I went into labor at 23 weeks, six days pregnant. The labor and delivery staff at the hospital in Idaho Falls were able to stop the contractions, however Chloe鈥檚 amniotic sac was funneling through and I was dilated 3 centimeters. I was put on bed rest and had to stay in the hospital so that they could monitor me and the baby, as they told me I could go back into labor at any time.
High risk OB doctors from Salt Lake City came and checked on me while I was there. During my second week visit with them, they found during the ultra sound that I had placenta accreta and would need to be flown to the University of Utah Hospital where they had a specialized staff who worked with placenta accreta patients.
When they did another ultra sound at the U, they saw that the amniotic sac was still funneling through and that Chloe鈥檚 feet were now in the sac and pushing it down. I was on high alert as I could go into labor at any time.
Chloe Jane Cooke was born October 10, 2015. She weighed 2 pounds 1 ounces and was eight inches long. She was 27 weeks and six days gestation when she was born鈥攈er original due date was January 4, 2016. We were able to leave the hospital right before Christmas, and she was on oxygen for three months. She does not have any health issues from being born premature. She did have a speech therapist and an occupational therapist for a few months when she was 18 months old, but she is perfectly healthy.
Chloe is seven years old and is currently in first grade. She loves to be outside fishing and riding her bike. She loves to sing, dance, draw, paint, and play with her stuffies. She loves bossing around her two older brothers. She is a joy to have in our family and we鈥檙e so grateful for the doctors, nurses and other staff members who took great care of us while we were there.
Meet Our NICU Alumni
This is a special project that documents our NICU alumni. We are so grateful to watch these amazing young patients grow into their lives, despite a challenging start.