Dallas

Woman With Spina Bifida Becomes Mother Despite Challenges

Stephanie Warner, 27, wasn't sure she would ever have children.

She was born with spina bifida, a condition that affects the spine.

She's had multiple surgeries in her life, but not one that doctors recommended.

Many women with spina bifida have partial or full hysterectomies. Because of their anatomy, they are prone to uterine prolapse, which happened to Warner twice as a young teen.

A doctor recommended a hysterectomy, a procedure to remove the uterus, when Warner was 10-years-old, but her mother refused.

"They just were afraid that if I did get pregnant, that it would be hard and it would be a good idea to get a hysterectomy," said Warner.

"My mom didn’t want to do that 'cause I was young and she didn’t want to make that decision for me," Warner said.

After she got married, Warner says she and her husband were ready to try for a family.

She got pregnant, but her uterus couldn't support the baby, whom she lost at 20 weeks.

"I had so many thoughts like giving up and not trying again. I was scared," she said.

She teamed up with Dr. Brian Rinehart, Director of Maternal High Risk program at Texas Health Dallas.

"She's got a lot of challenges there. How do you make this work? But that's her life and she's good at it," said Rinehart.

Warner says she and her husband got pregnant again and under Rinehart's surveillance, carried a healthy baby and delivered at 34 weeks.

"When you see the heartbreak of the first loss and then you see the joy of taking home the baby, it's a great feeling," said Rinehart.

Warner says she hopes other women with spina bifida don't give up on their dreams of becoming mothers.

"If they're having doubts, just don't give up," she said.

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