March for Babies!

March for Babies (the walk held by the March of Dimes, previously known as Walk America) is an organization that is very close to my heart. I know that for a lot of people it is difficult to understand, help and/or donate to charities and organizations unless they have been directly affected by them. So, if you are that person, and even if you aren’t, I encourage you to continue reading. My story is just one of millions.

My family has felt the stress and aftermath of not one or two, but three premature births. My first pregnancy was seemingly normal and no one was expecting me to deliver early. Premature birth isn’t something that people typically anticipate. Taylor was born at 1:35 pm at just 35 weeks gestation. He weighed in at 5lbs 10 oz. He would be my biggest baby. I was terrified by the unknown. All of my diligent research on pregnancy and common complications couldn’t have prepared me for any of my pregnancies or deliveries. I was only able to hold Taylor for mere seconds before they whisked him away. I wasn’t even able to see him that first day. He was having some mild breathing problems and therefore required an oxygen hood that he would stay under for a few hours. He stayed in the NICU for 2 days before he was released to the nursery. He and I were released from the hospital shortly afterwards. Taylor’s birth was unexpected and scary. Despite our lack of preparation and knowledge of what to expect with a preemie, the entire experience was mildly smooth. Today, Taylor is a very active and healthy 8 year old boy who has no restrictions.

Austyn is the second of my preemie babies. He was born at 34 weeks gestation. This time around, things were a little different. I was monitored much more closely with this pregnancy due to a discovery of a uterine abnormality. My doctor and I were always on the lookout for signs of premature labor. She also ordered steroid injections to boost growth and development in Austyn. I do think that the steroid treatment helped things go much smoother this time around. Austyn was born at 5:05 pm and weighed 5 lbs 7 oz. I was able to see him and hold him once the doctors had thoroughly looked him over. He didn’t require oxygen, and didn’t have any complications. This hospital didn’t have a NICU, let alone a nursery, so Austyn stayed in my room with me. We were able to go home on day two, but were readmitted on day three to treat his jaundice with photo therapy. I thank my doctor for taking extra precautions to ensure the health of my baby! Today, Austyn is a rambunctious 4 year old who also has no restrictions.

Ryleigh is the last, most difficult and scariest delivery of all. We pretty much anticipated an early delivery from day one. I had extra complications with her that I didn’t have with the boys, so we were always on edge. I entered the hospital at 32 weeks gestation. I was put on magnesium sulfate in an effort to delay labor. It was a horrible drug and the biggest reason I was on it was because my doctor hadn’t started a steroid treatment soon enough. If the injections had been ordered when they were supposed to, the magnesium may have been a last resort option, but in this case it was pretty much mandatory. The magnesium ensured that I wouldn’t give birth to Ryleigh until she had most likely absorbed the steroids and was able to benefit from them. Ryleigh was born at 32 ½ weeks gestation and weighed in at a whopping 4 lbs 3 oz. I didn’t even get to hold her. They showed her to me once they had done vital checks and bundled her up. All I saw of her was her teeny face poking out of the blanket. She stayed in the hospital for two whole weeks where she recovered from a badly bruised face, jaundice and a really bad stomach flu. She also mastered the art of breathing on her own and drinking from a bottle while she packed on the ounces. Her birth was by far the most daunting. Even so, today, Ryleigh is a petite 2 year old who can do anything her peers can do!

There were many different obstacles that we had to overcome throughout our three deliveries. Through the March of dimes and advances in science and technology, I am able to have 3 healthy, beautiful kids today. Through donations from caring and thoughtful people who want to make a difference in a baby’s life, the March of Dimes is able to educate women about pre term birth. Not all pre term births are due to a medical problem (like mine); some are outcomes from drug use or unhealthy ways of life. The donations that March of Dimes receives are dedicated to support programs and funding for research. Without those funds, some of the recent discoveries in the field may not have occurred.

My personal goal is to raise $200 for the March of Dimes. I set a small goal because I know many families are feeling the stress of the economy. I’m not asking for people to donate hundreds of dollars, just a small amount that they can personally afford. You can also help support our efforts by joining our family team. We are team T.A.R. Rummel, which obviously stands for Taylor, Austyn and Ryleigh. I plan on walking every year from now on, or at least I would like to walk every year in the future. This is my second year walking. The last time we walked was when Austyn was a baby. I also hope to grow our family team as the years progress. This is the only way that I really have to say thank you to an organization that has done so much and had such a huge impact on my life.