"Every interaction made me feel like Quinn was getting the best care possible, and for that I am forever appreciative."
While my story does not have much in common with families’ of babies who have long-stay Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) journeys, my husband and I, nonetheless, were faced with an unexpected turn in the birth story of our first child, Quinn.
I was induced at Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center at 41 weeks after a healthy and smooth pregnancy. After 10 hours in labor, I finally started actively pushing, which proved to be a fatiguing experience that lasted for two hours and fifteen minutes and required me to be on oxygen for the entire duration. Our baby boy simply would not come out.
My OBGYN attempted a vacuum-assisted delivery, and as a final resort before pivoting to an emergency C-section, turned to forceps. Alas, Quinn was delivered and I was in a state of complete exhaustion. Being my first, I really did not know what to expect immediately upon delivery but (if even only from the movies and television), I knew a cry indicated a healthy baby. Even though I was blurry eyed, my motherly instincts had already kicked in and I knew something was off when Quinn let out a struggling whimper and was instantly whisked onto a table and surrounded by a team of nurses and my doctor. My husband went over to see what was going on and we learned that my umbilical cord had been wrapped around Quinn’s neck four times – something my OBGYN later revealed she had only seen with less than a handful of babies in her career. My umbilical cord had effectively been functioning as a bungee cord: every time I pushed, Quinn would bounce right back up. As a result, his oxygen levels were extremely low and he needed to be rushed to the NICU for care and monitoring. My husband thought to ask to let me hold Quinn for a moment before he left the room, for which I am grateful.
I felt nervous and confused. I did not have any prior examples to draw upon for how things were supposed to go after having a baby. So, I leaned into the reassurance I felt due to the excellent care and information provided by the NICU doctors and nurses. Every interaction made me feel like Quinn was getting the best care possible, and for that I am forever appreciative.
Quinn was only in the NICU for three days (a rather short time in comparison to many NICU babies) before his oxygen levels stabilized and he was discharged. However, it was certainly long enough to leave a lasting impression on me. Due to the attention and care Quinn received, I felt confident upon leaving the hospital that things would only improve from there.
And they did. Today, Quinn is a healthy and happy five-year-old who just started kindergarten. He enjoys playing with his little brother (most of the time!), friends and cousins, building Legos, playing baseball, listening to music, going to the beach, swimming, riding his scooter, and playing at the park. He can’t wait to learn how to read on his own and is working on his skating skills so he can play ice hockey (just like his Dad).
I wish all the NICU families (short and long stay) the best!
Samantha W., Quinn’s Mom
Learn more about the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center.