Keeping Mom & Baby Together Even With an Early Arrival

Samantha Bauer and Alec Broeker, of St. Charles, Missouri, were expecting their baby’s arrival in March 2023. Samantha’s pregnancy had been relatively uneventful; however, at 36 weeks, there were concerns that the baby might be measuring small. Her Ob/Gyn, Jamie Puckett, MD, who practices at Progress West Hospital, sent her for an ultrasound. The ultrasound confirmed the baby’s size was small for the week of pregnancy. It also showed insufficient blood flow to the baby and low fluid around the baby. In addition, Samantha had suddenly developed high blood pressure, or hypertension, despite it being stable up until that week.

High blood pressure, higher than 140/90 mmHg, as well as the aforementioned complications for the baby, is the most common indication of preeclampsia, a serious condition that can develop during pregnancy that puts both the mother and baby at risk. Other signs and symptoms of preeclampsia include swelling, headaches, blurred vision, pain just below the ribs and vomiting. The concern of preeclampsia prompted Samantha to be sent immediately to the childbirth center at Progress West Hospital — a month earlier than they had anticipated. “We put her in the hospital and tried to induce, but unfortunately, Samantha needed to have a C-section,” says Dr. Puckett.

While Samantha had a very natural birth plan, it became clear rather quickly that things would not go as planned. “It was very overwhelming,” shares Samantha. “But this was what was going to happen, and I just had to accept it.

It was a scary and unexpected situation, especially for Samantha who had never been a hospital patient. She and Alec were grateful for the kindness of the team, from Jenni, a labor and delivery nurse who braided Samantha’s hair before the C-section — one of the few things in her birth plan that did go as planned — to Carla, a custodial staff member who comforted Alec while he waited to join Samantha in the OR.

“I was honored by Carla’s grace because she was there for me when I was very much going through something,” shares Alec. “She did something special there, and many others did too.”

Through a successful C-section, Samantha and Alec’s son, Soren, was born on February 3rd. Because he arrived four weeks early, Soren needed a little extra care in the newborn intensive care unit (NICU), including feeding support and temperature regulation.

“Despite being a late preterm infant and a little small for his week of pregnancy, Soren did really well,” says Colleen Brennan, MD, a Washington University neonatologist who cared for Soren in the NICU. “I give credit to his parents, who prioritized skin-to-skin time with him, and his mom who was so dedicated to providing breast milk around the clock — both of which are incredibly helpful to a preterm infant.”

As a Level II NICU, Progress West Hospital is equipped to care for babies born as early as 31 weeks. The unit features 9 NICU beds and Washington University neonatologists and pediatricians from St. Louis Children’s Hospital. Their team shares a commitment to keeping mothers and babies together.

“It’s important for us to provide this care so moms and babies can stay together,” shares Dr. Brennan. “Prematurity cancome with many complications, but providing the appropriate care at Progress West Hospital allows babies to recover and grow near their home community with a robust support system.”

“It’s great that we were able to keep Samantha and Soren at Progress West Hospital and didn’t have to go downtown,” says Dr. Puckett. “They were able to room-in while baby was there growing, which makes it a much less stressful experience for her.”

After Samantha was discharged, she and Alec stayed in a hospital hospitality room so they could be close to Soren. “I was really nervous to be discharged, because I didn’t want to be too far from him,” says Samantha. “We were literally across the hall.” Their accommodations after discharge also included meals for Samantha as she was breastfeeding, and both she and Alec were impressed with the food throughout the duration of their stay.

In addition to helping Samantha and Alec learn how to care for Soren, the NICU nurses brought Samantha photos of Soren when she couldn’t visit him immediately after delivery. They even made scrapbook pages for his carseat test and bath time.

“Beyond just taking care of Samantha and our son, we developed more personable relationships with the staff, which made us more relaxed and comfortable in that environment and allowed us to learn as much as we could and get the best tips for how to care for this very special boy,” shares Alec.

After two weeks in the NICU, Soren was able to go home with his parents. They have settled into their new life as a family of three and are grateful they chose Progress West Hospital.

“I had heard great things about Progress West Hospital, and this is where I wanted to go,” recalls Samantha.

Alec adds, “It’s very comforting to know this was where we were already planning on going — it’s the closest so naturally it made the most sense. But then, when you see the level of care they provide, applicable in real time, it really reaffirms your decision. We could rest easy knowing we were in a good place.”

To find an Ob/Gyn in St. Charles County or take a virtual tour of the childbirth center, visit BJC.org/OBGYN/ProgressWest 636-723-9293