To say the now 39-year-old was shocked is an understatement.
“I was in utter disbelief!
Up until that point, shedidn’t think fertility was in her favor.
Thanasis Zovoilis / Getty Images
She’d been told by her doctor that her severeendometriosiswould likely make it hard for her to conceive.
But then suddenly, she was blindsided right after she had landed in another country.
Forced to draw upon her inner moxie, she decided that yes, she would accept this life U-turn.
“I had no idea how I was going to make this work.
There wasmorning, noon, and night sicknessin the beginning.
“In fact, I learned things about myself that I never knew I was capable of.
If I must say so myself, I blew my own damn mind.”
It’s all about planning and looking for strong friends and family to lean on.
“Support can come in many forms and does not have to be other new moms.
“I cried for hoursI was completely shocked and overwhelmed.
He was so happy and said, ‘Why are you crying?
This is a miracle and we have to tell Dad!'”
The news was well-received.
“My dad was so happy and excited.
He said congratulations and gave me parenting advice.
He passed away seven days later.”
Today, her 2-month-old boy, Kai, has left Gestringsleep-deprivedbut also in awe.
“I always wanted to be married first.
So I just gave all my worry to him.”
“In less than a yearI had seen both death and life.
I was by my dad’s side as he passed, and then gave birth to my baby boy.
I only felt sad when I thought about my dad not being a grandfather to my son.”
Julie Bird, a Michigan university fundraiser, says her journey to motherhood came with giant disbelief and shock.
Bird was six months pregnant with son Cole, now 8, before sherealized that she was expecting.
“I was in disbelief,” says Bird, now 34.
She turned, reluctantly,to a therapistto help deal with her initial shock.
“Id never seen a counselor before in my life andfelt weak even considering reaching outfor guidance.
I just didnt know what I was going to do,” Bird says.
“At the end of our visit, she told me that she rarely ever meets women like me.
She told me if anyone could raise this baby, I could.”
And she was right.
But that envy quickly passes.
“The day I met Cole I knew my life would never be the same.
It changed drastically for the better from that moment forward.
By that point, all my apprehension and feelings of doubt had evaporated.
She says those dealing with asurprise pregnancyshould be heartenednot afraid.
“I would tell other women in a similar situation that you’re able to do this!
And you could definitely do this alone.
A lot has changed in my life since then, but that commitment has never wavered.”
