Pregnant and Had a Tube Tied

Wow, it sure is scary to read that half the ladies who responded would sue. Thats why so many doctors are leaving Texas. I've had two Gynocologists leave for that very reason. Anyways, girl, this is truly amazing that you are pregnant! Probably not the best circumstances but just think, when you get old and senial, you'll have plenty of loving children to take care of you!

K.,

I only have two kids but I did get pregnant with no. 2 when the first one was only 4 months old and I had just started a new job so I was very scared. It was really hard having to tell our families because we didn't have the funds for two kids and taking care of kids that close together has been challenging. But I am so thankful for both of them. The baby (who is almost two now) is the one that I can always count on to give me a huge hug and kiss when I'm having the worst days. I really can't imagine my life without her. I don't believe in abortion. God gave you that life and you can either keep it and let them bless you greatly or give it to a family that is desperate to have a child. God has provided for us financially like you would not believe. So please just stay encourraged. Apparenty you're a great mom if you already have 6 happy kids. If I were you I would just go buy a shirt that says, "super fertile woman" and roll with the punches! You can do it.

K.,
I don't think anyone can advise you as to what to do. It is such a personal choice that you and your husband have to decide for yourselves what would be best for your family. First things first, you need to see OBGyn and make sure everything is ok since, as someone else said, Ectopic (tubal) pregnancy rates are higher if you've had a Tubal Ligation. Have you told your husband? If so, what does he think about it? You could always talk to Planned Parenthood or somewhere like that and get all of the facts on your options other than keeping it. Then, even if you later decide to keep it, you will have been well informed. Ultimately, it is totally up to you and your husband. If you are religious, pray about it. Good luck in your decision, no matter what you choose.

In regards to the others posts about this, suing the doctor because of becoming pregnant after tubal ligation is just downright wrong to me. Sorry, but it just rubbed me the wrong way. As someone else said, NOTHING but abstinence is 100%. Facts on Tubal Ligation: "Sterilization success rates are greater than 99% during the first year." Greater than 99% is awesome, but the Pill is also greater than 99% when used correctly, yet some women still get pregnant while on the pill. Should they sue the manufacturer of that pill because they got pregnant? Absolutely NOT! Sometimes, higher powers(whatever ones are present in your religious beliefs) and mother nature take matters in to their own hands. Ok, I'm done with my soapbox...sorry.

Just don't worry. God never gives us more than we can handle! Before the creation of time God created this young child in his book of life to be born to you! You can do it!:) Whats one more when you have 6 :) Let us know. I will pray for you. Here if you need to talk. AIM lesliebrown829 or ____@____.com

First - breath.

Second - go get a massage

Third - go to the doctor and have them check the baby's positioning since tubals can increase the risk of fallopian or extrauterine pregnancy.

Fourth - Start looking for a post partum doula who can help you once the baby is born. Check bellywomen.net for students and training doulas who often work for very inexpensive. Your insurance might even cover this.

What a special gift God has given you, this child has already beat the odds, good luck, when you have 6 already, what is one more!

Many years ago a friend of mine was in your shoes. She had already all the kids she wanted, in her particular case the money situation was not good at all.

She just had lost her business, moved back to her parents place (husband included) unable to pay for their own place and sometimes counting the money even for food.

And well, she was done having kids. Her kids were really beautiful but she was done! She had her tubes tied. Time later she found out she was pregnant and even being very afraid and stressed because of the money issue she decided to have the baby.

This last baby was the biggest blessing, if all her kids were amazingly beautiful (she even got stopped all the time at the stores with one of them) this last one was even more, he was worgeous! and She was/is extremely happy of the decision she made. He is and always has been a really good boy and brought to the family much happiness and joy!

I hope you take the best decision for the greater good of everyone involved.

And I wish you a merry Christmas and a New Year full of LOVE, JOY, HEALTH AND WEALTH.

I had my tubes tied after my 3rd son 15months ago and I was worried that it would not work but my dr assured me that in his 25+ years of being an ob he has only had one that "got through" but hers was a tubal pregnancy. any way, (by the way he did say that its more common to have tubal pregnancys if you get pregnant after having your tubes tied than a viable pregnancy because the tubes are almost always tied and then cut and not just cut, so be sure to go to the hospital if you have any severe abdominal pain because tubal pregnancys are dangerous)
any way,

my point is that he also told me that if I get my tubes tied and I still get pregnant then it must be meant to be and so I agree with that...

hope that helps, Good luck and stay well... A. J

Hi I am not sure if this is something you might consider or not.Forgive me if I am over-stepping my boundaries,I do not mean to upset you. But my husband and I have tried to have a baby together for 11 long years with no success. We have each had surgeries,fertility testing and multiple fertility treatments but still no baby.We would love to adopt a newborn if you might consider adoption. We are good,honest,loving people and we have a lot to offer a baby.This baby might be meant to be to answer someones prayers and a true blessing to the lives of people that are unable to have children. If you might consider this you can e-mail me at ____@____.com.I wish you the very best.

