Triplets Thrive
After Stay in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
As soon as Jennifer Sosa found out she was having not one, not two, but three baby boys, she knew she'd better start expecting the unexpected. Although her obstetrician assured her that the babies looked healthy, and there was every chance that she'd have a smooth delivery, multiple births are usually considered high risk, so precautions need to be taken.
Jennifer's obstetrician referred her to a perinatologist (a specialist in high risk pregnancies), who would also follow her through the pregnancy, and to the maternity unit at Wellington Regional Medical Center, which has a Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). At the NICU, specialists care for the widest range of newborn conditions, from the most unstable babies to those born with the lowest birth weights.
Jennifer's pregnancy progressed even better than she'd hoped. "I never had to go on bed rest, and I never even had morning sickness," she says. But the triplets were determined to make an early entrance: On June 3, when she was approximately 32 weeks into her pregnancy, she went into labor. Her physicians decided to perform a Caesarean section to help ensure a safe delivery.
Henry arrived first, the largest brother at 4 pounds, 1 ounce. He was followed by his identical twin George, a perfect match in all respects but his weight, which was 3 pounds, 6 ounces. Then came fraternal triplet Jude, who weighed in at 3 pounds, 14 ounces.
Although the three brothers were healthy, by the nature of their early arrival, their condition was fragile. Fortunately, the Sosa babies would be cared for in the NICU by neonatologists, highly trained nurses and respiratory therapists who would help them achieve good outcomes.
NICU staff also monitored the babies for temperature stability and weight gain, making certain they were taking in the appropriate calories for growth and development. Initially, they received IV fluids and tube feedings before they were ready to be breast- and bottle-fed.
Throughout their 13-day stay in the NICU, the babies' parents, grandparents and 15-year-old brother, Shane, were frequent visitors. "The staff was fabulous," Jennifer says. "They understood that even the most basic issues -- how to hold the babies, how to burp them and how to provide simple daily care -- were big concerns to us with our early arrivals. The nurses were very patient and answered our questions -- sometimes the same ones -- over and over."
Today, the triplets have topped 12 pounds and are already fast friends. "They love to cuddle together," Jennifer says. "No matter how far apart I put them in the crib, they find a way to wiggle closer to each other. We feel very lucky and happy that they're doing so well."
