Meet Piper

• Baby Saves

• 08.18.22

“Welcoming our third daughter, Piper, to our family on June 11 was not the arrival we had anticipated. After suffering the loss of our only son Callan in the fall of 2021 at 20 weeks, we quickly became pregnant with our rainbow baby. It was a pregnancy that faced several obstacles, including bleeding due to subchorionic hematomas causing a partial abruption and placenta previa. Our pregnancy was considered high-risk and we were having additional appointments with an MFM [maternal-fetal medicine specialist] as well as our regular OB that included numerous ultrasounds to check on the baby. 

Between our daughter’s 20 and 24 week growth scans, she dropped significantly in her estimated percentile, which was worrisome to my husband and I, but seemed not to concern our MFM. After so many complications added to the stress of a pregnancy after loss, I was really on edge with making sure our baby was OK in the womb. 

My OB told me to begin kick counting at 26 weeks as one important way to monitor the baby’s health. This is when I downloaded the Count the Kicks App and used it to begin tracking Piper’s movements twice a day daily. I loved the notifications the app sent to remind me so I never missed a day. 

At 27 weeks 6 days gestation I noticed that my daughter was moving, but her movements were slower and felt different than before. Her movements felt like more soft rolls than strong jabs or kicks; however, she was still moving. The next day, her movements remained noticeably slower, and her movement continued to feel even more ‘off’ to me. 

I called my OB and they had me report to the hospital. In the initial NST [non-stress test], they noted one heart decel, but the rest of the test was indicating that she was doing OK. Thankfully, due to my history the doctor on duty that day decided to further investigate by running an extensive BPP (biophysical profile) ultrasound. During this time he too became concerned about her movement and continued to notice concerning heart decelerations and determined that the best thing for Piper was to deliver her via C-section at 28 weeks.

Upon delivery, both my OB and the on-duty doctor were able to fully assess Piper and her placenta. They both noticed damage and what looked to be the beginnings of a full placental abruption. Piper’s lifeline was failing and not getting her enough of the oxygen and nutrients she needed to grow and thrive. 

I am so grateful I had been tracking Piper’s movements with the Count the Kicks App because it supported my intuition that something was wrong, and that I needed to speak up on behalf of my daughter. I am also thankful for a medical provider who listened to my concerns and took the extra time to run additional tests before sending me on my way. 

We know that if we hadn’t had all of the tools, intuition, and expertise that day that her pregnancy could have ended so very differently. As Piper continues to grow and thrive from her premature arrival, we feel so incredibly thankful to have her in our lives and we pray for the same outcome for you and your family.” -Kendra P., Piper’s mom