Can you imagine getting pregnant while on birth control?
Today’s guest was surprised when she found out she was expecting after having an IUD. Yes, she beat the odds and conceived while on birth control. Jordan Johnson is a United States Naval Officer and moved from DC to CA while pregnant. Two weeks after celebrating her baby shower she ended up in the hospital and the baby did not have a heartbeat. At 29 weeks she was told she would have to deliver her son naturally because he was so big. He came out breech and she experienced PTSD in the delivery room. Jordan shares in this episode how her IUD caused an infection thus causing hemorrhaging around her umbilical cord. In her pregnancy after loss with her daughter she shares the steps the doctors took to ensure her and her baby were safe and healthy. This episode is for you to listen to if you have been on birth control, are currently on birth control, and how her IUD caused infection in her womb.
Jordan Johnson’s Bio
Child of God, Wife, Mother to my heavenly angel baby Deucey and earthly angel baby Harper. Profession: United States Naval Officer currently studying Space Systems Operations at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, CA.
Tell me about your journey to motherhood? What obstacles have you overcome?
May of 2017 my husband and I found out we were pregnant. This was a complete shock to us as I had an IUD. We were so excited and filled with joy. In June we moved from DC to Monterey, Ca with our son baking in my stomach. We had beautiful memories at the Grand Canyon, etc.. with my baby bump. We traveled across country with high hopes of eventually having a sweet baby in our arms.
I was due January 4. On October 13th, 2017, two weeks after we celebrated with a big baby shower, I found myself taking a physics test and something just didn’t right. My husband picked me up and we immediately went to the hospital. After using the heartbeat monitor and not getting any luck I was reassured that sometimes you can’t find the heartbeat and that they would do an ultrasound. I remember this as if it were yesterday. We rolled to the ultrasound room, the tech performed the ultrasound and she told us the doctor would come in to talk to us.. but I remember reading the screen…she typed “fetal demise”.. and that was when I knew my son, my baby had passed away. I was 29 weeks pregnant. My husband and I were devastated. I didn’t know this was “a thing”.. I thought that since I was in my third trimester I was good. When I think back I cannot believe that was my mentality. I remember being numb. Feeling nothing.
So many people came to the hospital to show support, so many people loved hard on us, but I couldn’t feel it at the time. The doctors told us since he was to big I had to deliver him vaginally. I just wanted it to be over. I wanted this nightmare to end. But no.. at midnight they induced labor. I remember that pain so lucidly. The pain of trying to give birth combined with the pain of knowing your child is already gone was both antagonizing and hurtful. At around 4ish on October 14th, his legs came out (he was born breeched) and they couldn’t get the rest of his body.. I was told to relax… and wait.. I remember trying and I accidentally moved my leg a little and it caused me to touch his legs.. being in the military I never would’ve thought ptsd would come in the hospital in the delivery room.
On October 14th, 2017, my baby Christian Rashad Johnson Jr. was born at 6:20 am. My husband held him but I couldn’t. I did touch him though. He was so peaceful. I remember looking up and reading Scripture verses the nurses had put up throughout the night about peace, etc..it worked. Though this journey was far from over, at that moment peace came upon me. We left the hospital the very next day, no baby. I was devastated again. It was the worst feeling in the world. During the next couple of months there was sooo much support! We felt so blessed that we didn’t have to go through this alone. God was definitely faithful to us. We had a memorial service on the beach, I have his ashes, I have a memorial box, he was real. And he always will be. We also started Christian counseling. I wanted to get pregnant immediately but my husband didn’t. Counseling helped us find a medium and realize that we mourned differently. And so we tried to live as best as we knew how after this loss. We tried our best to be normal. We used contraceptives to not get pregnant… but just like he brought Deucey (Christian) with birth control, he brought along his sister Harper. I had a feeling that I was pregnant and one week after my due date with Deucey I took a pregnancy test and it said positive.
I was soooo afraid. I didn’t want to get the military involved yet so I went to this place called Compassion pregnancy and I went to verify my pregnancy. The lady that administered the test told me I was pregnant. As I cried tears of nervousness I told her my story. She started crying. Come to find out her baby that she lost over 20 years ago, his name was my name.. and her rainbow baby’s birthday? My due date for Harper, Sept 11.
God is so intentional. I told my husband we were pregnant again on the same beach we had Deucey’s memorial service. He was excited but nervous as well. We did do an autopsy with Deucey and found out what caused his death. I got an infection from the IUD and there was hemorrhaging around the umbilical cord. On my first appointment, we made a game plan with my ob. Blood thinners via a shot everyday, aspirin every night, and I saw the specialty doctor to make sure everything was progressing normally. I also started NST’s at 20 weeks. Fear was definitely present in this pregnancy but I prayed over myself (Perfect love casts out all fear) and over my baby Harper. My husband and I were in routinely for an NST at 38 weeks. They said I was having contractions and when I did Harper’s heart rate would drop.
The doctor’s said I needed a C-section. This news wasn’t what I wanted to hear but I wanted to birth a live baby and whatever I needed to do I would do. They prepared me for my C-section and I remember my mind racing.. I remember thinking negative thoughts, “you will leave the hospital without a baby, you cannot birth a live baby, you have no trouble getting pregnant, but you cannot complete a pregnancy”… ALL FROM THE ENEMY. On August 30, 2018 at 11:20 pm Harper came. 7 lbs and 5 ounces of healthy beautiful baby girl. The entire room was in tears. This was more than a baby. This was God’ sovereignty wrapped in a blanket! The happiness we have experienced with Harper can’t be compared. She is currently 9 months old and doing amazing.
Any books, tools, resources that have helped you on this journey that you want to share with the audience?
Grieving the Child I Never Knew: A Devotional for Comfort in the Loss of Your Unborn or Newly Born Child by Kath Wunnenberg
