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- Loss , NICU , Prematurity »
- Allar Family
Our story began in January 2007 when my husband and I
learned we were expecting our first child! At the initial 8-week check we saw
our baby’s heart beat for the first time, and were given a due date of
September 8th, my husband’s birthday! At the nuchal translucency
test at 13 weeks we immediately knew something was wrong. Our baby no longer
had a heart beat and we were devastated at the loss. We were left with many
questions, and no answers.
In late May, we learned we were expecting again. This time
all was looking great until a routine 30-week exam when I was diagnosed with
preterm labor. I was given terbutaline to stop the labor and was admitted to
the hospital for a week then sent home on bedrest. At 34 weeks I was taken off
of terbutaline due to high blood pressure and went into the hospital
experiencing contractions when my water broke. Our first son joined us six
weeks too soon. Lucas was born weighing 5 pounds 15 ounces and 18.5 inches. He
was immediately sent to the NICU and put on oxygen. He remained in the NICU for
12 days due to jaundice, and weight loss from being too weak to eat well. It
seemed like the longest 12 days imaginable.
In early 2009 we became pregnant again! Preterm labor started
at 27 weeks this time. I was put on
bedrest at home and given terbutaline. At exactly 36 weeks I was taken off of
medications. While preparing to leave for the hospital my water broke and I had
an emergency home birth. Our son was having trouble breathing and immediately
taken to the hospital. I had complications requiring a blood transfusion and
extra days in the hospital. Zachary weighed a healthy 6 pounds 9 ounces and was
19 inches long. He also experienced jaundice but—although a month early—was a
strong baby.
In July of 2013 we became pregnant again! At the nuchal
translucency test they determined there was excess fluid and recommended
genetic testing. The results were normal and we learned our baby was a girl!
But the rocky start to this pregnancy didn’t end there. At 17 weeks I was
rushed to the hospital with heavy bleeding and we thought we were losing our
baby girl. An ultrasound showed the baby was ok but I was placed on bedrest and
sent to maternal fetal specialists. At the 20 week scan it showed there was too
much amniotic fluid and I was at risk of premature rupture of the amniotic sac.
At 23 weeks I had a procedure to drain the excess fluid, however, it began to
build back up within days. The baby was tentatively diagnosed with a TEF
(tracheoesophageal fistula) and I was sent for a fetal MRI. The MRI was done on
Christmas Eve 2013 and while unable to confirm a TEF they discovered possible
cysts in the baby’s brain. Early Christmas morning my water broke. Sarah Paige
entered the world by an emergency C-section on Christmas Day weighing just 1
pound 9 ounces and 12 inches long. This began our very long 126-day stay in the
NICU, filled with many, many ups and downs.
On April 29th, 2014 Sarah Paige came home, and
although still in need of oxygen and apnea monitors, she completed our family. Lucas
is now a thriving 8-year-old, Zachary’s a curious 6, and Sarah Paige is 2 and a
half! Preemie struggles do not end when they leave the hospital. All three
kids’ days were filled with doctor’s appointments and therapy sessions. Sarah
has significant developmental delays and is not yet walking. She required heart
surgery to close a PDA last July. Most recently she was diagnosed with
epilepsy.
Having three premature babies changes your life. In 2015 we
decided to walk in the March for Babies, and formed the Lovettsville Little
Wonders. Our local team grew this year as we have met more families effected by
prematurity. We will continue to walk and raise awareness each year, as our
lives were forever changed by our experiences.