The nursery may not be ready, but Virtua is
Stephanie McMullen remembers laughing when the ultrasound technologist told her she was having twins. "My family joked with my husband and me about how we were the generation most likely to have twins — but we never took it seriously," says McMullen. Pleasantly surprised, she and her husband began preparing for their arrival by taking the
Marvelous Multiples class at Virtua.
However, a second surprise came when her water broke just shy of 32 weeks into her pregnancy. "It was 6 am, and I was turning over in bed trying to get comfortable — that's when I felt it," she remembers. The McMullens headed to the emergency room at Virtua Memorial Hospital, which is where they planned to deliver the babies. Soon after, they met Virtua Health maternal-fetal medicine (MFM) specialist,
Richard Broth, MD, who provides obstetrical care to women with high-risk pregnancies.
"Though we tried to stop the labor with medication, the twins were coming — eight weeks before their due date," says Dr. Broth. Though Virtua Memorial has full obstetrical capabilities and a level II special care nursery, they agreed that it was best for McMullen to deliver at Virtua Voorhees. "Dr. Broth explained that Virtua Voorhees had a level III neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) that could provide the most advanced monitoring, breathing and feeding support for preemies born this early," recalls McMullen.
Advanced care for mothers and babies
With the NICU and a full staff of fellowship-trained MFM specialists and neonatologists, Virtua Voorhees is a state-designated regional perinatal center. Dr. Broth explains the significance of this designation: "When a pregnant woman is at risk for delivering her baby before 32 weeks, the safest place for her and the baby is a hospital with a NICU. We can now transfer women from hospitals throughout South Jersey to Virtua Voorhees. Without this designation, many of these moms would be transferred to hospitals out of state."
Just hours after arriving at Virtua Voorhees, McMullen had a cesarean section and delivered two beautiful boys: Aidan and Brennan. Tiny and healthy — but still works in progress — the boys spent two weeks in the NICU. Here, the neonatal team provided the preemies a warm, quiet, protected place to eat, sleep and grow. The twins then spent another three weeks in Virtua Memorial's special care nursery, where they were cared for by the same neonatologists and nurse practitioners the McMullens came to know at Virtua Voorhees. "It was great that the boys could be cared for closer to home by the same team. Their support helped us throughout the whole process until the boys were ready to come home."
For the fact sheet "When your baby is in the NICU," call 1-888-Virtua-3.