Logan's Birth Story

I discovered I was pregnant in November and things were going well until my twentieth week when I was admitted to the hospital for a bleeding ulcer. The hospital tried to page my doctor seven times but he never responded. I was treated by the hospital’s doctor, who I then decided to switch to because of the lack of response from my first doctor.

At 22 weeks I was diagnosed with a rare blood disease that causes blood clots and can be fatal in pregnancy to both the mother and baby. I was placed on Lovenox, which is a blood thinner similar to Heparin. I was also sent to see a neonatologist who told me that Logan's abdomen was three weeks behind in development. After this discovery, the neonatologist said he wanted to see us every two weeks. At my next visit, I was told that I had developed blood clots in my placenta that were causing Logan's body to supplement the nutrients to his heart and brain.

On June 16, almost two months before my due date, my water broke. I was diagnosed with a high leak in my membrane, was dilated to one centimeter, and was having regular contractions. I was given Magnesium to attempt to stop the contractions. Two days later I was told that the leak had sealed itself.

Everything seemed fine until July 8, when I reached 34 weeks. My neonatologist told me that Logan had stopped growing and his tiny abdomen was now five weeks behind and his limbs were three weeks behind in growth. My baby was slowly starving due to blood clots and his body was trying to sustain brain and heart activity. At this point, the doctor took my hand and said, "Today you're going to have a baby."

I was taken to labor and delivery where they were so full they didn't have an IV pump for me. Finally, at 1:20 a.m., the nurse brought in the Pitocin. I had already been having contractions for a few hours but nothing regular. At about six a.m., my family arrived. I drifted in and out of sleep from the pain medication they put in my IV. At 9:30 a.m., I got an epideral, and although I could still feel contractions, I was able to drift back to sleep.

At 10:00 a.m., my parents left to get breakfast, figuring they had time until Logan arrived, but they were wrong. Right after they left the doctor checked me and I was at eight centimeters. After that, everything happened so fast. They broke my water and I shot right to 10 centimeters. The next thing I know, they are telling me to push. A fetal monitor was inserted because Logan's heart rate was now erratic and they had to use the vacuum on his little head.

At 10:29 a.m., Logan entered the world. My parents walked in two minutes after I had him. I was allowed one hour with my son before he was whisked off to the NICU. His heart rate and breathing were irregular. His sugar was low, he was jaundiced and he only weighed four pounds, 10 ounces. Fortunately, he only spent a week in the NICU and I was by his side every minute possible. His abdomen is still behind but is catching up slowly. The doctors think he will recover fully and be a healthy, normal little boy.