March for Babies
Eastern Iowa
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Eastern Iowa
400 Collins Road NE, Cedar Rapids, IA 52402
Date: Sunday, April 22, 2018 9:00 AM
400 Collins Road NE, Cedar Rapids, IA 52402
Date: Sunday, April 22, 2018 9:00 AM
By participating in this March of Dimes event, you assume all risks related to attendance and acknowledge and consent to the event terms, including but not limited to March of Dimes' liability waiver and health and safety guidelines, as set forth in detail here.
Our ambassador
The Bressler Family
The Bressler Family
In July of 2013, we were ecstatic to be expecting our first baby, due in April of 2014. We were looking forward to a long, uneventful pregnancy, but unfortunately, there were other plans in store for us. At my first appointment, the baby was already measuring small, and I was referred to the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics for additional ultrasounds and follow-up. After several months, they determined that perhaps my due date must be off, as the baby’s growth had been steady.
The second trimester brought persistent headaches, but with this being my first pregnancy, I didn’t feel like it was out of the ordinary. On Tuesday, January 7th I noticed that she wasn’t moving as much as usual. I called the hospital and they advised to have something to eat, lay back down, and start counting her kicks. While she moved some, I was still uneasy and not able to sleep. We went into Labor and Delivery at Unity Point for monitoring. Her heart beat was strong, and while my blood pressure was elevated, we attributed it to my stress and worry. My 28 week appointment was just a day away, so I went home and waited.
That morning I mentioned to the nurse that my ring didn’t fit, and she took my blood pressure and tested my urine. The doctor came in shortly thereafter to ask what hospital I wanted to go to for a 24 hour monitoring. I was in shock– I was alone at this appointment and had no idea what they were worried about. Justin arrived and we headed to Unity Point for what we thought was an overnight stay. I was put on magnesium for my blood pressure, given steroids for the baby’s lungs, and placed on bedrest. My blood pressure continued to rise, and by Saturday evening I began experiencing severe pain in my side. I was sent to the OR for a C-section, and our daughter Jaelyn was born Sunday, January 12th at 8:05am. At 28 weeks and 3 days gestation, she weighed just 1 pound and 15 ounces. She was rushed to the NICU, and I was sent to recovery. It was a long 32 hours before I was allowed out of bed to see her again.
Jaelyn spent the next 77 days in the NICU fighting against a heart PDA, jaundice, her low birthweight, and multiple blood transfusions. She is now almost 4 years old, and while she remains small for her age, at this time she doesn’t have any long term effects of her early arrival. She is the proud big sister to her full-term and healthy brother Xander, who was born April 27, 2017.
We started our family team “Jammin’ for Jaelyn” right after her discharge from the NICU to celebrate her journey, and to give other families hope. We are excited to be serving as the 2018 Cedar Rapids March for Babies Ambassador Family, and to be giving back to a foundation that has given us so much. Sharing our story will help bring awareness to the importance of the March of Dimes and their mission, while also raising essential funds to support their life-saving research.
Trisha, Justin, Jaelyn & Xander Bressler