Patient Stories
Sutter Women's Services
Sonja - Medical Miracles
Halfway through her pregnancy, 42-year old Sonja felt fine. In fact, she was overjoyed to finally be pregnant, after eight long years of trying. Even though she was carrying twins, and despite the daunting task of labor in front of her, Sonja thought the toughest part of this journey was behind her.
About two years earlier, Sonja underwent in vitro fertilization. On the second cycle, right before they were to implant her eggs, doctors discovered she was severely diabetic. The news came as a surprise to Sonja, who not only had to deal with the scary diagnosis, but also had to put baby hopes aside for a couple more years.
Once her blood levels were deemed satisfactory, Sonja resumed in vitro fertilization attempts. The first eggs took and she was soon proudly pregnant with twins. She and her husband, Jeff, couldn't be happier.
When she started spotting in the middle of her twenty-second week, Sonja didn't panic. She had an appointment with her obstetrician in a few hours -- she'd discuss it with him then. But when he performed her ultrasound, her doctor immediately had Sonja admitted to the high-risk maternity unit at Sutter Medical Center, Sacramento. It looked as though she was losing her babies.
As Sonja lay on the hospital bed -- which was inclined to keep her feet above her head -- she was told she'd be there until she delivered. "I couldn't believe it," she said. "That morning, everything was fine. And that afternoon, I was told I might spend the next few months in the hospital."
While she was grateful for her medical care, Sonja struggled with being constantly bound to a hospital bed. "The nurses couldn't have done more," she said. "They made me feel better, physically and emotionally. And, I knew my babies needed me to stay there, being monitored and treated by all my doctors." Still, Sonja was becoming depressed, spending day after day in the hospital.
She wanted to go home and help decorate the nursery. She missed her own bed. And, Sonja struggled being without Jeff during this crucial time, although he did visit her twice a day. "He was at my bedside every morning, with a cup of decaf from Starbucks," she smiled. "Jeff was wonderful. But I hated not being home with him."
With continued care in the high-risk maternity ward, Sonja's condition improved. The doctors monitored her closely and Sonja complied with their treatment recommendations. "I begged the doctors to let me go home," she said. "I promised that I'd stay in bed, just like at the hospital." After five weeks, Sonja's cervix closed enough to convince her physicians to consider the possibility of at-home bed rest. Taking into account Sonja's progressing pregnancy and her wishes, her doctors released her from the hospital. "I was incredibly grateful to my doctors for working with me and considering my situation. Their treatments during my hospital stay saved my pregnancy, which saved my children's lives. So, I did my part and followed their instructions and took every precaution when I went home."
Aside from weekly doctor appointments, Sonja rested at home for the remainder of her pregnancy. At 38 weeks, her doctors were so pleased with her progress they revoked the bed rest order -- the babies were healthy enough for delivery.
Baby Brianna was born first, weighing 6 pounds and 3 ounces. Brianna's twin sister Sydney followed, weighing in at 8 pounds and 1 ounce. "It was amazing," Sonja said. "A couple months ago I thought my babies would be extremely premature and spend months in the hospital. But they were bigger and healthier than anyone had hoped -- thanks to my doctors and nurses at Sutter."
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