WAITS FAMILY STORY—FULL VERSION
HEADER: They say the third time’s a charm, fourth time is routine—but when it comes to pregnancy, you never know what can happen.
For many second-, third-, and fourth-time parents, another pregnancy comes with the advantage of experience. While each is unique, that knowledge can help them feel more secure as they begin another pregnancy. But sometimes, things don’t get easier with experience.
When Jamie Waits found out she was pregnant with her fourth child, she couldn’t wait to tell her husband, Gary, the good news on his 40th birthday. But what followed was something she hadn’t experienced in her first three pregnancies: complications.
Jamie began hemorrhaging almost immediately. She spent most of the next few months in bed because every time she stood up, she was in pain. “I was trying to do everything in my power to keep from going into labor early,” she recalls.
To make matters worse, Jamie was frustrated by the lack of support from her OB practice. “They were very nonchalant, telling me ‘It’s fine, don't worry about it,’ when I knew deep down something was wrong,” she says.
Then at 22 weeks, Jamie’s water broke. Within a few hours of being on bed rest at the hospital, she was in active labor. She and Gary knew it was too soon and were terrified.
Ann was born four months too soon, weighing just over 1 pound.
“We knew the odds were against us, but Ann was born alive, and we began our NICU adventure,” Gary says. “The first time we entered the NICU it was very intimidating, and there were all sorts of things we didn’t understand. But we had great doctors, great nurses, and they really explained things well to us.”
Jamie and Gary settled into the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) as best they could and made that their second home, not knowing what the future held for their family.
When things started looking bad for Ann, and the doctors didn’t think she was going to make it through the weekend, Jamie and Gary brought their other kids in to meet her. “I remember the feeling of helplessness that I had, but my oldest son, he said he would give all of his Christmas wishes and birthday wishes if Ann would just get better,” Gary recalls.
Then the unexpected happened: Ann started getting stronger, and she eventually came off her ventilator. For the first time, Jamie and Gary had hope. “The doctors were split over what sort of outcome Ann might have and how much support they should be giving her—but that changed over time as she defied all the odds and became a real success story,” Gary adds.
After 140 days, Ann’s time in the NICU finally came to an end. “I was a little scared because she was still on oxygen,” Jamie recalls. “However, I did a lot of the hands-on care, so I felt confident in bringing her home.”
Since 1980, surfactant therapy—a lung treatment to help preterm babies with breathing, which was developed by research funded by March of Dimes—has been saving the lives of babies like Ann. “We decided we really wanted to support March of Dimes because we had learned more about how much they help families who are going through something that we had gone through,” Jamie says.
In addition to research, we’re there for families with programs, education, and advocacy—whether you’re a first-time parent or fourth. “You advocate for yourself, but you’re not a doctor, you’re not a nurse, and sometimes you’re not heard as much as you want to be heard,” Jamie adds. “It’s nice to have March of Dimes help with those things.”
WAITS FAMILY STORY—SHORT VERSION
HEADER: They say the third time’s a charm, fourth time is routine—but when it comes to pregnancy, you never know what can happen.
For many second-, third-, and fourth-time parents, another pregnancy comes with the advantage of experience. While each is unique, that knowledge can help them feel more secure as they begin another pregnancy. But sometimes, things don’t get easier with experience.
When Jamie Waits found out she was pregnant with her fourth child, she couldn’t wait to tell her husband, Gary. But what followed was something she hadn’t experienced in her first three pregnancies: complications.
Jamie began hemorrhaging almost immediately and spent most of the next few months in bed. At 22 weeks, her water broke. Ann was born four months too soon, weighing just over 1 pound. “We knew the odds were against us, but Ann was born alive, and we began our NICU adventure,” Gary says.
Then the unexpected happened: Ann started getting stronger, and she eventually came off her ventilator. For the first time, Jamie and Gary had hope. “She defied all the odds and became a real success story,” Gary adds. After 140 days, Ann’s time in the NICU finally came to an end.
Since 1980, surfactant therapy—a lung treatment to help preterm babies with breathing, which was developed by research funded by March of Dimes—has been saving the lives of babies like Ann.
In addition to research, we’re there for families with programs, education, and advocacy—whether you’re a first-time parent or fourth. “You advocate for yourself, but you’re not a doctor, you’re not a nurse, and sometimes you’re not heard as much as you want to be heard,” Jamie adds. “It’s nice to have March of Dimes help with those things.”
