Aero’s Story - Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia (CDH)

My boyfriend and I found out we were expecting and boy, was I excited! We found out that we were having a little boy through blood work at 12 weeks. The day we found out, we already had a special name picked out, Aero Don. We were so ready for our 20-week anatomy scan. We just wanted to see Aero. The scan took forever, but they were checking everything. We were okay with that until the nurse said, "um, give me one second, I need to go talk to the doctor." Logan and I didn't think anything of it. They then told us to go to the second floor for our results. An hour later, the doctor finally came to get us and told us the news... I had never heard of this. My heart was torn. What did I do wrong? Why me? So the doctor said city doctors would be contacting us and doing more high tech scan. I tried to keep it together and pray that this hole and everything would be gone. All I could ever think about was how my son already would have a rough start, and I couldn't help him.

Fast forward to about 30 weeks. I started having some bleeding. I went to the hospital, and they said I had dilated to a 1. I didn't want to have Aero! He wouldn't have a chance to make it at all with little lungs as is. I stayed in the hospital for a week to be watched. Finally got to go home, I didn't make any change! Thank God! Then not even two weeks later, I had more bleeding. This time I was at a two, and my cervix was very short. It was a matter of time before Aero would come. So they had me stay at Barnes Jewish, where I was going to be delivering Aero.

I lived about an hour or so away from Barnes, and it was best I stayed with them until Aero came. I stayed there from 32 weeks to 36 weeks and 3 days. I started having contractions, and I told the nurse. I was at a 3, and they said we would monitor you and the baby. Then they checked again in an hour. I was at a 4, and they said, "you're having this baby tonight...get who you need up here now." At 3:01 am, I had Aero. He tried to let a cry out, but nothing. It broke my heart not getting to have that first touch, the experience every momma gets. I just felt broken, but Aero needed everything that morning. They said we believe he's going to need ECMO. We can't get his numbers steady. Fast forward a couple of hours later, they called my room and said out of nowhere he started doing better and didn't need ECMO. At four days old, he had his repair surgery. He did amazing! He had the breathing tube taken out two weeks later. From then on, he passed everything like a champ! Weaning entirely off the morphine might have been the only obstacle we had, but he did great once he adjusted. After 57 days in the NICU, we were able to come home a couple of weeks before Christmas. October 11th will forever be a day to remember!