I’m almost a bit embarrassed to tell my little guy Henry’s story of IUGR (Intrauterine Growth Restriction) – because, in comparison to so many other situations, Henry was so mildly affected.  But I think it’s important to know that people are affected by fetal syndromes in many ways, from mild to severe – and that, in all situations, good medical care is absolutely critical to the best possible outcome.    

In the fall of 2005, my husband Mike and I found out that we were expecting twins.  This was quite a surprise as I never expected to be having twins … much less twin boys!  Although we didn’t yet know whether they were identical or fraternal, we did know that our boys, Henry and Charlie, did not share a placenta and were in two different sacs.  That being said, we had the highest hopes for a healthy and uneventful pregnancy … and, for the most part, that is what I experienced. 

The “hiccup” came in the late second to early third trimester when Henry’s growth rate started dropping off.  That concerned the doctors mainly because Henry and Charlie had been tracking so closely – measuring within one day of each other – for the entire pregnancy up until that point.  The only discernable cause was that Henry’s amniotic fluid had started decreasing.  I wasn’t experiencing any leaking – or so I thought – but Henry’s fluid was definitely low … while Charlie’s was just fine.   The doctors advised me to drink plenty of fluids and rest as much as possible – which wasn’t so easy for my go-go-go self, but I was relieved to not be on strict bed rest.  The doctors also assured me that Henry was fine for now and that they would continue to monitor his situation closely.    

Things continued pretty much status quo for a while.  Henry still had low amniotic fluid and he was still growing at a slower pace than Charlie.  Regardless, it wasn’t severe enough for them to deliver the boys just yet.  At 35 weeks, I was in the home stretch … praying that the boys made it a little bit longer, but really more anxious that they, especially Henry, would be alright.  I hadn’t experienced a single contraction – or at least not that I knew of – so, as far as I could tell, we were in this for the long haul. 

On Friday, April 21, 2006, at 35 weeks, 2 days, I had one of many ultrasounds to check on Henry.  At this point, the ultrasound technician (one of two in my ob/gyn practice) saw a pocket of fluid that she hadn’t seen before, which reassured her, but she also noted that Henry’s size had barely changed since the previous ultrasound.  I went home that afternoon feeling pretty good about things.  On Monday, I was back in the ob/gyn’s office for a scheduled non-stress test.  The ultrasound technician popped her head in my room to say that she didn’t want me to worry, but she was thinking about Henry all weekend and wondering why he wasn’t growing.  She had spoken to the doctor, and out of caution, they were going to do another ultrasound to check on Henry.  After the non-stress test concluded, I went for the ultrasound – and both of the technicians in the ob/gyn practice sat in this time.  Unfortunately, only three days after the previous ultrasound, neither technician saw any amniotic fluid for Henry.   Shortly thereafter, I spoke to one of the doctors in the practice who said that, in all likelihood , we’d be looking to deliver the boys sooner rather than later but that he would refer me to the perinatologist for another look.  

The next morning, Tuesday, I went to the perinatologist that I had seen earlier in my pregnancy.  Again, the ultrasound technician found no measurable amniotic fluid, and the perinatologist concluded that Henry was safer “out” than “in.”   On Wednesday morning, April 26, 2006 – at exactly 36 weeks – I delivered Henry and Charlie via c-section due to Henry’s low amniotic fluid and IUGR.   Charlie – weighing in at 5 pounds, 4 ounces – came to me in the recovery room.  I got a quick look at Henry – weighing in at 4 pounds, 1.6 ounces – before he was taken to the NICU.  Four pounds doesn’t sound too bad for a preemie twin, but it’s not too good for a thirty-six weeker!    

Mercifully, Henry’s stay in the NICU was brief.  He had some problems maintaining his body temperature, and they wanted to make sure that he was eating and growing.  As to be expected, his weight had dropped into the high 3 pound mark.  Nonetheless, Henry was released after five days – sooner than anticipated.  The previous day, the neonatologist said he “just couldn’t say” when Henry would be released.  I’m sure part of the reason that Henry came home when he did is that he was sent home under the watchful eye of an in-home NICU service.  That was a blessing!  A trained NICU nurse came to the house the day after Henry came home and regularly for a month or so thereafter to check on him.  She was also available by phone for any questions or concerns.  

Most importantly, Henry was healthy – and today, he and Charlie are wild, crazy four year olds.  I occasionally think about the “what-ifs.”  What if, on that Monday, the ultrasound technician hadn’t suggested doing another ultrasound … just to be sure?  What if the doctors hadn’t realized Henry had zero amniotic fluid … and just waited for me to go into labor?   Fortunately, I don’t know the answers to those questions.  I suppose it might have been OK … but it also might have been tragic.  My family is so very lucky to have benefited from highly trained, caring obstetricians, ultrasound technicians and perinatologists.  Every family should have that same level of attention, so that every baby has the best chance at a healthy, happy future. 

That’s why my family supports the Fetal Hope Foundation.  Not everyone is as fortunate as we were – but every baby deserves hope.