Well my story begins November 19, 1958; I was born to two very young people who would turn out to be the best parents’ a child could have. I am very lucky. They endured all the surgeries, the stares, even people accusing my mom of putting rubber bands around my leg. Mom even had to live in San Raphael, California (90 miles from home)to be by my side, starting at the age of 6 months old. Dad stayed in Sacramento and worked very hard to keep their heads above water.
Firstly, I really appreciate this site. I am currently 24 years old, almost 25. Until now, no one has ever actually given me a name for the birth defects I was born with. A friend called me today and told me he met someone who had similar looking defects to mine, so I started to research it with the name he gave me: Amniotic Banding Syndrome. It’s such an amazing feeling finally to know that there are others with the same conditions. I had always been told that my problems were just called “birth defects.”
Shelbie was born on July 31, 2003 with bilateral clubfeet and amniotic band syndrome. I had had a pretty stressful pregnancy.
My triple-screens numbers were in the range where it looked like she was going to have down-syndrome. I opted not to have an amniocenteses as there is high rate of miscarriage. We were thrilled to find out we were having a girl as we already had a 3 year old son, Sean. Sean was late to deliver and I had stress tests and quite a few ultrasounds with him.
Tyler was born on February 2nd, 2002 after a very complicated pregnancy. I had developed pre-eclampsia and was put on bed-rest a month before I was induced. I had tons of ultrasounds. Two a week-including a 3-D ultrasound. None of them indicated any problems with the baby. I prayed my whole pregnancy that my little boy would be born healthy and perfect….you know the saying 10 fingers and 10 toes.
When I found out I was pregnant I was a newly-wed and only 19 years old.
BIRTH – January 1993
I had wanted to get pregnant for a few years and had been on fertility medication prior to conceiving. I was very sick throughout the pregnancy but extremely happy. I would dance (as well as my bulging body would allow) and sing “Whoa-oa-oa! I feel good, do-be-do-be-do-do, I knew that I would, now….So good, so good, I got you.” Although I read the “What to Expect…” series and we went to pre-natal classes we weren’t prepared – I didn’t even have my bag packed!
