Most parents long for the time that their children are independent. Many would call this the golden years! The kids are all grown up, in or just out of college, and can take care of themselves.
Beth and Scott were just getting started in their post-kid life. Since they had more time to themselves, they were able to focus on themselves as well. Before they knew it, their life changed dramatically when Beth began to feel ill one night…
Living Life Normally
Beth Clay was a healthy 45-year-old entering the prime of her life. As someone who had gone through motherhood and raised two successful kids, she finally wanted to take some time for her own personal growth.
Beth and Scott
Scott, her 51-year-old husband, was in the same boat. They weren’t quite reitred yet, but they were loving spending some time together and hoping for some grandkids!
Their Family
Beth was just 18-years-old when she had her first daughter, Maggie, who is now 27. Seven years later, their now-20-year-old, Will. They were a tight family unit.
Keeping Active
The couple liked to stay active. Beth loved to go for runs and extremely long bike rides. She even began to go on an extreme diet, which helped her lose 15-pounds. She was perplexed at the health issues she ran into…
Not Feeling 100%
Despite the fact that she was focusing on herself and her health, she began to feel ill. She had been feeling great since she got fit, and had even accomplished a super long bike ride… So, why did she feel so awful?
Harsh Abdominal Cramps
One night, things took a turn for the worst. Beth began to feel some stomach cramps spreading throughout her entire abdomen.
Not A Big Deal
At first, she just assumed she was sick. Then, as it got worse, she thought she had maybe pulled something and needed to ice it. She was so wrong…
Trying to Wait it Out
After Beth told her husband, they decided to just wait it out. It kind of felt like a muscle spasm if anything… Nothing to run to the hospital for.
It Was Getting Worseâ¦
She tried to use a hot compress on her belly, but that didn’t work. The pain was coming in waves. She began to sweat as the pain was getting too much to bear. They had to make a decision…
Time To Go
Her husband couldn’t handle it anymore. His wife was obvious pain and she needed help.
Kidney Stones?
After talking about the pain, they both decided this was a painful kidney stone that she needed emergency help for.
Heading Over
On a scale of 1 to 10, the pain was a 100. She needed some sort of relief and help to get this over with. Finally, they arrived at the hospital.
At the ER
Once she got into the ER, they immediately began to run tests. They wanted to make sure that she actual diagnosis matched up with the symptoms that she was giving them.
Something Was Off
The nurses admitted her to a room and began to stick and poke her with some needles. Her symptoms were way more advanced than the average kidney stone. They needed more tests to confirm their suspicions…
Meanwhileâ¦
Beth and Scott were waiting in the room while nurses scrambled about. Her pain was excruciating at this point. Scott knew something was wrong…
Too Much Pain
Beth, on the other hand, had no idea what was going on around them. She was in so much pain that all she wanted was for it to go away. She didn’t care about what was really going on, she just needed it to stop.
The Doctor Arrived
After what felt like hours but was really only minutes, a doctor showed up. Scott was worried about the fact that the doctor also had a team of nurses with him…
Whatâs the Issue?
The doctor leaned over Beth with a troubled expression on his face. That’s when he dropped the bomb.
They Were Shocked
The doctor asked her about her pregnancy. The couple was confused… She wasn’t pregnant.
What Was He Talking About?
Apparently, they ran a blood test on Beth to get a better scope on her health. Turns out, she was pregnant. The doctor suspected this was a rare case of cryptic pregnancy…
A Cryptic Pregnancy
This is a type of pregnancy where it isn’t known until the end of the gestation period. This is the formal name for all of those, “I didn’t know I was pregnant,” instances.
He Had a Hunch
The symptoms that Beth was describing didn’t sound like a kidney stone… It sounded like labor. So, he ran the right tests and revealed the truth.
Shocking News
This is not what Beth and Scott thought they would be hearing from this trip. They were shocked to hear that they would be having another baby… In their golden years, no less!
Scott’s Reaction
“I was like, ‘That just can’t be real.’ It’s all contrived, never could happen. You would know if there was a baby in your belly, but we’re living proof,” Scott said, “She never even felt the baby kick.”
Quick Labor
The hospital got everything together for the birth. Beth didn’t have much time to mentally prepare before they welcomed a new member of the family…
The New Baby
Liam Ryder Clay was welcomed to the family on October 15th, 2017. The veteran parents were still in shock and disbelief. It took them an entire day to tell the rest of the family…
Was He Okay?
The family was honestly terrified for the health of their new baby boy. Beth hadn’t taken any sort of prenatal vitamins and didn’t stop drinking. She also didn’t take on exercises that were safe for pregnant women.
True Shock
“We waited a whole day before we told any of our family,” Beth said. “Just so we could absorb what was actually happening, it’s huge.”
NICU
When he was born, Liam was admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit for a few days as they observed his health.
Happy and Healthy!
Liam was fine after a few days and was even cleared to go home! He was able to meet his older brother and sister and get to know his new parents.
They Were Ready
Despite this being the shock of their lives, they were okay with becoming parents for the third time.
Today!
Today, Liam is a healthy one-and-a-half year old who loves to hang out with his mom at her art set ups. He’s happy and healthy, and so is mom!