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High-risk pregnancy, high level of care
Laurie Bradford holds her newborn daughters Madison, Bailee and Mackenzie while talking to Dr. Erin Koster at Medical Center of Plano’s “baby steps” nursery. Mrs. Bradford lived in the hospital’s antipartum unit for five weeks./Matt Nachtrieb
By Amy Morenz, Staff writer
Bailee Bradford wraps her tiny finger around the hands of her mother, Laurie Bradford, while receiving her bottle.
Bailee’s sisters, Mackenzie and Madison, are nestled nearby in “birdcages” covering their temporary homes at Medical Center of Plano as they wait to go home in about four weeks.
The Bradford triplets — Bailee, MacKenzie and Madison, born on March 22 -- are waiting for their new lives.
Their stay is part of a mini-boom that Medical Center of Plano and other hospitals are experiencing with high-risk pregnancies.
The rate of premature births rose from 9.4 percent of all births to 12.3 percent from 1989 to 2003, according to statistics from the March of Dimes. Every year, nearly 500,000 infants are born prematurely.
“We knew we would be in good hands here and have a chance to recuperate after the birth,” Mrs. Bradford said. “It’s been emotionally hard to leave them at night.”
More women are experiencing high-risk pregnancies as they wait longer to have their children, said Dr. Erin Koster, who specializes in high-risk pregnancies.
Hovering over the triplets, Koster often works with the antipartum unit to check on her mothers and the children in their wombs.
The increase in cases stems from a combination of factors, including infertility treatments, diabetes and other warning signs that can send mothers directly to the hospital for high-risk care.
The Bradfords have become especially close to the doctors and staff working at Medical Center of Plano’s antipartum unit. Many “graduates” who lived at the hospital during their high-risk pregnancies return to show off their baby pictures.
The antipartum unit’s walls are covered with pictures of children now living with their parents after their mothers’ high-risk pregnancies. The staff can see patients for months as they are hooked up to equipment and constantly watched to make sure the mothers carry their infants as long as possible.
The hospital can use additional beds if needed for cases that don’t require as much intensive monitoring, said Janet Kirksey, director of women’s and children’s services.
Many more Medical Center of Plano patients are being transferred to its antipartum unit. Some 80 expectant mothers did so last year, triple the number of the previous year.
“Some patients come in as early as 17 weeks into their pregnancy,” said Tracy Lau, nurse manager.
One of those future mothers is Wylie resident Darby Ridgway, who is expecting a daughter. The tbird-grade teacher at Allen’s Roundtree Elementary School never expected she would need ongoing care when she saw her doctor on March 30. But with her blood pressure skyrocketing and feet swelling, she was immediately wheeled to the antipartum unit.
While waiting for daughter Madilynn, Ridgway has the option of taking yoga classes or participating in a Ladies in Waiting dinner with other mothers. The hospital also offers classes for expectant mothers and a “Sweet Success” program for diabetic patients. Some mothers will work on computers or watch videos with their husbands.
Fathers such as Matt Ridgway often come at night to see their wives, and some stay the night. The patients can choose a “dine on demand” option to order food like they would order room service in a hotel.
“At first I was scared because they automatically threw me into the hospital,” Mrs. Ridgway said. “I can deliver any day.”
Patients such as Mrs. Ridgway are monitored by a nursing staff that averages one nurse to every three to four antipartum patients, depending on the acuity, said head nurse Lisa Price.
With long hours in bed, hospital stay can be difficult for expecting mothers, especially those used to active lives, Price said.
“The most common emotion the patients have is frustration from a total loss of control,” Price said. “The families are shaken up because mom has moved,” Price said.
A vast team is required to help expectant mothers, Kirksey said. It can include nurses, labor and delivery, dietary services, social work, physical and occupational therapists, and physicians ranging from obstetricians to neonatologists and cardiologists, she said.
The hospital’s staff will participate in the March of Dimes’ Walk America Walk on April 29 at White Rock Lake in Dallas to benefit ongoing research. To register, visit www.walkamerica.org/walk2005_about.asp
Contact staff writer Amy Morenz at 972-398-4263 or amy.morenz@scntx.com.
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