My doctor did, however, prescribe subsequent ultrasounds (I believe two or three) to make sure the situation didn't change. Supposedly, nothing changed. The lobe was still there, but there was no mention of placenta previa or anything. The morning of January 15, 1997 (36-1/2 weeks), I woke up and went to the washroom. I immediately noticed a LARGE amount of blood. My brother came over (at 2:00 a.m.) to watch our two year old and Bob and I went to the hospital. The immediately hooked me up to the monitors and did an ultrasound. The only thing they could find was that the baby was breech. Also, labour had already started, but was very slight. The resident on duty wanted to do a C-section that day. My doctor came in and assured me that delivering breech naturally would not be a problem and wanted to induce me within the next two days. They called in an obstetrician for a consult and he didn't want to do anything. He said the baby was only around 5 pounds and he wanted her to get bigger. In the meantime, I was still bleeding profusely if I tried to walk or sit up, etc. They did keep me overnight and sent me home the next day to bed rest except to go into the hospital for biophysical profiles every second day (so much for bed rest). Still nothing was said about the extra lobe or the placenta or anything.

The morning of January 27, 1997 (12 days later), I once again awoke with profuse bleeding. Of course, after the events of the 15th, I did not panic. Bob and I once again went to the hospital (after my wonderful brother once again came over at 4:30 a.m. this time). We saw the same resident. They hooked my up to the monitors and left me. I asked if they had called my doctor yet, and I was told that they couldn't call her in until they had the results of the strips, etc. After about three hours of laying there, I told Bob to go to work, this was just a repeat of the first time and I would rather he take time off when the baby was born. As Bob was leaving, I thought my water had broken and yelled at him to come back. The resident and a nurse came in and we all realized that this was blood and not amniotic fluid. The nurse tried to find the baby's heartbeat with no luck. Next thing I knew, the resident was calling for an emergency C- section. (Luckily, they had just given my an IV 10 minutes before so they could administer the anesthetic). When I woke up, my doctor was there. I asked here how my baby was and all she said was "Debi, we will pray". She was born at 10:15 a.m. and they were not able to resuscitate her until 10:30 a.m. She had lost 3/4 of her blood due to the rupture of the blood vessel and received transfusions. They were worried about seizure activity so gave her phenobarbitol (which we found out 9 months later, they overdosed her and were responsible for her being in the hospital for a week longer than expected). My doctor actually had my stretcher wheeled up to NICU because she didn't think I would get a chance to see her. They also took a photo right away. Bob knew the worst case scenario and did not enlighten me completely. We were told that if she lived 24 hours, she should pull through. I thought she looked great when I saw her and so did my mother. The next day we were told that yes, she would live, but they could not determine the extend of mental and physical disabilities that she would have (probably severe). 

Carlyne Rachel Pederson came home February 10, 1997 (the day before her due date). We spent the first year with pediatric, neurology, occupational and physical therapy, etc, etc, etc.

She looked so normal to me and her development was pretty close to normal, but we were still constantly being told that a child could not go through this and come through unscathed. I would leave doctor's offices in tears all the time. They would say she was doing great, but just wait. Finally, after she was a year old everybody except neonatal released her saying that they were happy to eat their words. Her last neonatal check up was last November at about 2 1/2 years. The neonatologist said that she seemed to be slightly ahead. She knew the ABC's before she was two, she knew all three of her names before three, she sings entire songs, counts to 20 etc.

I am so proud and happy to say that Carlyne is a very rambunctious 3 1/2 year old now who is extremely stubborn. My mother said that's what pulled her through, but it sure can be frustrating now (Example: yesterday morning I asked her to clean up her room about 9:00 a.m. - 10 minute job. She finished at 4:30 p.m.) That is her nature. The more you insist, the more she fights. I am also proud to say that she is ALMOST doing a head stand on her own. She can do it against the wall no problem and is almost there in the middle of the floor. I just showed her two weeks ago.

I thank the Lord daily for my little girl. I don't know what we did to be so lucky, but indeed we are. She is very loved and very beautiful. Her older brother just adores her and she idolizes him. Thank you for this sounding board. I think most of my anger at the doctors has subsided (until now). I was told that no matter what, vasa previa CANNOT be detected in pregnancy and nothing they did could have alerted them to the condition. NOT! They didn't even test the blood on January 15th to find out if it was me or Carlyne bleeding. I was informed when she was about 6 months old that she was bleeding for those entire 12 days.