4 High-Risk Pregnancies, 4 Healthy Babies

Story submitted by Harmony Bass, who had four high-risk pregnancies.

Our story began on March 15, 2007, just 24 weeks into my pregnancy.  I was rushed to Good Samaritan Hospital for multiple health concerns including preterm labor. The Special Care OB Unit became my home for the next four weeks. It was one of the most terrifying experiences I've had, but in the end, I couldn’t have asked to be in a better place. The care and compassion I received from nurses, doctors and staff more than exceeded my expectations.

Our son Logan was born 12 weeks early on April 10, 2007. I did not see him long before he was whisked away in an incubator to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). He weighed 2 pounds, 5 ounces, fit in the palm of our hand when curled up and was not even the length of a standard ruler. Nothing could prepare us for the numerous health issues we would watch Logan face, fight, and eventually overcome. 

The first few weeks in the NICU Logan encountered different health concerns. He was born with a very large Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA) and nine small holes in his heart. (A PDA is a blood vessel that keeps the blood away from the lungs before the infant is born.) Along with the heart issues, Logan fought infections, respiratory distress syndrome, jaundice and other health issues.

It was almost paralyzing to sit back and watch our baby struggle. He had tubes coming out of everywhere possible, while hooked to monitors and machines. Every time it seemed as if Logan was making progress and gaining strength, we would see him suffer a setback that would dampen our spirits. The nurses and staff were always there to help inform us, comfort us and even celebrate with us, no matter the situation.  

After two months, Logan graduated the NICU, was released to specialists for treatment and came home with mom and dad. Finally, during his four-year checkup with the cardiologist, all heart conditions had corrected themselves – requiring no surgery – and Logan was released with a clean bill of health. 

Today, Logan is a very active and healthy, outgoing 7-year-old who enjoys baseball, swimming, soccer and playing with friends. We call him our "dare devil" not only because of the start he had, but because we often find him climbing places he shouldn’t, hanging upside down on monkey bars, water skiing one-handed, or doing other things many kids wouldn’t dare try.

On April 18, 2009, we found ourselves in a similar situation. Although I had been receiving exceptional care from Tri-State Maternal-Fetal Medicine Associates, including weekly ultrasounds and progesterone injections to help prevent preterm labor, our second child, Lizzie, was born seven weeks early, weighing less than 5 pounds. Fortunately, Lizzie came home after only 11 days in the NICU. She is a normal 5-year-old girl who enjoys dance, gymnastics and singing her favorite Disney movie Frozen songs.

Thanks to the treatment and careful monitoring by my Tri-State Maternal Fetal Medicine doctors, in October 2011 and again in November 2013, our third and fourth children, Lexi and Lucas, were born only five weeks early, yet they required no stay in the NICU. 

All four of our children are active and healthy today thanks to the wonderful nurses, doctors, and staff at Good Samaritan Hospital.