Sharing stories: A wanted pregnancy and a difficult decision
A Wisconsin mom was forced to leave her home state for medical care after a devastating diagnosis in her 20th week of pregnancy.
Megan Kling and her husband Sam had always planned on having three children. The couple were thrilled when they learned in the summer of 2023 that their two daughters, now ages five and two, would have a baby sister or brother. But when Kling went in for her routine 20-week ultrasound, her obstetrician delivered the news that no parent wants to hear: Something wasn’t right with her pregnancy.
“My doctor told me that there was very little amniotic fluid and that she could not confirm the diagnosis because they could not get clear enough readings on their ultrasound, but she helped me understand that something was very, very wrong,” Megan, 34, told the Wisconsin Independent. “I left that appointment just terrified.”
Kling’s doctor referred her to a maternal-fetal medicine doctor, specializing in pregnancy-related complications, at Gunderson Luther Medical Center in La Crosse, about 60 miles from her home in Taylor, a small rural town in western Wisconsin, for a more detailed ultrasound. She also advised Kling to make an appointment for further diagnosis at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, almost 100 miles away.
At 22 weeks, Kling learned at her appointment in La Crosse that her fetus had bilateral renal agenesis, also known as Potter syndrome, a rare condition in which a fetus does not develop kidneys.
Kling’s baby had neither kidneys nor bladder, a fact tipped off by the low level of amniotic fluid detected by the ultrasound: “That is a condition that is not compatible with life,” Kling said. “Without amniotic fluid, the baby can never develop their lungs because they can’t practice breathing in the womb. There’s limited room to move, and in fact, without that amniotic fluid for protection, the baby’s bones bend as they grow inside you because of the pressure the mother’s body puts on her own womb.”
An ultrasound also showed abnormalities in the fetus’ brain and heart.
Potter syndrome is seen in about one in 4,000-10,000 births, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
Once Kling’s diagnosis was confirmed, her choice was either to carry the fetus to term or to terminate the pregnancy. Wisconsin bans abortions at 20 weeks after fertilization, so Kling would have to travel outside of the state if she opted for an abortion.
“The alternative was a nightmare to imagine: carrying a baby that was 100% fatal to term,” Kling said. “I mean, it’s pure torture to imagine. I don’t know how a mother could do that. I’ve got a strong career. I’m married with two children I still needed to care for. I couldn’t put myself through that knowing my baby was going to die.”
On Nov. 9, Kling traveled to Rochester to the Mayo Clinic. She wanted to get a second opinion and a definitive diagnosis. The clinic was also prepared to induce labor so that she could give birth to her infant naturally. She was given the abortion medication mifepristone and misoprostol to dilate her cervix and Pitocin to induce contractions.
“I was in labor about 12 hours through the night, and I gave birth to our baby boy the next morning. At that point I was 23 weeks’ and two days’ gestation. I had no complications,” Kling said.
Doctors told the couple that they didn’t know if the baby would be stillborn or not. Kling said the boy, whom they named Nolan Robert Kling, was born with a beating heart.
“We were able to hold him for about an hour until he passed away in our arms. I held him, skin to skin, underneath the heating blanket, and my husband was there with me,” Kling said. “It was very traumatic. I was honestly very angry that the only option in the state of Wisconsin for me was to carry that baby to term. I still want to have a third healthy child someday, and it was infuriating to be in that doctor’s office and have the doctors not be able to help me due to politics,” the third-generation Wisconsinite said.
Kling said that if this medical crisis hadn’t happened to her, she never would have imagined that her state’s abortion restrictions would impact her directly. She said she shares her story because she believes it’s important to have these conversations and for people to think differently about abortion care.
“I feel that we need to continue to talk and share openly all the numerous complications that can occur during pregnancy, and we need to have an understanding of the importance for an individual to make whatever decision is right for themselves,” Kling said. “No government, no religion, should be able to stop someone from making the choice that’s right for themselves in their own situation.”
“Anyone who’s pregnant could face a scenario like I did, anyone. Women deserve access to compassionate, quality care without feeling like it’s illegal in their state and having to travel, and not all women have resources to do that. Are we OK with that? I don’t think we are,” Kling said.
When it comes to voting and political parties, Kling said, she thinks this is an issue not of politics but of maternal health.
“No matter who is in office, I don’t care which party they represent, we need to make sure we’re holding our representatives accountable for supporting maternal health in the way that the people believe it should be handled,” Kling said. “We need to make it clear that this is important and this is not OK to shame women out of state for necessary care when they’re pregnant.”
