I gave birth to my baby son twice – the second time was 11 weeks after the first
GIVING birth can be traumatic, so spare a thought for a woman who had to go through it twice after her son was put back inside her.
TikTok user Jaiden Ashlea, who posts under @jaiden.ashlea, uploaded a video explaining about her son’s condition.
In clips that have racked up over two million views, Jaiden said: “Birthing my baby for him to be put back in and 11 weeks be born again.
“Our son was diagnosed with spina bifida at 19 weeks.
“At first we were told there was no hope, he’s going to be brain dead, he’s going to have no life.
“And then we got more answers and we looked further beyond those original doctors.
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“We actually found a team of doctors in Orlando, who specialise in open-foetal surgery to repair the neural-tube defect in his back.
“They basically opened me up by C-section, repaired the defect in his back to the best of their ability, closed me back up and I stayed pregnant for the rest of the time.
“It’s very common for contractions to happen and preterm labour is always the biggest effect or impact of the surgery.
“But they monitor you very closely, so the next two weeks I’ll be in Orlando in a Ronald McDonald house after already being in hospital for a week.”
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Jaiden added that doctors refilled the area with saline and it became the amniotic fluid again.
We previously shared a similar case, how a baby was born twice after surgeons operated on him and then put him back in his mother’s womb for 10 weeks.
Joni Reinkemeyer and her boyfriend Chris Skain, from Missouri, were given the heartbreaking news that their baby boy was seriously ill 19 weeks into the pregnancy.
Joni was stunned when doctors suggested opening her up, operating on him – and then putting him back in her womb for ten weeks.
They basically opened me up by C-section, repaired the defect in his back to the best of their ability, closed me back up and I stayed pregnant for the rest of the time.
Jaiden Ashlea
She said: “After more tests, we were being transferred to Barnes-Jewish Hospital, a larger teaching hospital in St Louis, two hours away, as it looked like our baby had spina bifida, a condition where an unborn baby’s spine and spinal cord don’t develop properly.
“How bad it is depends on the location of the gap in the spine. If the gap is high up, it could cause paralysis of the legs and mobility issues.
“We met with the surgeon, Dr Michael Bebbington, and he talked us through what they could do.
Spina bifida explained
THERE are several kinds of spina bifida, some severe, others less so. In all, the neural tube that runs from brain down the length of the spine doesn’t form properly when the baby develops in the womb.
In the most severe types there is damage to the nervous system, leading to symptoms that can include paralysis, incontinence, and loss of sensation.
Now pioneering treatment can prevent that, by operating on the baby while still in the womb to patch the defect in the spine and protect the nerves. This gives the nervous system a far better chance, though it’s not a guarantee all will be normal.
When surgeons first did this op in the UK, they used a conventional incision through the mother’s abdomen, much like a caesarean. But soon they switched to a keyhole procedure.
Nobody knows what causes most cases of spina bifida, but the condition can usually be spotted at the 20-week scan.
“Shockingly, he revealed that he could open me up, close the hole in the baby’s spinal cord, and then put him back into the womb for him to keep developing – a procedure called foetal surgery.
“He revealed an operation like that had never been done before in the hospital – and warned us our baby could die.
“But, after carefully thinking, Chris and I decided we had to take a chance. If it could help our baby live an easier life, we wanted to do it.
What is open-foetal surgery and why don't more babies have it?
Dr Michael Bebbington, a maternal-foetal medicine specialist, at Barnes-Jewish Hospital, said: “Consideration for open-foetal surgery involves a detailed evaluation of both the baby and the mother to be sure that they meet the criteria for surgery and it is the right procedure for them.
“About one in five of those who are referred for evaluation will either be eligible and willing to undergo surgery.
“The procedure that Jackson had has probably been done a few hundred times worldwide.
“The risks include prematurity.
“Almost 15 per cent deliver before 30 weeks and another 35 per cent deliver between 30 and 34 weeks, which luckily Joni and Jackson were a part of.
“There is a small risk for death of the baby either from extreme prematurity or death during or following the surgery.
“Deciding to undergo surgery is a difficult decision for every family we see. It amazes me what mothers are willing to go through to try and give their babies a better chance at life and we’re so glad to be a part of their care and support team.”
“There would be more than 32 people in the operating theatre.
“Because it had never been done before, they had duplicates of each role including two anaesthesiologists for me and Jackson, two neurosurgeons and a whole NICU team. My little boy weighed just 1lb at the time.
“Doctors drained the amniotic fluid from his spine, and then stitched up the hole.
“When I came round, I started having contractions, so I was put on complete bed rest. Thankfully they stopped.
“Every Tuesday I would meet with doctors to make sure everything was okay.
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“Eventually, after ten weeks of bed rest, Jackson was born by Caesarean section.
“He weighed 4lbs 9oz and was kept in NICU for 12 days, as his heart rate had dropped and he was jaundiced.
“People have asked if he will have two birthdays – and, seeing that he was born twice, I think we can allow him two cakes.”
Spina bifida affects 700 babies born in the UK every year.