I am not sure what to tell you but I'll relate my SIL's story to hopefully make you feel better so you can see that you can do this. Nikki got pg with their twins when their third child was only 9 mos. old and then got pg with the baby after the twins when they were 8 mons. old and got pg with their 7th baby when that one was 5 mons. old. I know that it was a struggle for them but they did survive it and so will you. You can do it!

I also just read about the advise to sue so I'll share my experience with lawsuits. My brother was gravely injured by a faulty bicycle and sued the manufacture. His case was 100% justified but it still took 3 years just to settle. Lawsuits are NOT a quick fix and they do NOT make you feel better about what has happened. They are long, drawn out, costly and they drain all of your emotional resources. There seems to be this mind set in our society that lawsuits are easy. They are NOT easy. They take a lot out of you personally and financially. I am not saying people shouldn't sue, there can be good reason to sue, but they should do it for the right reasons and be willing to give what it takes. Unless you are 100% justified (meaning there is no chance you will lose) and you are willing to dedicate your life to the lawsuit (because that's what it takes) I would not sue. But that's just my opinion. If you are going to sue be sure you find the right lawyer. One who has done this kind of case before and knows exactly what you up against,knows what kind of chances for success you have and will be totally honest with you. And trust me it's harder to find such a lawyer than you would think.

Have you considered adoption?

K.--
i wish you the best in making your decision. i agree that since you have had your tubes tied your risk of an ectopic (tubal) pregnancy is increased, and therefore you need to see your doc as soon as you can. i imagine you have to wait until january since it is christmas--appointments are probably hard to get for another 2 weeks.

and yes, as another poster said, everyone has 3 options--abortion, adoption, and keeping the child. no-one can tell you what the right choice is for you, but the longer you wait the more your choices become limited. if you wait too long you cannot terminate the pregnancy, if that's what you would want to do, and if you wait longer still, adoption may seem like an unacceptable decision to make. it's a lot to deal with in a pretty short time frame.

i would just like to say something about the comments about a lawsuit, from the "other" side. i am a nurse-midwife and, knock wood, have never been involved in a lawsuit. but i have friends & colleagues, both midwives and doctors, who have. it is a humiliating, painful process. medical professionals are human. we are not perfect. we don't ever mean to harm our patients ("first, do no harm"--we all take the oath!). and surely when your doctor reviewed the surgery consent, he/she explained that there is a risk of pregnancy, even after your tubes are tied. NOTHING is 100% except abstinence. i usually quote a 1/350- 1/400 risk of pregnancy after a tubal. others may have different numbers, but those are the ones i use. repeat pregnancy is a known complication of tubal ligation, and unfortunately, many of those pregnancies are ectopic.

before you get in to see your doc, PLEASE pay attention if you have any symptoms of an ectopic pregnancy, such as worsening pain in your lower abdomen, especially if it is more on one side than the other, severe cramping, pain radiating to the shoulder, fever, or vaginal bleeding. if you have any of those symptoms you should get to an ER immediately.

i wish you the best of luck with your pregnancy, no matter what you decide to do. take good care of yourself!

My 2 cents - your kids will be fine; enjoy this seventh blessing. BUT GET YOUR HUSBAND TO GET A VASECTOMY!!! Obviously, you are Fertile Fannie, so you need addtional precautions. It's an outpatient surgery; it's even covered under a lot of insurance plans (snip-snip is cheaper for the insurer than a baby!).

And suing is a silly idea, IMO. These things happen.

My goodness!
You know one day, all these blessings will grow up and move away and once again your home will be quiet.

I am a doula and I have to say, you are really gonna need a post partum doula to help you. I work with a fantastic pp doula! We would love to be of service to you. We even do night nannie service so you can sleep when you need to.

Don't worry, you will find a way. Surround yourself with the love of the women i your life. Dont be afraid to ask for help and take it when it's offered. Reach uout to your church or find one now if you dont already have a church home.

They key here is your support network. You really need to be building it now so when its time, you will have that strength to draw on!

Breathe deeply and know that you can handle this. Its just gonna take some planning and ingenuity!

