Incompatible with Life: A Story of Hope

“Incompatible with life” is a medical term used when birth defects are so severe a baby cannot survive. The advent of medical technology has given doctors the ability to identify fetal problems early in pregnancy. Unfortunately, not all of these problems can be remediated. Termination is often the only option that modern medicine has to offer.

In Incompatible with Life, author Laura J. Schubert shares the heart-wrenching story of her experience of discovering that the child she is carrying in her womb has a chromosome defect—and the most likely outcome is stillbirth.

Despite everything, she decides to continue with the pregnancy.

Schubert tells of how the prospect of this much-wanted child was her salvation when she had breast cancer and of how she waited out the two-year moratorium on baby-making imposed by her doctors. Now, an ultrasound exam reveals not only that it’s a little girl, but also her grim prognosis.

The story illustrates the rippling effects of grief and the challenges of keeping a family afloat in a sea of churning emotions and uncertainty. Yet, it’s also a hope-filled story that offers a real-life example of walking by faith and illuminates the unexpected gifts granted through tragedy.

Laura J. Schubert is a mother, writer, and kindergarten teacher. Just after her thirty-fifth birthday, she was diagnosed with early stage breast cancer. Following treatment, she heeded the doctors' recommendations to delay another pregnancy for at least two years. But her happiness at discovering that she was pregnant with her second child was short-lived. Four months into the pregnancy, she was informed that her baby had a fatal genetic defect and was likely to die in the womb. When offered the opportunity to terminate the pregnancy, she declined, relying on faith and hope to guide her through the remainder of her pregnancy.

Schubert has published more than twenty editorial pieces as a community columnist for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Her columns related to infant loss generated tremendous reader response. Schubert resides in Wisconsin with her husband and daughter.