“Count the Kicks Helped Save My Daughter’s Life”

Megan Heller, of Davenport, Iowa, tells how Count the Kicks made all the difference for her family:

In May 2009, I was excited to learn I was pregnant with my third child. My husband and I had trouble conceiving our first child. So to learn we would have three children, we were thrilled. But along with my excitement, I worried about the baby growing inside of me. I immediately started seeing my doctor for my monthly visits.

Megan Heller and her family

Count the Kicks

During the 30th week of my pregnancy, I could tell movement was slowing. I’m a first grade teacher, and while working that week, I paid close attention to the baby, because there were certain times of the day that I expected to feel movement.

One particular day, I was feeling absolutely no movement. I was worried, but also thought it was all in my head. By the end of the day, I decided to call my doctor. I went back and forth in my head, even calling my doctor and hanging up once. I thought I was overreacting to the situation. After school, however, I called and talked to a nurse. She told me to drink something that was heavily caffeinated, eat something with a lot of sugar, lie down, and focus on the baby for one hour.

I followed her directions and again felt nothing. When I called my doctor with the news, he told me to head to the hospital for further monitoring. At the hospital, they hooked me up to monitor the baby's heart rate. The doctor took a look at my printout and said it looked like the baby was moving. I told him that I had felt nothing. So, he called the ultrasound technician.

After scanning me for an hour, the ultrasound technician could not find any movement. She left the room, and less than a minute later, a nurse came to the room to start an IV. Then, my doctor told me it looked like the cord was around baby's neck and that my fluid was low. The baby would be delivered that evening. I was shocked and worried, because I was only 30 weeks pregnant, but my doctor assured me it was the right thing to do.

I was rushed to surgery and delivered my sweet Abigail via C-section on December 8, 2009. She weighed 3.2 pounds. After delivery, we found out that her cord was wrapped around her neck three times and had a knot in it. The doctor told me she probably would not have made it another hour.

I am so thankful that I received information about Count the Kicks, monitored my baby’s movement daily, and listened to my body. My story is proof that every pregnancy is different and that women need to listen to their bodies. Abigail is truly a blessing, my little miracle!

Count the Kicks
If you’re in your third trimester of pregnancy, counting and tracking your baby’s movements is a safe, simple way to monitor your baby's well-being. Changes in your baby’s movement patterns may help identify potential problems with your pregnancy before the baby's heart rate is affected. For more information, visit www.countthekicks.org.

Pregnancy Care Program
Wellmark’s Pregnancy Care Program focuses on keeping you as healthy as possible through your pregnancy. It offers valuable information and personal support for moms-to-be and new parents, like 24/7 nurse phone support for pregnancy or baby care questions. Find out more about the Pregnancy Care Program and enroll online.

Note: This program is available to all fully insured members and self-funded Iowa and South Dakota employer groups who have selected this program for their employees.