⚠️ warning ⚠️, long post!

Back story; I was induced at 37 weeks due to concerns for IUGR. Back at our 20 week ultrasound, we were informed that our little girl’s right hand never developed and met with genetic counselors and so on. From that appointment on, we had routine growth ultrasounds every 4 weeks to make sure that everything else was continuing to grow. At our 24 wk ultrasound, we were informed that her right forearm was measuring three weeks behind but there was no concern. At our 28 week ultrasound her right forearm was now measuring five weeks behind, again, no concern. I spoke with the MFM specialist because I was very concerned. The specialist reassured me and said that her arm was measuring behind because it was pressed against my placenta. “In no way am I worried about anything like skeletal dysplasia or anything serious because all of her other long bones are measuring completely normal” he explained while we discussed the ultrasound over the phone. At our 32 week ultrasound, the specialist was not available to discuss the findings after the scan. I talked with my OB and she let me know that the results were back and the baby’s forearmS, emphasis on the S, were only measuring in the 5th percentile. Last I was told, it was just her right forearm that was lagging. My doctor released the results to me on a HIPPA complainant app. My world shattered when I read the impression “bilateral forearms are measuring in the 5th percentile, SUGGESTIVE OF SKELETAL DYSPLASIA”. I panicked, spoke with my OB the next day and told her how disappointed I was with the MFM physicians. I was ashamed that we have physicians like that at the hospital that I work at. I spoke with the chief of MFM & voiced my concerns. I am a nurse, so I will push to get answers and get shit figured out, whereas someone who is not familiar with medical terms and/or missed diagnoses may not advocate for themselves or their unborn child. From that point on, the chief settled and informed me that he wanted to do every other ultrasound rather than a tech and he would be the one to read the impressions. At our 34 week ultrasound (34+5), we were finally given a diagnosis of IUGR. He then informed me that we need to plan an induction at 37 weeks. Shocked and nervous was an understatement of how I was feeling.

Induction date was April 7th. We were asked to come in at 10pm, as my doctor wanted to attempt Cervadil to soften my cervix prior to initiating Pitocin. Cervadil stays in the vagina for up to 12 hours. 12 hours later, the med was taken out and we found out, it was ineffective. They placed an EZ catheter to stretch out my cervix for delivery and started the Pitocin. About 9 hours later, that came out and the contractions were coming every 3-4 minutes. I was dilated to 4cm and would remain that way until the following day (4/9). Our little girl came at 12:33pm on 4/9. I pushed for about 30 minutes. After delivery, we knew our hands were going to be full with her, as much as she was making noises and chattering. I’m an adult cardiac nurse, so I’m not familiar with babies and their sounds. What we thought was Kinsley testing out her set of lungs, was actually her struggling to breathe. She was grunting and had slight nasal flaring. They gave her 2 hours after she was born to see if she would transition, but she did not. She ended up having amniotic fluid in her lungs, so she was taken to NICU before my husband even got to hold her. In the NICU, they started her on high flow o2, a feeding tube in her mouth, IV fluids, eventually started phototherapy for elevated bilirubin levels (causing jaundice), and would eventually watch every single mL of milk she would drink because her weight was dwindling. One parent at a time in the NICU. THAT SUCKED, but I get it. I was discharged from mother-baby 2 days after she was born, but I remained in the hospital until our little girl was discharged. My husband, unfortunately, had to go home because of the 1 person rule. After 7 long days in the NICU and 9 total days of me being in the hospital and not having ONE breath of fresh air since I went in for induction, she finally gained 2 ounces over night and we were discharged that next day. We have been home for a few days now and we are so thankful that our little girl is doing well.

Here is a photo of our beautiful little peanut, Kinsley Rose;