#30DaysofBrave- Cole

Our son Cole was born at 34 weeks and it was quite the journey. We initially did IVF to become pregnant because I have a genetic mutation that caused heart failure and my need for a heart transplant at age 7 and again at age 25. We wanted to avoid passing this gene on to our children. Cole was our highest graded embryo and our first embryo transfer!

Aside from having a high risk pregnancy it was fairly easy up until 32 weeks. I knew because of my heart transplant that I had a higher risk for preeclampsia so I took my blood pressure daily. At 32 weeks my blood pressure was 160/90 which wasn’t my normal. My doctor had me go in to L&D to be monitored. After finding out I also had a large amount of protein in my urine I was admitted at 32 weeks, with preeclampsia with severe features. The goal was to make it to 34 weeks, I received two steroid shots as well.

We knew for two weeks before Cole was born that he’d be spending time in the NICU. I did extensive research and talked to the Neonatologist that would be caring for Cole but absolutely nothing I could have done prepared us for the harsh reality of having a preemie in the NICU.

In Cole’s first few seconds of life his APGAR score was just 1. His heart rate was less than 100, he wasn’t breathing or moving, and he was very pale. Those were the scariest moments of my life. After receiving oxygen, Cole finally perked up and started crying. I held him for just a few moments before he went off to the NICU. My husband followed along but because I was on magnesiumI, I didn’t see Cole again for 24 hours.

He went on to spend 16 days in the NICU and each day was gut wrenching. The tangled wires, the beeps from multiple machines that tell of dropping heart rates or low oxygen levels, and having to ask to hold your child are just a few NICU memories that leave me with PTSD. But, I look at my miracle everyday and thank God for the amazing medical staff that took care of us both. They are the reason we are both alive and well."

Thank you so much for sharing your story of Cole with our community!