Danielle Kern had to undergo three open-heart surgeries when she was a child. Twenty-four years after, she gave birth to her firstborn, a baby boy.
The Florida mom gave birth at the same hospital she had all of her heart surgeries, St. Joseph's Hospital.
Giving birth by C-section
When Kern was about to give birth, she was monitored by St. Joseph's Hospital's congenital cardiologist, Dr. Joel Hardin.
Because of her heart condition, the doctors had to be extra careful. Dr. Hardin said in an interview with Bay News 9, "Women born with complex heart disease (this is just one complex type of heart disease) they do have increased risks of complications."
The Florida mom gave birth to a healthy baby boy weighing 8 1/2 pounds.
Both Kern and her baby were safe after the delivery. Initial tests also show that Kern's baby boy has a perfectly healthy heart.
Dr. Hardin also shared that seeing Kern and her son go through it safely is something that would stand out in the experiences that he had in his career.
The risks of pregnancy
Before trying to be pregnant, doctors have strongly discouraged Kern from having a baby. She said in an interview, "They basically told me it was a big no-go, but I don't like to listen to people."
Although she can now say that she could get through the pregnancy and give birth, Kern also admits that the journey was not easy.
Before being blessed with her miracle baby, the Florida mom had two miscarriages. However, these incidents did not stop her from trying.
When she finally got pregnant, Kern was worried that maybe she wouldn't be able to make it through the entire nine months. She reveals that she wasn't the only one saying, "No one thought I would make it."
The Florida mom's heart surgeries
When Kern was still a baby, doctors had to fix one of her heart chambers. For them to be able to do this, the Florida mom had to undergo three open-heart surgeries.
Even though the operations were successful, this still meant that Kern was at risk when she chose to have a baby.
Finding support
While going through her pregnancy journey, Kern found support from groups of moms who also have heart defects like her.
For the Florida mom, women like her who also have heart defects and would want to embark on motherhood, they should ask for help from heart specialists. She adds that these experts should be a part of the planning phase so that everything would result in a successful pregnancy.
