It was the middle of the night when Jennifer Christus began bleeding midway through her pregnancy. Up to this point, Jennifer experienced no reason to worry. She had given birth to two daughters previously and had healthy pregnancies with both. Understandably, Jennifer was confused and anxious.
But fortunately, she knew exactly what to do. Jennifer and her husband immediately made their way to Aurora BayCare where she was promptly admitted into the Laborist Program, which requires an OB/GYN physician to be physically present at the hospital and available to patients in need at all times.
Little did Jennifer know at the time, but this simple decision saved her life and the life of her baby.
A Rare, But Deadly Condition
Detailed examination revealed that Jennifer had placenta previa that evolved into an accreta. Doctors prescribed bedrest at the hospital for the remainder of her pregnancy.
“Jennifer had a unique problem that made her pregnancy high-risk,” said Dr. Brian Dobbins, obstetrician and gynecologist at Aurora BayCare. “For some women with the same condition, after they deliver, they could bleed so much that it becomes life-threatening, or even worse than that.”
Normally, the placenta attaches to the uterus and then separates after delivery. However, placenta previa occurs when all or a portion of the placenta is blocking the cervical opening, making a safe natural delivery impossible. An accreta occurs when the placenta imbeds itself deep inside the uterine wall without penetrating the uterine muscle.
“This program was essential in my case,” says Jennifer. “I didn’t have to wait for a doctor to come from home, because there was a doctor already here.”
Aurora BayCare’s Laborist Program is the only one of its kind in Northeast Wisconsin, providing an OB/GYN specialist 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. In many other hospitals, OB/GYN specialists are on call and required to be within 30 minutes of the hospital, and sometimes overseeing several hospitals. Meaning, care isn’t always available when it is absolutely necessary.
“Throughout the whole process, the nearly-9 weeks I was there,” Jennifer says, “I had already met the whole team who would perform my surgery, so I knew who would be involved and who would be there. They were sure to keep me up-to-date as I progressed in my pregnancy and what was going to happen.”
The team Jennifer speaks to included an OB/GYN, a doctor specializing in high-risk cases, radiologist, and several other specialists.
Jennifer’s daughter Nicole was born on December 31, 2018, about 8 weeks shy of her due date, with the help of the Laborist Program and its team of various specialists, nurses and doctors. Premature births are incredibly common in cases of placenta accreta.
Getting Back to Reality
For about 3 and a half months, Aurora BayCare was Jennifer’s home away from home, quite literally. As Jennifer feeds Nicole, she reflects on her time spent at the hospital – from date nights walking the halls with her husband to taking her older daughters to the cafeteria for a snack and some quality time.
“It’s not back to normal yet,” admits Jennifer, “but it feels really good to be home now, and we’re finally starting to get back into a routine.”
Despite the good and not-so-good memories, Jennifer is fervently thankful for the team that pulled her and her baby through a complicated pregnancy.
“I would absolutely recommend that anybody work with this particular team,” Jennifer says. “I had great experiences with all the doctors. We were looking forward to just having a third child, and now we’re looking forward to having our family grow together.”