Josephine's Journey home: A NICU graduate story

Medically reviewed by Rita Oplotnik, DO

Today, Josephine Davis is a chatty and social 5-month-old infant. She ranks in the top 20th percentile for weight, a milestone that brings parents Emily and Aaron Davis great joy. However, just months ago, Josephine was born weighing only 4 pounds, 12 ounces. In need of extra care after her birth, she was admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at The Birth Place at Olathe Hospital, where she began her journey home.

First-time mom Emily wasn’t worried about her pregnancy. She had a normal family history and never experienced morning sickness, high blood pressure or other negative side effects. The baby’s growth throughout the first 2 trimesters was on track. However, Emily experienced some challenges – she tested positive for COVID-19 at the end of her first trimester. It was stressful and scary, but Emily overcame COVID-19 and continued with a healthy pregnancy. Then, at 35 weeks, she measured smaller than what is considered average for the final stage of pregnancy.

“Those last few weeks of pregnancy, you’re supposed to keep getting bigger. I stopped showing growth,” Emily recalls.

Emily’s family medicine physician, Rita Oplotnik, DO, diagnosed her with intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), a condition that prevents a baby from growing to a normal weight. Underlying issues with the placenta or viruses can cause IUGR, but in Emily’s case, the reason for the condition remained unknown.

After keeping a close eye on Emily and Josephine's progress, Dr. Oplotnik decided to induce Emily's pregnancy at 38 weeks. Labor and delivery were long but went smoothly thanks to the supportive staff. 

"Initially, I was nervous and scared," Emily says. "But my stress melted away with Kim, an amazing nurse who served as a coach, supporter and partner, at my side. Kim put me at ease and inspired confidence in the most critical moments of my labor and delivery - I am forever grateful." 

After 36 hours of labor, Josephine arrived.

"This (being induced) wasn't the birth experience we envisioned, but we knew induction was the right decision when Josephine was born healthy, but much smaller than normal,” Emily says.

Full-term but underweight, Josephine struggled to maintain healthy blood sugar levels after birth, a common condition among low-weight babies. She was cared for in the NICU until her blood sugar was stabilized.

“People hear NICU and they panic, especially when it’s in regards to their baby,” Emily says. “In Josephine’s case, all it meant was she needed some extra care – nothing more than that.”

Over the next 3 days, NICU nurses helped Emily with triple feeding (a combination of formula, breastfeeding, etc.) every 3 hours, and night nurses kept them on track in the evenings. The care team also administered dextrose to control Josephine’s blood sugar until she could eat on her own.

Emily, Aaron and Josephine stayed in a single - family room equipped with an incubator, ventilator and specialized monitoring equipment, allowing them to spend quality time together with peace of mind.

As parents of a NICU graduate, Emily and Aaron say they are grateful for the extra care the NICU provides.

“Thanks to the care team, we have a healthy, happy 5-month-old baby,” Emily says. “In our case, the NICU was there with the resources we needed when we needed them most.”

Today, Josephine enjoys music and spending time outside. She also enjoys playing in front of the mirror.

The Birth Place's state-of-the-art Level II NICU, in affiliation with Children's Mercy, stands ready 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to care for our tiniest patients in need. To learn more, click here.