Veronica Hopkins’ first being pregnant led to heartbreak, with a stillbirth at 23 weeks.
Her second being pregnant led to a miscarriage at 16 weeks when her cervix opened fully.
“I simply thought, ‘I can’t do that anymore,’” Hopkins mentioned. She felt she was missing the extent of medical care and experience that she wanted. She was older than 35 with two failed pregnancies and felt that her well being supplier wasn’t offering solutions.
Then she determined to vary her medical supplier to UC Davis Well being and its world class maternal-fetal medication staff, which makes a speciality of high-risk pregnancies. Doing so, it turned out, would supply her with the perfect shot at motherhood.
She discovered a real companion in Carolyn Reyes, a maternal-fetal medication doctor at UC Davis Well being. Reyes reviewed Hopskins ’ medical historical past and the post-mortem report from the stillbirth– and gave Hopkins the hope she wanted.
“Dr. Reyes knew a lot, and he or she was so comfortable spoken and kindhearted,” Hopkins mentioned. “I simply knew I might belief her.”
Hopkins was examined and handled for a blood clotting dysfunction, which, if not addressed, may cause problems and stillbirth.
“Then Dr. Reyes tell us we had been free to go forward and get pregnant,” Hopkins mentioned. “I received pregnant inside a month.”
A micro preemie miracle
This time, further precautions and protocols had been taken, together with mattress relaxation. At 12 weeks, her medical staff added a cerclage, a process wherein the cervical opening is closed with stitches to stop or delay preterm beginning.
About 4 days shy of twenty-two weeks, Hopkins began to really feel strain. She was in danger for going into preterm labor. She was admitted to UC Davis Medical Heart and her water broke two days later.
She was then taken to the working room to take away the cerclage.
The staff saved monitoring her and labored rigorously to maintain her youngster from being born. However child Scarlett had different plans. She was born at 22 weeks precisely, a micro preemie weighing solely 470 grams (about one pound).
Scarlett spent 3 ½ months within the UC Davis Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), a delegated Degree IV nursery (the best degree out there) for the Sacramento area. Scarlett reached profitable milestones within the NICU, together with studying to eat, breathe with out oxygen, regulate her personal temperature and weigh at the least 4 kilos. She was despatched dwelling 18 days earlier than her official due date.
To say we’re blessed is an understatement. I thank UC Davis Well being for offering consolation and assist throughout this time.” —Veronica Hopkins
Scarlett nonetheless had retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), an eye fixed illness wherein irregular blood vessels develop within the retina, which occurs in infants who’re born untimely. However she was monitored carefully from dwelling.
Her ROP regressed fully by itself, however when the wholesome blood vessel development stalled round her peripheral imaginative and prescient space, the staff steered laser surgical procedure to stop irregular blood vessel development. She received the surgical procedure at simply 10 ½ months previous, which ensured the ROP wouldn’t return.
Scarlett is now an lively and completely happy 13-months-old. Hopkins continues to be in awe that Scarlett is speaking, pulling herself up and crawling round the home.
“To say we’re blessed is an understatement,” mentioned Hopkins, who now will get Scarlett’s pediatric care near dwelling on the UC Davis Well being Roseville Clinic. “I thank UC Davis Well being for offering consolation and assist throughout this time. Once you want a specialist or are going to be within the NICU, you desire a staff that’s medically and scientifically pushed, but additionally able to dealing with the emotional facet. I discovered that at UC Davis.”
