The Illinois mother who refused a doctor’s suggestion to have an abortion after learning she was pregnant with conjoined twins has given birth. Amanda Schulten of Marengo, Illinois, declined the abortion, saying their fate is in God’s hands.
Schulten is a devout Catholic and refused to end her pregnancy and she named her baby girls Faith and Hope. Today, in a post on her blog titled “God is good,” she said they were born on Tuesday.
“Faith Rosemarie and Hope Lillian were born September 6th 2011 weighing a total of 8 lbs. 10 oz and born crying and kicking,” Schulten said. “The girls length was 15 1/2 inches and Mommy and Daddy are so proud of them. Time they were born is 9:24 a.m. and we will celebrate each day at 9:24 their beautiful life they share together. The girls have lots of soft brown hair and the prettiest eyes.”
“God is good and he knows what he is doing,” Schulten said. “September 6th was a day miracles happened and I gave birth to the 2 most beautiful conjoined twins.”
She indicated the doctors and nurses were “amazing” and that she had the birth via Caesarian section, which was a “miracle and [I] could possibly have natural child birth in future pregnancies.”
“Thanks everyone who’s praying for my little precious gifts from God,” Schulten said. “I sit with them all day waiting patiently to soon one day get to hold them in my arms. I cry tears of joy, that God made them so perfect. I can’t express enough how much I adore and love them.”
Schulten is not sharing any pictures of the newborns, yet, but she wants to do so eventually “Because I would love to show off these true beauties that God created.”
Schulten, who is single, learned on April 1 that she was carrying twins, according to The Church Report, which initially reported on her pregnancy. A few days later she was told the twins were joined at the heart and had little chance of survival. Her doctor advised abortion.
Amanda never returned to that doctor’s office. But dark days would follow in the form of depression and loneliness, as many around her didn’t agree with her decision.
“Some people were really supportive and thought I was doing the right thing … while others, not so much,” she said. “They would say things like, ‘the kids would suffer’ … ‘I’m selfish if I keep the babies because of how short their life span is’ … ‘they’re just going to die anyway.'” according to comments made to the Chicago Sun Times.
The twins share most of their internal organs. One has not developed a lower body so they only have two legs between them. Schulten was hospitalized Monday and remained at the University of Chicago Medical Center until her delivery. She said the reaction she is getting to her blog is similar to the reaction from her family and friends when she first told them the facts of her pregnancy. Some support her decision, while others say she should have an abortion.
“You know you’re really a mom when you’re willing to give up your whole life for them,” Amanda said. “I will love my kids always and forever, no matter what.”
