Counting My Blessings

Christine’s Story

It was a sunny warm spring day.  The birds were chirping and the sun was shining on my face.  As I sat on my porch with my feet up, life seemed so good, but in reality, fear and concern took over any feelings of joy I had over the precious baby that was growing inside me.  At this point, I was home on bedrest after a 24 week major hemorrhage which caused me to almost deliver my son and require the first of several blood transfusions.  The fear was like something I’ve never felt before.  I knew if my baby was born this early his chances of survival were minimal and if he did survive, he would likely have serious complications and I would be left without a uterus since I was diagnosed with Placenta Accreta, never to bear a child again.  Luckily the bleeding subsided and I was sent home on bedrest with a goal of 34 weeks.

This was my third pregnancy and my husband and I both wanted a big family and always talked about having 4 children.  With this pregnancy, I began to experience light bleeding at 6wks.  The bleeding never stopped for the entire pregnancy.  It wasn’t until around my 16^th week that they told me I had Complete Placenta Previa.  And during a 20wk ultrasound, I was given the news that I also had a suspected Accreta.  The MFM doctor at that moment looked at me and said “I am very worried about you”.  He went on to explain that I may need a hysterectomy at delivery.  I remember leaving there that day, crying, very emotional over the news that I may need a hysterectomy.  Those feelings quickly diminished after what the next few weeks had in store for me.

Being at home on bedrest didn’t go as smoothly as I had hoped.  After 3 more big bleeds at home, my doctor advised me I was at high risk for having a bleed that might not stop the next time. That was enough to scare my husband and me. We immediately made arrangements that I would check into the hospital 2 days later after my MRI apt to confirm the Accreta. I was admitted into the hospital at 27 weeks pregnant on April 17th. My mother took me and I cried the whole time while getting admitted. The day was a beautiful 70 degree sunny day. I dreaded going into the hospital, I just wanted to be home on bedrest so I can enjoy eating dinner with my 2 kids and just being home and sitting outside. I felt like I was turning myself into jail by admitting myself into the hospital. But the very next day of being there, I had another bleed which required another unit of blood. I then felt our decision was the best thing we did.

Around this time, my feelings quickly changed, I no longer was upset about a possible hysterectomy at delivery, I was now praying and hoping I would remain pregnant as long as I could.  Everyday was another milestone for me.  My doctor would often remind me that after this baby, I would have three children and that I needed to be alive for them so they would have a mother.  I needed to do whatever it was even if it meant taking my uterus out to save my life.

After 4 weeks of hospital bedrest and 13 major hemorrhages, doctors feared I would be faced with an emergency surgery possibly in the middle of the night (since most of my bleeds occurred then) and the proper people would not be available.  So, the decision to move my surgery up to 31 weeks 6 days was made.  The date was May 17^th 2013 at 1:30pm.  They decided to schedule my c section in the Main OR of the hospital instead of Labor and Delivery.  They knew my surgery was going to be complicated and would rather the surgery take place there.  I was suppose to have balloon catheters put in to control bleeding but, we never got a chance to do that. The morning of May 17^th, I experienced some mild contractions.  Looking back, I am wondering if these were caused by my nerves or anxiousness about surgery.  It just seems so coincidental that my body would start laboring the morning of my planned surgery.  After a few hours passed, I began to hemorrhage.  I buzzed the nurse call button and within minutes we had a full blown emergency in my room.  I was able to call my hubby and parents to have them come to the hospital immediately.  My exact words were ”Come now, I’m bleeding and it’s not stopping” and I hung up on them.  My mother who worked on the maternity unit for 28 years at a hospital knew how dangerous my situation was and prayed the rosary the whole way to the hospital.

I began to hemorrhage profusely and the blood was not stopping.  My nurses and Doctor ran my bed from the High Risk unit all the way down the hall to Labor and Delivery unit as I was starting to get very lightheaded.  They immediately started to transfuse me.   During surgery, my body temperature dropped to 94 degrees and blood pressure dropped to 34/16.  My uterus was ruptured and surgery went on for 4 hours in which I had my uterus and cervix removed, bladder repaired and 22 units of blood administered. My estimated blood loss was 4.5 liters. 

After surgery, I awoke in the ICU unit.  I remained there for the next 24hrs.

I quickly started to recover and was released from the hospital 5 days later.Baby Joey remained in the NICU for another 6 wks.  He was discharged June 28^th, 2013 weighing 4lbs 9oz.

Everything I went thru really made me realize that life can be short and just enjoy life’s little blessings.  Everyday, I Count those Blessings.  Although, I can never bear another child, I am so grateful I am here today to be a “mom” to my 3 precious children.

During this pregnancy, I kept an online journal capturing my journey thru this stressful, fearful, hopeful and all worth it pregnancy.

Visit at www.babycrowd.com/jr/online/sunshine_77/

Our Blessing Baby Joey, 3lbs 10oz

Joey 16 months

Joey now 16 Months on.

