Parent Stories

Daisy - Utah

In July 2010, we found out we were expecting our second baby. Because of a liver complication and an unscheduled c-section with our son Liam in 2009, I sought out a specialist in high-risk pregnancies. In order to receive the best possible care, I drove an hour each way to all of my prenatal visits to be seen at the maternal fetal diagnostic center at the University of Utah. I have a type A personality and was very proactive during my pregnancy. I took the recommended amounts of folic acid to prevent spina bifida. I participated in the recommended screenings for other markers of birth defects. I read every pamphlet provided to me by the doctor's office.

Alan - Ohio

My name is Teresa and my son Alan was born with CMV. I was 19 when he was born. I worked in a nursing home when I was pregnant with him. I was bitten by a resident and this is how I think I aquired CMV. I had a hard pregnancy. I got into a car accident when I was 5 months along and thought I was ok, but I ended up with a blod clot in my leg the size of a baseball. I was put in the hospital when I was 7 months because my legs swelled huge.

Emma - Michigan

The day before Christmas Eve, I found out I was pregnant with my second child. Everything went really smooth the whole pregnancy. We never missed an appointment, I ate really healthy and only gained about 15 lbs. Because I had a C-section with my first child, I opted to have a repeat C-section so I didn't have any easily preventable complications. The C-section was scheduled for Monday, August 14th, two days before her due date.

Noah - Virginia

My son, Noah, was born November 8, 2008. My pregnancy with him was really great and I never had any issues. I always felt good and I never felt sick. It was really a blessing and I was so excited to have him, but also nervous because I was going to be a mom! It wasn't until I was 35 weeks along that my OBGYN said that he was seeing low weight and his bones were not growing properly. He seemed to be a small baby. So, I was considered a high risk pregnancy. I went to a new doctor and I was starting to get concerned at that point.

Brigid - Massachusetts

My name is Brigid. I will turn 1 on July 28th. It's been a long year. And quite a fight to get here. Let me tell you my story. The day I made my arrival my mom went to the OB's after questioning whether she felt less movement in the previous days. (This had happened a couple years back when she was pregnant with my sister, so she was confident everything would be fine. Plus, she had an ultrasound only 5 days before that was read as completely "normal". They even said I had a "big fat baby belly".) The visit that day didn't go so well. After many attempts, they still couldn't find my heartbeat.

Dominic - Alabama

​On Friday, August 28, 2015, I was 31 weeks pregnant and had a 4D ultrasound scheduled. This was the 3rd 4D ultrasound we were having done due to the fact Dominic's hands were ALWAYS in front of his face. Once again, his hands were in front of his face and the ultrasound tech is unable to get a clear picture. She asks if we would like her to weigh him so that we could have an idea of about how much he weighs. After measuring everything she immediately asks if my husband and I were small babies. We looked at each other wondering why is she asking this. 

Kaley - Maryland

We first became concerned about our little Kaley at about 21 weeks gestation when she was diagnosed with IUGR. Otherwise, everything appeared to be fine, so we continued to go for follow-up scans, and it was always the same result. She was very small but otherwise fine. They did a TORCH panel eventually which showed elevated CMV antibodies but the timing of infection was uncertain, especially since I never got sick. The doctors didn't appear overly concerned since she didn't have any other typical CMV ultrasound findings, but they continued to monitor her. 

Nolan - Oregon

His smile sets my soul on fire and exudes strength far beyond my comprehension. Nolan was born November 27, 2002. Nolan's entry into this world was silent. I remember after hours of labor, my heart sank as the nurses began to, "work" on him. After what seemed like an eternity, he let out a little cry. The doctor examined him, and gave the nurses the green light to wrap him up and place him on my chest. 

Ashley - Michigan

I guess I don't really know where to start, so here we go...I was young. 17 to be exact. After finding out I was pregnant from my month long relationship, I was determined to persevere and face the challenge "head-on". 

Emmitt - Ohio

Hi, I'm Emmitt and I am 2.5 years old! I was born at 37 weeks gestation and very tiny, only weighing 4lbs 2oz. My mommy had a very normal pregnancy and never felt sick. The only abnormal finding while she was carrying me was upper normal ventricle size in my brain. They took me early because I stopped growing. Mommy and Daddy fell in love with me and my beautiful blue eyes. When I was 4 months old, my family noticed that I wasn't reaching for toys or tracking objects or people with my eyes and they were concerned. After multiple tests (vision screening, MRI, CT, lumbar puncture, blood work, ultrasound, urine analysis) it was concluded that I was born with congenital Cytomegalovirus.