Expectant parents never want to need expert health care because of a complication, but having high quality care right when it’s needed couldn’t be more important.
Megan and Oscar Villacis were thrilled to become new parents and over the course of Megan’s pregnancy, it became clear that they were expecting twins! This exciting news also meant that it was a high-risk pregnancy. Still, Megan and Oscar didn’t anticipate needing the Level II Special Care Nursery at Southern New Hampshire Medical Center in the beginning. Today, they are grateful to have had the team at the Special Care Nursery support them throughout their experience.
During her pregnancy, Megan was cared for by Dr. Lo at Foundation OB/GYN. It was going well, and because it was a high-risk pregnancy, Megan started having weekly nonstress tests around 30 weeks. But Dr. Lo noticed that Megan’s blood pressure was rising to concerning levels, when she was right around 33 weeks along. It changed everything.
“I’m grateful to Dr. Lo for the care that she provided. Once we saw that my blood pressure was too high to be safe for the babies, I checked in at The Birth Place at Southern New Hampshire Medical Center to be monitored. The team there was amazing – they kept close tabs on me and the babies. I was in good hands from the start. I felt safe and comfortable from the moment I was admitted, and at every step,” said Megan.
Over the course of a few days, Megan’s blood pressure began to drop, and it looked like she would be going home. However, just before she was discharged, Megan’s water broke—she had to stay to deliver her babies at 33 weeks and 6 days—quite early in her pregnancy.
“The love, care, and compassion we experienced was top-notch. I will always remember the delivery. The nurses and doctors were very attentive. They were calm, and they explained everything that was happening in a way that made us feel safe and comfortable,” said Oscar. “During the labor, I remember one nurse reassuring Megan, letting her know that she was there with her. It was a powerful moment.”
“I remember feeling like we could ask any question to the providers and ask as many times as we needed. Every provider we met took their time with us—some nurses even stayed over their shifts. They made us feel like family,” said Megan.
On August 2nd, Oscar and Megan’s twin girls were born and proved to be quite strong. Baby A was born at 9:22 p.m. and Baby B was born at 9:34 p.m. For a brief period, they needed help with their breathing. The babies then stayed in the Special Care Nursery to gain weight in order to go home. On August 27th, Baby A went home, and on August 25th, Baby B was discharged.
The Special Care Nursery cares for babies with many different challenges, such as infections, birth defects, and most commonly, prematurity. Some of the babies are as small as 3 pounds or as young as 32 weeks.
“The Special Care Nursery is right down the hall from The Birth Place, which was really important for us so that we could see our babies soon after they were born,” said Oscar. “Over the weeks our girls spent at the Special Care Nursery, we got to know the staff. They were very supportive and made us feel prepared to take our daughters home. Going into such an unknown and delicate time in our life, we couldn’t have been in better hands. We can’t say thank you enough to the staff and providers at Southern NH Medical Center.”