My Little IUGR Girl

Lauren is getting such a great little personality. She is starting to take steps and is saying several words. That's so great to see because she was our IUGR (Intra Uterine Growth Restriction) baby. We had to deliver our triplets at 29weeks, 1day because of this diagnosis in Lauren.

Babies are at higher risk for being IUGR when they are a twin or other high-order multiple (triplets or more). At week 25 of my pregnancy, I suffered a strange migraine that paralyzed one of my cranial nerves. After a trip to the ENT and an unsuccessful MRI, I ended up in the hospital.

We had great care throughout the pregnancy, but a hospital stay increased the frequency of our ultrasounds. Coincidentally, this is when they noticed that Lauren, who previously was the same size as John, was smaller than Tyler (who had always been the smallest of all three).

After determining that the migraine was just a migraine, I was discharged only to return a week and a half later to stay until delivery. Lauren wasn't growing and the blood flow in her cord was slowing on a daily basis. This is a double edged sword. In a way it was good for her post-delivery prognosis because mother nature (actually,God) protected her by telling her that she wasn't going to make it to term. Multiple babies already know this from the start. Their organs develop faster than singletons.

On the other side of the coin, her brothers weren't as prepared to be delivered so soon. We were the most worried about John because he was the biggest. All of the doctors said that he would be the least ready (especially lung wise) and to prepare for all of them to be on ventilators.

On 9/26/05 the ultrasound showed Lauren's cord blood flowing backwards. We were told that she might not survive much longer in the womb and that she had a better chance in the NICU now. As for the boys, at 29 weeks, they had a great shot of viability, but we could face some health issues. What a decision. Luckily, we had been preparing for a few days and said, "let's have a birthday." A few hours later...And Babies Made Six.


These were the stats:
John 2 lb., 13oz., 15 1/4 inches
Lauren 1 lb., 6 oz., 12 1/4 inches
Tyler 2 lb., 3 oz., 14 1/2 inches

Tyler ended up being the one with the most trouble. We delivered on a Monday and by Friday, the docs said that there was only one more thing they could do for him...Nitric Oxide. This is one molecule different from Nitrous Oxide. Thankfully prayers were answered and he pulled through just fine.

It's funny what triggers these memories. I hope to post more of our NICU experience as daily life reminds me of just how blessed we really are. Today I had a flashback of Lauren's tiny little being in an incubator as she peeked around the recliner and smiled at me as if to say, "see Mommy, all of those prayers got me this far". Lauren's personality blooming shows us how God really does work miracles. A few short years ago, Lauren might not have survived in NICU or may have suffered cognitive or physical issues.