11-weeks pregnant with her third child, Jessica Reger expected this pregnancy to go as smoothly as the others, with the exception of a complicated delivery with her second baby that required an emergency surgery and blood transfusions. But a routine ob/gyn visit revealed an abnormal blood screen – her blood was alloimmunized.
The whole morning turned into changing and canceling appointments, meeting new doctors, and understanding a real new world of twins. My doctor explained so many things about my pregnancy, including how it had become high risk, and that we needed screening every two weeks for things like TTTS.
The joy that parents feel upon learning they are expecting is often tampered by medical complications and concerns. After a fetal syndrome is diagnosed, parents need to quickly understand the basics of the maternal fetal medicine world. Learn more about maternal fetal care centers and how to find them.
Giving birth to a baby with an unusual prenatal diagnosis at 27 weeks in the midst of a global pandemic comes with its own unique challenges. That was one family’s reality earlier this year. But the care team at the Colorado Fetal Care Center — the only team in the region able to perform the procedure their baby needed to survive — was there to help them through it.
“Both the mom and fetus or newborn have access to a full range of hospital services from labs to imaging to counseling and surgery in one area. The close proximity also allows for further bonding between the parents and the infant at a critical time. Additionally, co-locating the care team fosters collaboration in emergency situations,” stated McGuinness.
The first time I felt the pain that I described to the doctors as Braxton-Hicks contractions, I didn’t know it was a placental abruption. Read more about Lailani and her story.