Together we can protect children from misdiagnosed miscarriages. Losing my son Yona was one of the most scariest and difficult things I have ever had to face. When I was told that he didn't have a heartbeat and I was having a miscarriage, I immediately reached out and asked my community for prayer for a miracle. When I got home from the hospital that evening, I received a text message from a friend telling me not to give up hope. She said that my baby might still be alive.

Years prior, her sister was told that her baby did not have a heartbeat and the doctor offered to schedule a surgical procedure to remove her baby. She told them she wanted to wait for the surgery. One week later she went back to her doctor and had another ultrasound and this time her baby did have a detectable heartbeat and was later born healthy. Thankfully, she had refused to have that surgery. I so badly wanted this to be what happened for Yona, as I had also been offered by my doctor to either have surgery to remove my baby, or take a medicine to help me miscarry at home. I told my doctor I wanted to wait.

I looked online to see what the likelihood would be of such a miraculous outcome and I found countless accounts of similar stories of women being told that their babies have passed. But after requesting further diagnostics, they were then notified that their baby’s were actually viable. I contacted my healthcare system and requested a second opinion. I talked to an ultrasound technician at the hospital and asked her if a misdiagnosis was a possibility, and she said yes, that she personally had women come in that had been told their baby’s did not have a heartbeat just to find out that actually they did. I asked her, “how could this happen?” She told me that the ultrasound machines themselves are different in the doctor’s offices, versus the ones in diagnostics. They are not as sensitive, and doctors do not have the same level of training for performing ultrasounds as ultrasound technicians. Sometimes it is just that the baby’s need more time to develop before their heartbeat can be detected. I went back to my OB/GYN clinic and saw a different doctor and told her what I had heard. She also confirmed that yes, this does happen. As well as, twins and multiples are at times missed by ultrasound. She said it's usually in early pregnancy. She ordered a diagnostic ultrasound. I hoped, with every bit of my heart that Yona would be okay. Sadly, he was not. They delivered him the next day. I share this story in hopes to help other women know that misdiagnoses do happen, and to help them wait and make sure before allowing assisted miscarriage treatments in order to give them the opportunity to hopefully obtain the miracle I so desperately wanted.

As I stated prior, I was originally offered a medicine to help me miscarry at home, as well as offered to schedule a surgery to remove my child. I was never even given the option of a diagnostic ultrasound, I had to request this ultrasound myself. I would not have ever known to request it, if it was not for my friend and what her sister went through. So I am spreading this message in order to save living children from being mistakenly removed from their mother’s womb. If you are reading this account, please share this knowledge with other people and your healthcare providers. If even one child is saved, then we have made a difference. My hope is to inspire all healthcare systems and providers to inform women of the possibility that although a heartbeat may not have been detected, there still may be a child actually alive. Therefore, to routinely offer to provide a diagnostic ultrasound and/or measure hCG levels before providing miscarriage inducing treatments in order to properly protect the woman and the child(ren) in their care. Talk to your provider about making this possible, share this knowledge with others, and schedule a time for us to talk to your community. Here are some highly recommended articles to learn more about misdiagnosed miscarriages https://healthland.time.com/2011/10/14/ultrasound-guidelines-may-diagnose-miscarriage-when-a-women-is-still-pregnant/ & https://www.news-journal.com/news/local/east-texas-parents-celebrate-daughters-first-birthday-after-misdiagnosed-miscarriage/article_bfde1f6a-7923-11e9-8f2c-b7540e1be170.html

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Losing a child is devastating. There are many organizations that offer support: https://www.miscarriagehurts.com/ or https://www.verywellfamily.com/miscarriage-support-organizations-2371339. If you are facing this personally, please accept my deepest heartfelt condolences. As one parent to another, allow yourself comfort, take time to grieve and cherish your little one. Despite how brief their life was, the love that you have for each other, will never be lost.