They told me she was gone.  What?” I was stunned.  What!? And I was crying.  Again. 

“No, she’s right there.” The tech was almost as confused as I was.

I was then taken to a room and pretty much immediately a nurse and my doctor were in to see me.  They confirmed that yes, my baby was alive and looked healthy.  They said the bleeding was caused by a hematoma in my uterus, and they apologized profusely for the confusion and negligence on Urgent Care’s part. 

This was my miracle.  I figure, we all get one real miracle in our lives if we’re lucky.  And Lucy is my miracle.  I’ve never experienced such a gamut of emotions in such a short amount of time.  I thank God everyday for my children.  And I thank God that Urgent Care doctor was wrong and I have a happy, healthy nine-week-old baby to prove it.