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June 2011 Moms
jcsumm0
member
Evelyn Mae--our miracle
jcsumm0
member
Evelyn was born on May 14th at 3:41 pm. She was 5 lbs, 5 oz and 18 inches and scored 9s on her Apgars. We spent several wonderful hours getting to know her a little bit. You might remember I was induced due to low fluid and IUGR. My induction went so smoothly and I was able to go epi-free like I wanted. Natural ladies--trust your body, YOU CAN DO IT! I can't put into words how incredible our birth experience was. More details later.
Early Sunday morning our nurse noticed some unusual bruises on Evie and she and her doctor did some blood work. Evie's platelets (the part of blood that makes it clot) came back very dangerously low. Evelyn had to be transferred to the NICU in Indy right away in an ambulance and she also received her first platelet transfusion, which arrived via state trooper. The doctors did not know what was causing her to have low platelets and they were very worried that she would have bleeding in her brain from the delivery because of how low the platelets were.
Evelyn did great on the way to the NICU, and we soon found out from an ultrasound that she did not have bleeding in her brain. This was truly amazing given her low platelet count! I really think our doctors were shocked. Later that day, the doctors were able to figure out why her platelets were so low, and why they kept going down after several transfusions. I have a very rare platelet blood type that occurs in a tiny percent of the population. Since Evie has a platelet type that is inherited from DH, and the same as most of the population, my body made antigens to destroy her "unfamiliar" platelets. When she was born, my antibodies were still in her destroying her platelets. The wonderful news is that this is fairly simple to treat--I just donate my platelets to Evelyn. Since the antibodies from me that are in Evelyn like my platelets, they won't destroy them and her platelet levels will stay normal. After several days, all the antibodies from me will be gone, and Evelyn will be just fine!!
Of all the very scary causes of low platelets, this one was so simple to treat. God has been so good to us and Evelyn is doing absolutely wonderful. She will get to come home hopefully later this week when the doctors are satisfied that her platelets are stable and she gets rid of a bit of jaundice (unrelated to platelet issues).
DH and I would be honored if Evie's story inspired you to donate blood and/or platelets (someday, not now, obviously). Anonymous donor platelets kept Evie going until she could get my platelets.
The crazy thing is that the IUGR problems we were worried about were a total nonissue and the 2 problems have nothing to do with each other. We're just lucky, I guess!
Life of a pumping NICU mom is insane so I won't be on for a while but I'm thinking of all you June moms and wishing you great deliveries and healthy, healthy babies!!!
This discussion has been closed.
Re: Evelyn Mae--our miracle
Proud Cloth Diapering, Babywearing Mommy to Desmond (5.30.2011) and Evangeline (2.26.2014)
Loving wife, best friend and teammate to Babywearing Daddy, Kelly (7.27.2000)
Volunteer Babywearing Educator at Babywearing International of South Central Pennsylvania
She is beautiful...Congratulations!!!
Oh, she's so precious! I'm glad they were able to treat her so easily! Quite the blessing! T&P's that everything stays "level" and that she'll be home with you soon! Congrats on your beautiful Evie!
(And as a point of interest... you're the 3rd June mommy who had her baby on the 14th!)
Eli Augusten // 06-01-11
Juniper Serra // 01-03-11
Congrats! She looks very healthy!
Isn't modern medicine great?! That's so awesome that they were able to come up with that amazing fix!
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What a beautiful girl and a beautiful outcome! So glad you found answers so quickly. How are you feeling?
I, too, received a platelet transfusion after I delivered DD #1. I am so grateful for the anonymous blood platelet donors who saved my life.
Hope you both can go home soon.