Weighing just a pound-and-a-half and stretching the length of a ruler, micro-preemie Teigen shocked her mother by making an early entrance at 23 weeks old last year at Studer Family Children’s Hospital at Ascension Sacred Heart in Pensacola, Florida.
Kenyattee Lynn was barely past the halfway mark in her pregnancy when she suddenly had a tiny newborn she was learning to care for in a way that’s not taught in the typical birthing classes. She was navigating new motherhood through a tangle of cords and tubes that were her baby girl’s lifeline as Teigen grew and got stronger right before her mother’s eyes. “I remember just thinking, ‘she’s so tiny,’” Kenyattee said.
A couple of weeks before Teigen’s birth, Kenyattee said she started showing signs of preterm labor. Her care team at Ascension Sacred Heart quickly slowed things down, and she was put on bed rest. A few hours before Teigen was born, Kenyattee was feeling pain and cramping.
Neonatal-perinatal doctor Giang Sinh Truong, MD, said Ascension Sacred Heart obstetricians always try to delay delivery as long as possible; however, under certain circumstances, the baby has to be delivered prematurely for the safety of the baby, mother or both. Examples include imminent premature labor, high blood pressure during pregnancy (preeclampsia), and a variant of preeclampsia that causes organ damage, or placental complications.
“Evidence supports that standardized care improves outcomes,” she said. “Our interdisciplinary NICU [neonatal intensive care unit] team of obstetricians and staff, maternal-fetal medicine specialists, board-certified neonatologists, neonatal nurse practitioners, physician assistants, nurses, and therapists use an evidence-based approach to develop protocols and guidelines to care for very premature infants.“
The NICU at Studer Family Children’s Hospital became Kenyattee’s home away from home for almost four months. Kenyattee said that through each milestone and setback, the nurses and doctors made sure she was fully informed and understood what was happening.
“They broke everything down for us,” she said. “Every doctor would ask if we knew what this meant, and if we didn’t, they’d explain it to us as much as possible so we could understand.”
Most premature babies develop language and motor skills in the same way as full-term babies, but some experience developmental delays. To ensure infants continue to thrive and meet their best potential after they leave the hospital, Ascension Sacred Heart connects families with a network of 30 pediatric subspecialists and community support services.
Kenyattee said her care team connected her with specialists. Teigen had laser eye surgery in early April to treat retinopathy of prematurity and has regularly scheduled appointments with her pulmonologist because she is currently home on oxygen support.
As for moms in a similar situation, Kenyattee said it’s important for them to make sure they take care of themselves during such a difficult time. The baby is well taken care of, she said, and it’s OK to worry but not to be hard on themselves. She advises other moms to take time for themselves, too.
From celebrating Christmas to ringing in the new year to all the love that comes with Valentine’s Day, Teigen experienced a handful of holidays in the NICU. Her biggest celebration came when she wore a graduation cap and gown and passed down a hall lined with the nurses who cared for her for 117 days as she headed home.
“My care was a 10 out of 10,” Kenyattee said. “I highly recommend Studer Family Children’s Hospital. Even though this was not the birth story I envisioned, the staff made sure my experience there was great.”
