‘Miracle baby’: Missouri woman gets pregnant after having fallopian tubes removed

kansascity.com ^ | May 27, 2019 | Tammy Ljungblad, Andy Marso

[Mrs. Don-o]

Elizabeth Kough of Kearney ... was at her house last year when she got the positive test result on a home kit. It was shocking because three years earlier, she had had both of her fallopian tubes removed — a procedure medical professionals assured her would make it all but impossible for her to conceive.

“So I freaked out,” said Kough, 39.

She woke her boyfriend and had him drive her straight to the hospital.

The scan showed the tiny fetus nestled safely in Kough’s uterus. She gave birth at North Kansas City Hospital in March to a healthy 7-pound, 6-ounce baby boy named.

“Of course at first I was shocked and I was like, ‘this isn’t in my plan,’” Kough said. “I’m a planner. But now, you know, sometimes the best laid plans, you need to just do away with those. He is a beautiful baby. I am exceptionally lucky to have him in my life.”

[BIG SNIP]

Kough’s medical records from Virginia, which she provided to The Star, indicate that the surgery was a success. They include not only the surgeon’s notes but also a report from a pathologist who confirmed seeing Kough’s fallopian tubes, outside her body, after they were removed.

Kough said her older children — 17, 11 and 9 — are enthralled with their baby brother, and she has to remind them they can’t hold him all the time. He needs his rest. Her boyfriend is a devoted dad, she said, even though he never envisioned himself in the role.

“I don’t know if he... was absolutely meant to be,” Kough said. “I’m just a little person. I don’t know about the greater universe and God’s plan for us. But I do know that he’s definitely very special. Special to me and to our family.”

[Mrs. Don-o]

Elizabeth Keough and her very, very unplanned baby boy, Benjamin.

As they said in Jurassic Park,

LIFE FINDS A WAY.

Both fallopian tubes totally removed. The egg migrated through her abdominal cavity, somehow made it though the os of the uterus (much more difficult than threading a needle), and--- using the endearing language of the article --- "the tiny fetus nestled safely in Kough’s uterus"

"Nestled safely." I like that.

Fortunately, although it was a totally unplanned pregnancy, the mother, though not apparently religious, saw this as a gift from God and graciously accepted the tiny trespasser.

I use the word "trepasser" ironically. A trespasser comes in where he's not wanted.

But this baby, like all babies, was "invited" implicitly by his mother and father's lovemaking, and went exactly where God wanted him to be.

[Carriage Hill]

The *Turkey Baster* did it...

[Tax-chick]

Amazing! I’m so glad the little boy was welcomed.

Maybe the parents will think about getting married sometime.

[Hieronymus]

No, no—post hoc ergo propter hoc.

Clearly, having Fallopian tubes removed (or possibly a bad editor) causes pregnancy.

[the OlLine Rebel]

What about ovaries? That is what really stops it all.

Wish she wasn’t a shack-up. Don’t know about her elder children either. But at least she didn’t kill him.

[HangnJudge]

...Maybe the parents will think about getting married sometime.

From the tradition I was raised in,
If you had sex, you were “One in the Flesh”, and Married,
the oaths/license/ceremony were just window dressing

From my standpoint, they are already married

[Moonman62]

All heck breaks loose when a woman gets pregnant after the man gets his tubes tied.

[RFEngineer]

Life finds a way, indeed.

However, in this case, it’s likely (despite reports to the contrary) that she still has a fallopian tube.

If it were immaculate conception, then it might be a more interesting story than a tale of medical malpractice.

At least everyone is happy and healthy.

[Romulus]

That’s not what “immaculate conception” means.

[Abby4116]

The article says the doc checked after her c-section - no tubes, surgery was performed correctly.

[TexasTransplant]

It is a running joke w my (crabby) 66 year old Fishin buddy, I tell everyone that he is in a bad mood because for years he thought he had a beer gut and recently discovered that he is 8 months along because obviously his Hysterectomy didn’t take... then I ask them, “Where were you 8 months ago?
(He just says “A$$hole’) and goes back to being crabby.
My favorite punchline is “Show them the Scar!”

[RFEngineer]

Really? explain it to me.

[RFEngineer]

“The article says the doc checked after her c-section - no tubes, surgery was performed correctly.”

The doctor was clearly wrong.

This is a “woman has a baby” story. It has a happy ending.

[Hieronymus]

What does your tradition do when someone has already been one in the flesh with at least one other person and had three kids before becoming one in flesh with somebody else?

[Wuli]

I suspect the egg was first fertilized by a sperm, before it “found its way” to the uterus. That would seem more likely than both sperm and egg making their way to the uterus, the egg implanting on the uterin wall and then fertilized there.

[Mr. Lucky]

immaculate Conception is the term describing the Catholic belief that Mary was without original sin.

[Pontiac]

Both fallopian tubes totally removed. The egg migrated through her abdominal cavity, somehow made it though the os of the uterus (much more difficult than threading a needle)

This whole thing seems so implausible.

I’m not a doctor or a surgeon so I am simply saying what makes sense to me.

If the fallopian tubes were to be removed, I would expect the tube would be tied off at both ends. At the opening of the uterus to ensure sperm and other biological trespassers would not enter the body cavity. At the ovary to keep eggs out of the body cavity.

If this wasn’t done, I don’t know why.

This woman was right to go immediately to the emergency room when she suspected she was pregnant.

The most likely scenario given her tubal removal is that the egg had not implanted in her uterus but in her body cavity and most likely on the wall of her bowl or intestines. Such a pregnancy could easily be fatal if not ended. It would be that rare case where a pregnancy would be terminated to save the life of the mother.

I would agree that this is a medical miracle baby. I can’t imagine how it could occur.

[21twelve]

Yep - so glad it didn’t end up in an abortion.

“....to a healthy 7-pound, 6-ounce baby boy named.”

But WHY did they name the boy Dot?

[moovova]

Thank you, Lord.

[the OlLine Rebel]

Well, there ARE ectopic pregnancies, WITH Fallopian tubes. They are not ideal, dangerous, but they do happen. Sperm generally get absorbed anyway so I’m not sure the “open” uterus matters much.

I would think ovaries would be removed. That is the crucial part.