I have had several birth clients that had suprise #5 & #6 babies and they love them just as much. Its just ovrewhelming right now to look at your 7 month old babies, but in 9 months, they will be more independent and require a bit less of your time.
(((((Hugs)))))
K.

I can't give you any advice. I know it might worry you to have more children- but congratulations! Seven has always been my magic number for children. Of course right now I only have one daughter (and I wouldn't trader her for the world). You are very fortunate to have a lovely little brood!

God Bless

Well, if you are, really there is only one of two things you can do. 1. you raise your new baby with your family or 2. you let some nice family raise the baby for you. I know you really don't want to hear that...but there are a lot of folks out there that would love another (or ONE) baby and are unable to have a baby...

Hope that helps...

Suing is not the answer to your problems! If anything, it will create new ones. Doctors use the knowledge they have learned to the best of their ability. Their goal is to provide the patient with the best outcome possible. However, they have no control over how a person is affected. The problem is not the procedure that was performed.
God is in control of what is created. He knew that one day you would truly see why he blessed you with this seventh child. Only God knows what lies ahead for you and your family. The fact that He keeps blessing you with children shows that you have a very important calling on your life. He chose you to raise these precious gifts and that is probably the biggest blessing one can receive. I know now is extremely difficult and there are probably days where you can't see the light at the end of the tunnel, but please stay positive because there is a reason you have these children, and though you may not be sure now, you will eventually know.

If your family does not keep the baby there are soo many other families who cannot bare children give the gift of life to another family.
L.

First of all, ***HUGS*** This has got to be scary for you. I wish you the best. Talk to your family. This includes your husband and other kids. Make any decisions as a family. Take a deep breath and try to relax a bit. Everything will work out one way or another.

Thanks to the mom that suggested Dad getting snipped. Maybe if both of you are fixed, you will not get pregnant again. Talk to your OB about it. Since you have hit the 1% that still get pregnant, there may be other options that are available to you.

For the moms that suggested suing:
When I had my third baby, I got my tubes tied. Before the procedure is done, they had me sign a release form because it is not 100% guaranteed. This ensures the doctor cannot get sued if I were to become pregnant again.

I see no reason to sue the doctor so there's more money to take care of the kids. The doctor did not get you pregnant. The only thing suing would accomplish is to make health care prices go up even higher.

K.,
I feel your confusion. I am a mom to two sets of twins and a singleton and my tubes are tied. That is my greatest fear especially since it already is a struggle. You'll be just fine. Go with the flow. You can not change what has happened and truly what is one more with 6 already. You're a wonderful mommy and what seems to be difficult in the present usually fixes itself in the future. Also, a beautiful life is coming into the world and usually the surprise child is the one that will surprise you! :) It just means more hugs and more love. Suing is such a WASTE of time, energy and money that you could devote to your family. Seems like that is always somebody's solution who has deeper issues. THAT TRULY MAKES ME SICK. I emailed you privately with my number if you want to talk! I am in a Mothers of Multiples group and they always have GREAT advice that you can choose to use or choose not to.

Mom to Brittany & Brianna (10) Charity (6) and Luke & Trinity (3)

I can see why this is so scary and not necessarily welcome. I don't know why each of us gets the obstacles in life that we do. I'll pray that God gives you the right tools to deal with the situation.

It's funny to see the posts about suing, because I'm a SAHM now, but was a lawyer. I remember studying in law school about "wrongful life" tort cases and their evolution in jurisprudence. What I'm going to say is this- like other posters have said, and, as you know, only abstinence is 100%. However, I would have a different OB look at you and examine the procedure to make sure it was done properly, and keep your options open if there are any pregnancy complications because of an improperly done TL. That's really what an appropriate suit would cover- if you have something like a tubal pregnancy (can be expensive, painful, emotionally draining to deal with).
On a less technical note, I was number 6 of my mother's 7 children, half of a set of twins. I think we were absolutely overwhelming for my mom when we were younger, but I think we got easier as it got older.

I can't imagine how it would be to be in your situation, but I can say that I would hope that I would NOT sue the doctor who tied your tubes. That is ridiculous. I truely believe that everything happens for a reason. We sometimes don't get to know what that reason is for a very long time, but there is always a reason. If it is not a false positive, then think of the blessing. I can't imagine 6 kids plus 1 more on the way with very young twins, but what about adoption? There are so many people who want children, and cannot concieve. Your little one could be a blessing to someone else. Just a thought. I hope I did not offend anyone, but I just don't think that suing a doctor because you got pregnant is a good idea. I mean, the only 100% effective form of birth control is abstinance. Think about it....how many have had tubes tied and gotten pregnant, how many with IUD's, how many on the pill, how many hubby's had a vasectomy and gotten pregnant? It is not the doctor who is to blame. No one is to blame. I know this is going to be tough, but you do have options. Of course there is one I would NOT recommend. The other two are great options, but it is completely up to you. I hope you get some great advice to make your decision easier, and I pray that whatever you decide, you will be happy.

