Things progressed normally from there, and we went to our 24 week ultrasound with great anticipation.  Because I had preterm labor with my son and was already having a few contractions, this was scheduled with a perinatologist, and a transvaginal ultrasound was ordered, in additional to the “traditional” one, to check the length of the cervix.  At this ultrasound, the perinatologist diagnosed me with vasa previa.  I had a bilobed placenta (anterior/posterior) connected by vessels over the cervix.  I was told delivery would take place a bit early, after lung maturity was determined, via c-section.  Other than that I was told to limit my activities and limit anything that would irritate the vessels: no lifting, no sexual activity, no vaginal exams, etc.   I started biweekly appointments at this point.  I also started getting more and more contractions.  I was usually able to get them to stop by resting and drinking lots of fluids.   A repeat ultrasound at 30 weeks showed that the vessels were indeed still in the same place.  At my “regular” OB appointment the next day, my amniocentesis was scheduled for 36 weeks, and my c-section 2 days after the amniocentesis.

Shortly after this, things started going down hill.  I was having more and more contractions and was not able to get them to stop.  My doctors weren’t too concerned because, though I had preterm labor with my son at 32 weeks, they were able to stop it, and I went on to a term delivery.  I was very concerned, however.  My gut instinct told me I would not make it that far, and I kept having recurring dreams about rupturing early.  The first time I went to the hospital to have contractions stopped was June 2.  A shot of Terbutaline got them to stop.  I was also given the first dose of steroids, which the perinatologist had recommended.  I went in again on June 4^th.  This time it took 2 shots of Terbutaline and I was kept overnight.  I was also given the second dose of steroids.  On June 6^th, I went to the doctor’s office during the day for contractions, and was started on Procardia to try and reduce them.  It worked for a day.  On Saturday, June 8^th, I again had a lot of contractions (8+ per hour) and was admitted.  The Terbutaline didn’t work, so I was put on Magnesium Sulfate for 24 hours.  This got them stopped temporarily, so I was sent home Sunday night and told to return to the office for my “regular” appointment the next day, and they’d consider altering my medication.  I went to the doctor Monday, and the doctor there admitted what one of the others said…they were not quite sure exactly how to proceed with me.  They didn’t change anything.  I went home completely frustrated and very distraught about what to do.  I had a feeling that things were not going well, and knew we needed to do something.  We just weren’t sure what to do.  Tuesday morning, we faxed a note to the doctors expressing our fears and concerns…we explained that we felt like we were playing “Russian Roulette” by waiting and doing nothing.   Though we knew the risk of rupture was low, we knew it was too high for us to just do nothing.  We couldn’t just “wait and hope” any longer; the contractions were getting too frequent and too strong, though until that point, they hadn’t done anything yet.  My husband also called the perinatologist who also relayed our concerns to my doctors.  

On Wednesday, June 12, I was once again admitted to the hospital with preterm contractions.  This was the third time in less than a week.   The contractions did not stop with Terbutaline so I was again put on Magnesium Sulfate and admitted.  I was told Thursday morning I would be in the hospital until I delivered.  They’d do an amnio at 35 weeks and make some decisions from there.  It was hard being in the hospital away from my son at home, but at the same time, there was a sense of relief that we were there if anything happened.  Since the contractions had decreased, Friday morning the Mag Sulfate was discontinued.  I had 1-2 contractions per hour for the next few hours.  In the afternoon it picked up to 4-5 and by 8PM I was having 8 per hour.  Since they weren’t too strong, no one (including me) was too concerned.  I went to sleep.  At 1:34 AM Saturday morning I awoke with a contraction.  I thought I’d leaked urine so I got up and walked across the room to change a pad.  I looked down and saw blood pouring down my leg.  I looked at the bed and saw a huge pool of blood and fluid.  There was a baseball- sized blood clot.  I screamed, pushed the button and called on the phone for the nurses.  I was in an absolute, complete panic.  My heart sank because I was so afraid with the amount of blood there that the baby was already dead.  The nurses rushed in.  Within minutes, I was shaved, scrubbed, IV going and meds given, catheter in, and husband called.  The fetal monitor was on at 1:36 and I heard a heartbeat in the 140s.  This was my first glimmer of hope, but I was still crying uncontrollably, absolutely filled with terror about my baby’s fate. My doctor happened to be at the hospital.  By 1:40 I was in the OR.  I was scrubbed again, draped, prepped, and induction (of general anesthesia) was begun at 1:45.  The first incision was made at 1:46.  The medical team was so fast and worked so well together to get me there so quickly.   Jeanne Rose was out at 1:50.  They tell me she cried right away, had a strong heartbeat, and respirations, but was blue.  She was grunting a bit with her respirations, so she was brought to the NICU, which is where my husband entered (he’d been home and had to rush in) and met her.  Her ALGARS were 7 and 9.  I awoke at about 2:30 to learn that I had a daughter who was doing fine in the NICU.  The doctor told me (the best that I remember) that one lobe of my placenta had gravitated down (usually they move up) and was partially covering the cervix.  I had placenta previa and vasa previa.  The placenta however, had protected the vessels somewhat.  When my membranes ruptured, the blood was from the placenta.  I think my total blood loss was about 1000ml; I had enough to spare; if it would have been the baby’s, she would have never lived. 

She’s truly our miracle baby.  If I’d been home instead of in the hospital, we both could have died.  If the doctor hadn’t been there, the baby might not have made it, and if my placenta wasn’t where it was, the same might have occurred.  It took several miracles to occur for our baby to be here; we are so truly blessed. 

I had the most wonderful doctor.  She did a perfect job.  I was up and walking within a few hours, and was in very little pain afterwards.   And she did all of that in a HUGE hurry, under a lot of stress and pressure.  She was also just a wonderfully calming presence both before and after the surgery.  I couldn't have asked for better care.  Ditto for every nurse and tech at the hospital.  They were all wonderful.  The NICU even has private rooms for each baby.  There's a couch and fridge in there so we could make ourselves at home while she was there; it's very family centered.

Since Jeanne was just 33 ½  weeks, she was in the NICU for 12 days (less time than expected!).  She was on CPAP at first to help keep her lungs inflated.  She was given surfactant which helped her lungs immensely.  She was under the bili lights for jaundice for a few days.  Initially she was fed via IV and gavage feedings of my breast milk.  She took to nursing very quickly, however, and soon was just nursing.  Once she was able to maintain her body temperature and gain weight, she was able to come home.

She was 5 pounds 9 ounces, and 18 ½  inches long at birth.  She was, and still is, absolutely beautiful!

That’s the story of our miracle baby, Jeanne Rose; we feel so blessed.