Johnny 5, Joey 16mths, Laci 6

Below is a link to the article written by Saint Peter's University Hospital. http://www.centraljerseyhealthandlife.com/September-2013/Special-Delivery/

Ashley's Journey with Placenta Accreta and Placenta Previa

Tummy time. 

I found out i was 3 weeks pregnant on june 8th, and everything was going perfect. My husband and I were so excited to be pregnant with number 2. Then at 13 weeks I started bleeding heavily out of nowhere so we went to the emergency room. They didn't do anything except tell me that I might have a UTI, to drink lots of water and put me on a 15 lb weight restriction.

Then my OB called me the next day to come in for an ultrasound. they found I had a complete anterior previa and told me I didn't have much chance of it moving and told me to be prepared to have a c-section. I had another ultrasound at 17 weeks with zero movement and that is when they told me I might have Accreta.


I had no idea what that was at the time and even what they were telling me. It didn't sink in how life threatening it was. So they wanted to schedule me for an MRI right after my ultrasound at 20 weeks. At my 20 week ultrasound we found out we were having another baby girl, and found out that there was a very high possibility of Accreta. They said there would be no certainty until delivery.

Then at 22 weeks I had my second heavy bleed and went back to the E.R. This time they took me up to Labour and delivery and I was monitored for 3 days until the bleeding stopped, then they had me start coming in twice a week with an ultrasound every two weeks with no movement at all on the previa.

At 27 weeks I had a mild bleed this time they didn't admit me just told me to take it easy and just kept my the appointments with no change. Then at 32 weeks I had my worst bleed yet and they helicoptered me to a different state to a better hospital. At that point I ended up getting 4 transfusions and was admitted to the hospital with my husband and oldest at home. I was told I would be there until I delivered.

While I was there they found out I had a calcified placenta as well. Where my placenta literally hardened at the size of 20 weeks pregnant but matured like I was 6 weeks past due date. Over the next 3 weeks I was monitored closely and they found she wasn’t growing. She had only gained 2oz in 3 weeks.

So the decision was made to deliver her at 35 weeks 3 days.

During surgery they gave me a spinal tap and I ended up losing another 3 liters of blood, having the Accreta, and ended up with more transfusions, 7 units of blood. They had to do a partial hysterectomy. My baby girl was 4 lbs 3 oz and 16 inches long.

Stephanie's Story with Placenta previa, accreta and AFE

Stephanie’s Story By Janice McCafferty

After 7 rounds of intense and emotional IVF procedures, Stephanie Arnold became pregnant with her second child in October of 2012. Beginning after her first ultrasound in the 20th week, Stephanie became overwhelmed with premonitions of her own death. She best explains this feeling as something that made every cell in her body feel like a ticking time bomb. She had no idea that what she was   feeling would actually come true.

Her daughter Adina was born 2 1/2 years earlier and delivered by C-Section, so she knew all too well exactly what to expect during the upcoming birth. Due to a placenta previa diagnosis and other factors that complicated her pregnancy, she knew that she needed to plan for the worst. However, it was the premonitions of doom that made planning a high priority. Rather than accepting bystander status, her husband Jonathan was able to step into the forefront as a key player to help her. As an economist, Jonathan realized he needed to set his analytical nature aside and focus on Stephanie’s worries. He knew that trusting Stephanie’s intuition as she cried out for someone to listen to her fears and premonitions was critical.

However, in everyone’s defense, there were no tests or medical books that could have been referenced to predict what was about to happen. All Stephanie had were the premonitions that had consumed her entire life. Though, the one difference between previous premonitions and what she experienced this time around was an overwhelming sense of foreboding. It was different from the traditional worries everyone experiences from time to time. The feeling that she would die, including visions of her own death, penetrated her daily existence and motivated her to get anyone and everyone to listen.

As her delivery neared, she was fortunate enough to have one or two people listen to her due to her persistence. She posted messages on Facebook and even sent goodbye letters. Her feelings were real so her mission became spreading the message, “If you SENSE something, SAY something”. And, if no one listens, you say it again, and again and again! She told everyone that she came into contact with about her premonitions. She hoped that someone, anyone, would relate to her and give her advice on how to proceed. But, ultimately, it was left to Stephanie to speak up and avoid sweeping her feelings under the carpet. Her husband Jonathan was her strongest ally, supporting her through every appointment and every visit, even if as Stephanie says, “he thought I was crazy.”  It was the love of her husband, family and friends and all of their support that helped her to become even more boisterous. After all, she was not ready to leave him permanently or leave her children motherless.  

During her pregnancy, Stephanie surrounded herself with the best medical professionals and those familiar with what she was going through. All were convinced and conveyed to her that what she was afraid of would not happen, and that the probability of it happening was slim to none.  Fortunately, she refused to settle for that and persisted on. Stephanie assumed people thought she was just hormonal and presumed doctors thought she was an annoying patient, but it couldn't have been farther from the truth.  Later, she learned that doctors do take premonitions and fear incredibly seriously. Unfortunately, many patients don’t speak up, so their doctors never know about their concerns. “They can't read your mind or your spirit. You know them much better than they ever could and you know yourself and your needs even better,” says Arnold.

