Virginian Mom Reflects on Life After Her Baby Spent 139 Days in the NICU

Katy Crince reflects on her experience after her fourth child, Bodyn, a micro-preemie, weighs only 1 pound 1 ounce and was taken to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), where he stayed for 139 days. As the entire family prepares to celebrate the young boy's first birthday on September 30, the mom of four reflects on her learnings as a NICU mom.

The 37-year-old mom admitted that the experience was very traumatic not only for her but also for the whole family. Some parents who might have become NICU moms may experience Post-traumatic Stress Disorder or feel mixed emotions of grief and anger, but in her case, she never felt any of it. The Virginian mom expressed her gratitude to the NICU doctors, the nurses, the respiratory therapists, and all of the staff, family, and friends as Bodyn made it through.

The NICU mom was on a playground when she was only ten weeks pregnant but suddenly noticed she was bleeding. Due to the worry of miscarrying, she immediately visited the emergency room and found out that the baby was okay but learned that she had a subchorionic hemorrhage. According to the National Library of Medicine, it happens when blood pools between the membranes surrounding the fetus.

She experienced early labor due to her condition

The worried mom went again to the hospital to be checked at 13 weeks and found out that the bleeding had gone away. She was told that what she experienced was not considered high risk, so there was no reason for her to be worried as it won't affect her pregnancy, but the mom still felt some anxiety.

On September 29, 2021, she went into early labor. She had a placental abruption which mainly triggered her labor. Looking back, her Obstetrician thinks the placenta was not in good condition from the start considering she had the hemorrhage and placental abruption.

Crince was only 23 weeks and 1 day pregnant when she gave birth. Doctors told her and her husband, Jonathan, that early parents usually decide what interventions the baby should receive. She told TODAY she could still feel the baby kicking inside her, and his heart never dropped, so she took it as a sign that her son was a fighter, so they had to give him the best chance. She even begged the healthcare providers to do everything to save her son.

The family cherishes and gushes over Bodyn's laugh

The micro-preemie was delivered via C-section, and the neonatologists intubated him. Unfortunately, the mom couldn't see her son for 24 hours while she recovered, but she admitted that she was emotional when she finally saw her baby, whom she described as very small. The doctors, including staff, told them that the best thing they could do for their baby was to talk to him so the newborn could feel their presence.

She was grateful as the healthcare providers were very kind and caring, adding that they did everything they thought they could to give him a fighting chance, such as reading and talking to him. "There were statistics saying the more present the parents were in the NICU rooms, the better the odds were for the baby outcomes," she added.

Doctors could not insert a peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC), so they transferred him to Children's National Hospital in Washington, D.C. According to Mayo Clinic, the PICC line makes it easier for doctors to give infants medication and nutrition in a large vein in the chest.

For many months, the family never heard the newborn cry as he was in the hospital, and now that he's finally home with his family, they cherish hearing his laughter.