A mum-of-eight has defied all odds to give birth to a daughter after doctors diagnosed her with a life-threatening ectopic pregnancy. Alex Gooding went to hospital on February 4, at 33 weeks pregnant to deliver her baby girl Chloe Marie via C section before going under general anaesthetic to have a hysterectomy. The pregnancy was a caesarean section ectopic pregnancy (CSEP) – the rarest type – where very few pregnancies survive. It has a high mortality rate for the mother and baby.
Alex was told the devastating news at just five weeks pregnant and was advised to terminate. But, as a pro-life Christian, that was simply not an option. The 33-year-old from Arizona spoke about the moment of Chloe’s birth on her Instagram, saying: ‘The biggest relief was this moment. It wasn’t the end but it was what mattered most to me. Just get this innocent life in our arms alive. ‘My job as a mother started the moment she was conceived. Protect her. Grow her. Love her. We got her here. She made it. It wasn’t easy at all. But it was worth it for her. Her little life was worth every second of pain, fear and sacrifice.’.
The risks to Alex and Chloe were huge throughout her pregnancy, according to Dr Lawrence Cunningham. He told Metro: ‘CSEP is where the embryo implants in the scar tissue left from a previous cesarean section. This condition is particularly dangerous because the scar tissue is not designed to support a growing pregnancy. ‘Instead, it can lead to severe complications such as uterine rupture, massive haemorrhage, and even maternal death. The risk is heightened because the pregnancy can grow into the bladder or other surrounding organs.’.
But Alex’s strong beliefs meant she continued with her pregnancy. She said on social media: ‘The maternal-fetal medicine [specialist] I went to immediately after my first midwife ultrasound told me I needed to terminate. ‘He told me that I would die and he already called the [gynecologist] and they would meet me at the hospital asap.’. Despite the ‘crushing’ news, she made it to 33 weeks, giving birth only a week earlier than planned.
On the day, the mum-of-eight arrived for her C section which has a high risk of haemorrhaging and she knew she would likely have to have a hysterectomy. ‘My daughter Chloe was born screaming… then I was put to sleep for a four hour surgery to have a hysterectomy to save my life,’ she explained on her Instagram page @growinggoodings. She was wheeled to the NICU to see her baby after the procedure. ‘We both made it to the survivor side of a high risk pregnancy,’ she added.
‘But seeing your baby helpless and needing support just to breathe is hard, and the first time holding her was extremely emotional. I never wanted to stop holding her, I just wanted her to know that I was still with her, even though I couldn’t be with her every second anymore.’. Although Chloe needed support to breathe and had to be fed through a tube, the mum said, after everything they’d been through together, ‘it was worth it’.
When Alex announced on Instagram that she was going to be continuing with her ectopic pregnancy, many on the internet were stunned by her choices. @calaveraqueen24 wrote: ‘Don’t understand why you would risk your life with seven other children who need you.’. Another, @mthomper, added: ‘Curious if you will share how you processed or weighed the risk to your own life leaving all your children with continuing this pregnancy? I can’t imagine having to make that decision.’.
Other followers have raised the abortion debate that continues to cause tensions across the USA. User @arzate_mailee said: ‘And this is why pro-choice is the way to go. May you and baby girl make it to 36 weeks!! And may she not need a long hospital stay.’. Since Roe V Wade was overturned in 2022, 20 states including Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas, ban or restrict abortion. Many of these states ban the procedure at six weeks or earlier. Some, but not all, have exceptions for cases of rape or incest.
While the termination of an ectopic pregnancy is not categorised as an abortion, they have become part of the debate. Confusing legislation has raised questions in terms of care for women with ectopic pregnancies, and doctors have even been known to withhold treatment due to their beliefs. Two women in Texas have filed federal complaints against hospitals who they say refused to treat their ectopic pregnancies.
But Dr Cunningham, who is also medical contributor at Help & Advice, explained that, in his experience, the standard treatment needed for ectopic pregnancy is termination. ‘This is to prevent life-threatening complications,’ he said. ‘Treatment options typically include medication, which helps the body absorb the pregnancy tissue, or surgical intervention to remove the ectopic tissue. ‘The choice of treatment depends on the size and location of the pregnancy, as well as the patient’s overall health and future fertility desires.’.
