My pregnancy was going beautifully. I was enjoying being pregnant and taking great pride in the changes in my body and my life. I went for a routine ultrasound at twenty-one weeks. The doctors were keeping an eye on a low-lying placenta that they had noticed weeks before.

May 13, 2008, somewhat unlucky, was the date I learned that my baby and I had vasa previa. I’ll be forever grateful to the technician, Chelsea, who spotted the vessel. My placenta had now moved up to the proper position but it left behind a blood vessel lying over my cervix. A team of doctors came in to explain what this scary-sounding condition was. They tried to console my sadness by telling me how lucky we were to have found this; that prior diagnosis should result in a 100% success story. If we hadn’t made this discovery through a Doppler sonogram, the odds would have been completely in the other direction.

From that very first day of diagnosis, our high-risk doctors laid out a plan that we followed exactly. I had to take it easy. No lifting, no exercise, and no intercourse. I was admitted into the hospital at thirty-two weeks and received steroid shots to help the baby’s lungs develop. My regular OB’s office had never had a patient with vasa previa before. The practice of three female doctors couldn’t have been more supportive – I was checked on by one of them every day. I spent three weeks in the hospital, with amazing family, friends, and co-workers helping me pass the time. The doctors and nurses were a part of my every day. They monitored the baby’s heart each morning and night and always commented on how perfect he sounded.

Other than this frightful situation, where if I went into labor the baby would be at risk of blood loss from a torn membrane, we should expect a perfectly healthy baby boy. And that’s what we got. I had a c-section in my thirty-fifth week. Jesse was born at 5 pounds, 2 ounces, on August 21, 2008. He spent one night in the NICU, while I recovered a few floors up. We were reunited the next morning and left the hospital when Jesse was three days old. Vasa previa was unfortunate, but the doctors were right – you’re fortunate to find out and be able to prevent the worst.

~ Sara and Eric