Patient Stories
Sutter Women's Services
Kristi – A Mom of Six Girls
After being married three years, Kristi and her husband decided to start a family. After trying for nearly a year they were delighted to find out they were pregnant. Kristi had a smooth pregnancy and gave birth to a healthy baby girl.
Getting pregnant the second time proved to be more challenging. Kristi and her physician, Jose Cueto, M.D., decided clomid was the best option for Kristi to get pregnant. After three doses of clomid, Kristi conceived twins. Kristi had a healthy pregnancy and delivered her twin girls at 35 weeks at Sutter Roseville Medical Center. The girls weighted 5 pounds and needed to stay in the nursery for oxygen treatment for nine days. “The nursing staff at Sutter Roseville was amazing. They went above and beyond.”
The hardest part of the delivery was that her babies couldn’t stay with her in the recovery room. “One of the nurses in the nursery made a point to come to my room and cry with me. She shared her story of when her baby had to stay in the nursery when he was born so she completely understood my feelings and empathized with me. It was great having someone that knew exactly how I was feeling and knew how to support me.”
Rising three healthy and happy girls was a gift for Kristi and Demian but after a time they longed for another baby - possibly a boy.
Kristi met with Dr. Cueto to discuss her options and they decided to try a half dose of clomid. It did the trick, in fact, Kristi and Demian got not just one healthy baby but three. Triplets!
As a precaution, at fourteen weeks Kristi’s care was transferred to Sutter’s maternal/fetal medicine physician group which specializes in high risk pregnancies. Since being pregnant with high numbered multiples such as triplets can increase a women’s chance for complications during pregnancy.
Kristi was under the care of William Gilbert, M.D., maternal/fetal medicine physician and medical director Sutter’s Women’s Services in the Sacramento Region. It didn’t take long for Kristi to enjoy Dr. Gilbert’s kind-heart and jovial personality. They quickly bonded.
A c-section was to be scheduled around 36 weeks of her pregnancy but the babies couldn’t wait and Dr. Gilbert was out of town. “I was disappointed that Dr. Gilbert couldn’t be there for the birth of the girls but Dr. McElvy provided very thorough care and everything went smoothly.”
The triplets spent two weeks in the NICU at Sutter Memorial Hospital and during this time Kristi and Demian stayed in their motor home in the parking lot of the hospital. “It was a life savor not to have to travel back and forth from the hospital to home, especially since I was pumping around-the-clock.”
Kristi still remembers Rita, Joy and Julie - her daughters’ primary nurses in the NICU. “Not only did they offer encouraging words, friendship and constant care for her babies, they decorated the girls’ bassinets - everything was pink from clothes to blankets.” When it was time for the babies came home, Kristi wished the she could bring the nurses.
Once again Kristi missed the “snuggle” time after the birth of her babies. But…“It’s reassuring to know that if you can’t be the one caring for your baby Sutter is the next best thing.”
Kristi enjoys being a stay-at-home mom and feels blessed to have children who are thriving. “There are good days and bad day but I couldn’t imagine my life without my girls.” Kristi participated in a focus group to help develop the Sutter Moms of Multiples Center at Sutter Medical Center, Sacramento.