The Perinatal Center in a local hospital performed a level II ultrasound and using the color Doppler, revealed a possible vasa previa. It was still early, around 16 weeks, so they had me come back at 20 weeks to confirm. I read as much as I could on the condition during then and was heartbroken to read of all the angel stories out there. I felt incredibly lucky to be one of the diagnosed mommies!!! The 20 week ultrasound confirmed it, and my perinatologist and OB both said I could do home bed rest until week 30 if I wanted too. Having educated myself extensively on the subject, I was terrified of the possible outcomes and decided to go on bed rest in the hospital at 24 weeks, the earliest possible time that doctors consider a fetus "viable". My docs were fine with it, but I honestly believe they would never have changed their mind had I not pushed for the 24 week admittance date.

I spent 10 weeks in the hospital. My OB wanted to deliver me by C Section at 36 weeks and the perinatologist felt more comfortable with 35 weeks. Well, my little Sarah made the decision for all of us- her amniotic fluid levels dropped significantly at 34 weeks and the on-call OB delivered me that day. She was 4lbs 11oz at birth and had APGAR scores of 8 at 1 minute and 8 at 5 minutes. She spent one week in the NICU, mostly due to temperature, slight jaundice and feeding issues. She needed a naso-gastric tube for a few days in the beginning before she learned how to bottle feed, was constantly wrapped up in numerous blankets and a bunting bag (until she was about a month old and could stabilize her temperature better) and she also left the hospital on oxygen. She did not get cleared to go off that until she was 6 weeks old and her blood oxygen levels were higher.

Thank you so much to organizations like this that helped us through and also my thoughts are with every mother and father who lost a baby to this.