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Our Miracle Kendra Lee
rmojo223 - 10:35am Nov 5, 2009 EST
On November 21st, 2008, Kendra Lee was born at 23 weeks 5 days. She weighed 1lb 4oz and was 12 inches long.
Everything was going well with the pregnancy, other than severe morning sickness, until on the morning of Oct. 27, 2008. Just 20 weeks into my pregnancy. I woke up to find that I was having some bleeding, so I called our doctor and he had me come right in to do an ultrasound. The tech performed the ultrasound; we wanted to know the sex of the baby, a baby girl! I was so happy to hear that up until she explained to us that she needed to have the Radiologist come in to look at something. They had discovered I had an incompetent cervix. I was sent to United Hospital to see a specialist.
Upon arrival to United, they performed another ultrasound and found that I was dilated to 2cm and the amniotic sac had dropped into the cervix. Then the bad news came. The doctor came in and told us there was nothing they could do to save the baby and that I was going to lose her. They told us that I had 2 choices. Choice 1 was that they could make me comfortable and give me medications to induce labor to terminate the pregnancy or choice 2 was to just wait to see what happened. How can you make a decision like that? How could I terminate it when I could feel her moving around inside of me? The only decision that we could live with was to wait and see. So for the next few days, I stayed at United Hospital on bed rest.
On October 30th I had a different doctor doing rounds and he spoke to me about another option that we could consider. He suggested that we could do a Cervical cerclage. (placement of stitches in the cervix to hold it closed during pregnancy). He explained that there were many risk with the procedure including the fact that it might not work and I could still end up losing her but at this point I really didn't’ have anything to lose. On Oct 31, Halloween day, I had the procedure done. The best words to hear when I woke up from the surgery was that it was a success. I stayed in the hospital until November 4th and then was allowed to go home but was to be on strict bed rest. I had to go in weekly to be checked and have an ultrasound to make sure everything is okay.
Everything seemed to be going well until November 16th. I was not feeling very well most of that day. I had just gotten up to go into the bathroom; I made it as far as the bedroom door when I felt a sudden gush of fluid. I know instantly what had just happened, my water just broke. I was again quickly taken back to United. When I arrived they started monitoring me. I was having contractions ever though I was no feeling them. They quickly gave me steroid shots to help mature our baby’s lungs and also gave me medications to stop my contractions. I spent the next few days again up at United on bed rest being monitored 3 times a day, only able to get up to use the restroom and to shower.
Things seemed to be going well until the morning on November 21st. I woke up that morning not feeling well and bleeding again. I was only 23 weeks and 4 days along now. They put me on the monitor to check the baby’s heart rate and to see if I was having contractions. And I was in labor. I quickly called Scott and told him to get to the hospital right away. The doctor explained that they would not be able to give me anything to stop the labor this time, I was going to have Kendra.
I was taken down to Labor and Delivery. They removed the cerclage to help my labor progress. I was in full labor, and had them start an epidural for pain management. I could feel a rush of fluid, so I let the nurse know only to find out that it was not amniotic fluid but blood. She left to get the doctor. At first he wasn’t very concerned about it until he did an exam and a lot more blood came out. The next thing I know I am being rushed to the operating room to have a c-section, I had a placental abruption. Within a few minutes, Kendra was born. Scott watched her come out but she was quickly taken but the team from the NICU. I remember Scott telling me that she was just a wiggling away when she was born.
The nurse in the recovery room explained that they would take Kendra to the NICU and as soon as I felt up to it, I would be able to go see her later that evening. But I was about to get one of the best surprise of my life. Just then the nurses from the NICU brought Kendra in. They told me she was stable enough for them to bring her in for me to see her. She was in the isolette, and I couldn’t really see her. So, the nurses opened the door of the isolette and told me to put my hand in there and touch Kendra. The most amazing thing happened, Kendra grabbed my finger. Then they were off to the NICU.
Kendra spent 114 days in the NICU. She was on a vent for 2 months, was on nitric oxide, had surgery to correct her ROP. She came home on March 14th, 2009 still on oxygen but weighed 6lb 3oz. On July 1st, she was able to come off the oxygen. Now at almost a year old, she is just over 13lbs, crawling and a very happy baby. She still has chronic lung disease but we are hopeful that she will grow out of that. She is truly our Little Miracle.