I would at least think about sueing the doctor that tied your tubes. I have never sued anyone although I have had plenty of reasons to. (long story) Anyway it could help with the cost of raising 7 children. I regret not sueing. There are so many people who sue without good reason but even though you will love your child it is a huge cost to raise them. You paid that doctor to tie your tubes and he didn't do his job right. Good luck.

Sometimes that happens ! I had a friend after 2 mos. of getting her tubes tied she got PG ! but in your case since you already have so many children I would go to the Dr. in Jan. and find out for sure ! if that is the case you probably will have a law suit ! that is a blessing you are able to stay home with that many children !

K.,
I was shocked to learn I was pregnant after only a month of a very miserable new marriage. I miscarried the baby, only to find out later that I had twins and was still carrying one. When she was born (really hard pregnancy, preterm labor at 28 weeks, emergency c-section ect) they told me to not have any more, to have a TL. When I had an appointment scheduled I found out I was pregnant! She was only five months old! But this time around things were a little better.

When #2 child was six months old I was pregnant again (no this was not planned but we had also decided against the TL since the second pregnancy was a little bit better although I did have preterm labor again.)

Well, a good friend with several young children of her own told me that the more you have the easier it gets, meaning that having four children is not more difficult then having three, but the first three are really hard to get used to.

Anyway, I now have four children and have been married five years! My youngest is nine months old and I haven't started my cycles yet. But this time around, we look forward to the next birth. What changed? Our faith in God.

Yes, it is still VERY hard. My house is a mess. The children don't always get baths before church. heh But I am so very happy I have all of them.

Check out www.quiverfull.com. It might offer some encouragement to you. And you are also welcome to write to me too.

S., south of Houston, SAH homeschooling mom to four girls ages four and under

Have you thought of it being a false positive?? But i would def. sue the doc. who did it (i had mine done, but for health reasons), if it isnt a false pos. I would aslo try to get in earlier, b/c it could be a tubal. Good Luck with everything.

I personally think I would push seeing the doctor sooner. I believe tubal pregnancies are more likely in this situation and that can be very dangerous. Not to scare you...just something I think you should call back and press with the staff that you had your tubes tied and you would like to get squeezed in ASAP.

I feel for you. Only you can decide what to do. Everyone has 3 options, and only you can decide if those are really options for you. I know when I got pregnant with #4 when #3 was 4 months old, I had all sorts of thought, but only one true option.

I can't even begin to imagine where my thoughts would be with 6- 2 of them twins! I am sorry I am not much help.

I hope you get in to see the doctor sooner!

Take care!

I am the seventh (unplanned)child in my family. I relate to one of the previous comments that it will just be more kids to take care of you when you are older. My husband and I took in my parents temporarily after my dad had a stroke two Christmases ago and while they were here my mom had a heart attack and had to have heart surgery. It was at that time that we decided to keep them permanently. My mom told me that she always knew that I would be the one to take care of them. My parents are in their late 70's.

Pray and ask God to make what ever is His will happen for you. Ask God to guide your thoughts and actions. He'll never steer you wrong!
Good luck

As a labor and delivery nurse I have taken care of one patient who got pregnant with her tubes tied that delivered a normal healthy baby. She was simply mystified that this could happen. They are not full proof as I am sure you know. You need to first make sure it is not a tubal pregnancy, those are fairly common after a tubal ligation. All I can say otherwise is good luck, pray and Trust GOD, he knows what he is doing!

wow, sounds like you're fertile myrtle! It will be ok. I'm not sure if you are asking if you should terminate or what???? If you are that is a very personal decision that I think you should talk to your Hubby about. There is always adoption. Now if your not talking about that and are just freaking out then all I can say is where theres a will theres a way. You guys can handle 6 kids.....whats one or two more? :P

WOW! Six kids?! Hats off to you, K.!

If you got your tubes tied, AND you got pregnant anyway? This baby was meant to be. There is no way around it!

Don't worry about them being so close in age. My son was 8 months when I found out I was pregnant with my daughter. They are the best friends ever - still - and they are 10 and 11 years old.

Congratulations to you, your family, and your new little miracle baby!