Her own gynecologist, the same doctor that delivered her daughter Adina, never made her feel like she was crazy.  She understood Stephanie’s fears, but had nothing tangible to work with regarding her feelings. She supported Stephanie by giving her access to more medical professionals to speak with. When she opted to go see a gynecology/oncology specialist, her doctor thought it would be a good idea and was supportive. At 32 weeks she had an MRI which at that point showed no accreta had formed at that point, and when she asked her doctor how likely would it be to have an accreta form by the 37th week-- she said, she had never seen it before.  Thinking back, Stephanie believes that her doctor did not believe what happened to have been possible.

On May30, 2013 Stephanie was 36 weeks and at home when she suddenly started to hemorrhage. Her husband Jonathan went into survival mode and rushed her to the hospital for an emergency C-Section. In the middle of delivering their son Jacob, she coded – flat-lined with all electrical signs of life gone! Stephanie was clinically dead for 37 seconds and was kept on life support in a protective coma for 6 days until she stabilized. Her body was riddled with tubes, ports, and monitoring equipment and she had to undergo dialysis to rid her body of the edema. However, they saved her life and brought her back. Today, Stephanie and Jacob suffer no permanent damage, making them a true medical miracle.

Her ob-gyn, Dr. Julie Levitt, and the anesthesiologist diagnosed her with placenta accreta and an amniotic fluid embolism (AFE) - a condition where the amniotic fluid enters the mother’s bloodstream, triggering anaphylactic shock, respiratory failure, cardiac arrest and death. This occurs when the mother happens to be allergic to the amniotic cells. However, the condition is very rare, occurring in roughly 1 in 15,200 pregnancies. In fact, AFE is so rare that Stephanie’s case was the first in the history of their practice. And, while incidences are low, the condition is the second leading cause of maternal death in the United States and the United Kingdom.

At 36 weeks she delivered. The amniotic fluid embolism (AFE) happened and they thought they had the bleed under control when she was put into SICU. 7 hours later, they realized she was bleeding through the uterus. Gyn/onc was called in and performed hysterectomy. The pathology showed an accreta starting to form, which is how the amniotic cells got into the bloodstream causing the AFE. Not visible to the naked eye, because when placenta was delivered, it looked complete.

Coming on in two phases, AFE is extremely catastrophic. In Phase 1, the patient goes into cardiac arrest, the lungs shut down and the body goes into complete shock. Roughly 40% of patients do not make it through this phase, however, Stephanie coded here and lived to tell the tale. Those lucky enough to make it past Phase 1, then have another uphill battle to fight. The AFE stops the blood’s clotting capability, so many patients hemorrhage to death. Due to these factors, it’s currently believed that as many as 85% of AFE patients do not make it out of the operating room. Stephanie credits her survival to her foresight and the conversations she had with her anesthesiologist leading up to Jacob’s birth. She requested that they change her anesthesia order to include more blood, a crash cart and more monitors. “That is 100 percent what saved my life,” says Arnold.

Stephaine needed 60 units of blood and blood products which is classes as a massive blood transfusion.

After clinically dying and coming back, Stephanie has been given a second chance and wants to make every moment count.  She says she has good days and bad days - many times feeling survivors guilt and wondering why she was chosen to live. Because of this, she makes sure she is totally present in every second of her life. She values every interaction she has with others because she believes any day above ground is a good day and she is more empathetic than ever.

She often reflects back to being in the ICU, obese with fluid from edema, and recovering from a tragic AFE. The inability to hold her newborn, let alone spend time with her daughter or her stepdaughter because she was not coherent is something she will never forget. She has learned that her family is the most important thing to her and that her husband will always be there for her. His love and his support got her through every single day. According to Stephanie, “I was on low voltage with my intuition because people would look at me like I was a freak if I talked about things I saw. After losing all electricity in my body, I am now on high voltage or supercharged and won't allow anyone to make me feel like a freak when I sense something. Remember, ‘If you SENSE something, SAY something’.” If it will save a life, it only makes sense to speak up – she knows because it saved hers.

According to Stephanie, “They say it takes a village and in my case, it did”. Neighbors were there for her and her family. The Jewish community came together and prayed while other communities also joined in.  One doctor said she couldn't give her a medical reason why she survived, so she needed to “go spiritual on this one.”  And, she was right as her family leaned heavily on the prayers of the community and its spiritual leaders.

In her "previous" life, Stephanie worked for Lubavitch, as a successful television producer she produced Jewish educational documentaries, including one about the Rebbe Menachem Schneerson (SP).  She is also known for covering the story rather than being the news, Stephanie’s multi-talented 27 year television career generated her Emmy Nominations and a Telly-Award as she directed and produced numerous television series, reality shows, music videos and documentaries. In her private life she has been a member of Chabad for many years and was approved to receive a New Hebrew name because of her miraculous story of death and rebirth. Instead of being recognized by Sarah, she is now recognized as Chaya Sarah.

For more information about AFE's and the research being done, please go to www.AFESUPPORT.org for the latest as they are more up to date than your doctors.