On November 21st, 2008, Kendra Lee was born at 23 weeks 5 days. She weighed 1lb 4oz and was 12 inches long.
Everything was going well with the pregnancy, other than severe morning sickness, until on the morning of Oct. 27, 2008. Just 20 weeks into my pregnancy. I woke up to find that I was having some bleeding, so I called our doctor and he had me come right in to do an ultrasound. The tech performed the ultrasound; we wanted to know the sex of the baby, a baby girl! I was so happy to hear that up until she explained to us that she needed to have the Radiologist come in to look at something. They had discovered I had an incompetent cervix. I was sent to United Hospital to see a specialist.
Upon arrival to United, they performed another ultrasound and found that I was dilated to 2cm and the amniotic sac had dropped into the cervix. Then the bad news came. The doctor came in and told us there was nothing they could do to save the baby and that I was going to lose her. They told us that I had 2 choices. Choice 1 was that they could make me comfortable and give me medications to induce labor to terminate the pregnancy or choice 2 was to just wait to see what happened. How can you make a decision like that? How could I terminate it when I could feel her moving around inside of me? The only decision that we could live with was to wait and see. So for the next few days, I stayed at United Hospital on bed rest.
On October 30th I had a different doctor doing rounds and he spoke to me about another option that we could consider. He suggested that we could do a Cervical cerclage. (placement of stitches in the cervix to hold it closed during pregnancy). He explained that there were many risk with the procedure including the fact that it might not work and I could still end up losing her but at this point I really didn't’ have anything to lose. On Oct 31, Halloween day, I had the procedure done. The best words to hear when I woke up from the surgery was that it was a success. I stayed in the hospital until November 4th and then was allowed to go home but was to be on strict bed rest. I had to go in weekly to be checked and have an ultrasound to make sure everything is okay.
Everything seemed to be going well until November 16th. I was not feeling very well most of that day. I had just gotten up to go into the bathroom; I made it as far as the bedroom door when I felt a sudden gush of fluid. I know instantly what had just happened, my water just broke. I was again quickly taken back to United. When I arrived they started monitoring me. I was having contractions ever though I was no feeling them. They quickly gave me steroid shots to help mature our baby’s lungs and also gave me medications to stop my contractions. I spent the next few days again up at United on bed rest being monitored 3 times a day, only able to get up to use the restroom and to shower.
Things seemed to be going well until the morning on November 21st. I woke up that morning not feeling well and bleeding again. I was only 23 weeks and 4 days along now. They put me on the monitor to check the baby’s heart rate and to see if I was having contractions. And I was in labor. I quickly called Scott and told him to get to the hospital right away. The doctor explained that they would not be able to give me anything to stop the labor this time, I was going to have Kendra.
I was taken down to Labor and Delivery. They removed the cerclage to help my labor progress. I was in full labor, and had them start an epidural for pain management. I could feel a rush of fluid, so I let the nurse know only to find out that it was not amniotic fluid but blood. She left to get the doctor. At first he wasn’t very concerned about it until he did an exam and a lot more blood came out. The next thing I know I am being rushed to the operating room to have a c-section, I had a placental abruption. Within a few minutes, Kendra was born. Scott watched her come out but she was quickly taken but the team from the NICU. I remember Scott telling me that she was just a wiggling away when she was born.
The nurse in the recovery room explained that they would take Kendra to the NICU and as soon as I felt up to it, I would be able to go see her later that evening. But I was about to get one of the best surprise of my life. Just then the nurses from the NICU brought Kendra in. They told me she was stable enough for them to bring her in for me to see her. She was in the isolette, and I couldn’t really see her. So, the nurses opened the door of the isolette and told me to put my hand in there and touch Kendra. The most amazing thing happened, Kendra grabbed my finger. Then they were off to the NICU.
Kendra spent 114 days in the NICU. She was on a vent for 2 months, was on nitric oxide, had surgery to correct her ROP. She came home on March 14th, 2009 still on oxygen but weighed 6lb 3oz. On July 1st, she was able to come off the oxygen. Now at almost a year old, she is just over 13lbs, crawling and a very happy baby. She still has chronic lung disease but we are hopeful that she will grow out of that. She is truly our Little Miracle.
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come a long way...love reading these stories; my cousin just had a preemie within the past year and she's doing great too...keep your fingers crossed! 
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