Two words. Travel Insurance. Since the pregnancy occurred or was confirmed after you purchased the tickets they wouldn't have been able to pull the "pre-existing condition" clause.
It's a shame when you had difficulty booking the returns on the same flight that you didn't just pay a little extra and use a telephone agent. Those a-la-cart fees discouraged you from using a live agent when you really needed one and the result was not only paying more than you had to for the tickets but also ending up with four non-refundable tickets instead of two.
Have you asked AA if the tickets purchased for your wife could be used for yourself? Given the circumstances they might be willing to do at least that.
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