High-risk pregnancy: Making it through the storm
After enduring two miscarriages, 38 year-old Cori Huston and her husband Brett were blessed with a baby boy. Anxious to have more children and worried that their window was closing, Cori and Brett decided to try again just six months later.
Success! An early ultrasound revealed that Cori was pregnant; very pregnant, with triplets.
“I brought the image to my mom,” says Cori. “When she saw the three little circles and realized what it meant, she completely freaked out. She was very happy for us.”
A follow-up ultrasound at nine weeks, however, revealed something else – a large blood clot in Cori’s uterus.
“I was told that this can prove pretty dangerous,” Cori explains. “The blood clot can irritate the amniotic sac and cause it to rupture early.”
Cori’s pregnancy was now classified as high-risk. She was referred to Dr. Margaret Carr, Maternal Fetal Medicine Specialist at Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare. Dr. Carr explained that other than rest and observation, there isn’t much that can be done about such blood clots. She told Cori to take it easy.
All went well until at 19 weeks the clot ruptured the amniotic sac of one of the babies. Cori and her husband were now faced with three options. “Dr. Carr told me I might deliver all three babies right away which, at that point, would mean losing them. Or, she said there was a high risk of uterine infection. Lastly she told us I might get lucky and be able to continue with the pregnancy.” Cori was hospitalized at Wheaton Franciscan – St. Joseph Campus for observation. After a few days and no infection, Dr. Carr sent Cori home with orders for strict bed rest. “I had to keep close tabs on my temperature,” recalls Cori. “Every day there was the possibility of getting an infection.”
Two weeks later, her fears were realized. Cori developed a high fever. “When I told Dr. Carr, she tried to prepare me for what would likely have to happen,” says Cori. “The babies would have to be delivered by caesarian section even though, at 22 weeks, they still weren’t viable.” Dr. Carr, however, opted to postpone the surgery. “I’m so glad she decided to wait. It turned out I had an upper respiratory infection, not a uterine infection.” Cori was sent back home.
Her next ultrasound was at 24 weeks. “Dr. Carr decided I’d better come and stay at the hospital at that point.” The pregnancy continued. With each passing week the nurses updated Cori on the increasing chances of survival for her babies. “Every day was a gift,” Cori says. “Every day we were one step closer to my babies being born healthy.”
At 26 weeks, the water broke on baby number two. Still Cori and the team waited. Finally at 30 weeks, the babies could wait no more. Cori went into labor. Shortly thereafter, her three babies – two boys and a girl – were born. “Willem, the baby whose water broke at 19 weeks, was put onto an Oscillator for about three or four days,” explains Cori. An oscillator is a special ventilator that gently vibrates instead of blows air into a newborn’s lungs. “Max and Avery were put on regular ventilators.” Each of the babies weighed less than three pounds.
The situation was tense as Cory and Brett awaited the results of the lung and brain scans. Finally, they received word that all was well.. “We cried when we found out that all the brain scans for the babies, even Willem’s, were normal with no brain bleeds,” says Cori.”
Nearly three months later, Willem, Max, and Avery were ready to come home.
Today, all three are normal size and weight, and are thriving. “Willem may have asthma they tell us,” says Cori. “That’s the only hint of what we went through. We’re so blessed, going from not even knowing if they’d survive to not having any issues at all now.”
Reflecting on her experience, Cori wonders how she made it through. “I think your body knows to protect you from the fear. It puts you in a kind of suspended animation so you don’t dwell too much on the dangers of the situation, on how precarious your little babies lives really are.”
And she credits the staff at Wheaton Franciscan-St. Joseph Campus with helping her through it all as well. “Dr. Carr and the nurses are all so calm and confident,” says Cori. “They transfer that peacefulness to you. We have nothing but wonderful things to say about our experience.”
In fact these days, in addition to caring for her triplets and their big brother, Cori is interested in helping other women work through their high-risk pregnancies. She welcomes moms to contact her at 414-324-4971 or chuston@wi.rr.com.