Noelle’s Light
I was so, so terrified. Not for me, but for her. Would she be okay? Would she be in pain? Please just save her! As I wheeled away from my family, the only feeling I remember is fear. In the OR, faces I didn’t know surrounded me. I was squeezing the hand of a person I’d never met as they prepped me for the emergency C-section.
Eli’s Story: Finding a Miracle at the End of a Diagnosis
“There’s a major problem with your pregnancy.” Are words no expecting parents anticipate hearing. At our routine twenty-week ultrasound, the ultrasound technician got the doctor, and we heard the words that would forever change our lives. “The bladder isn’t releasing urine” and “the amniotic fluid level is dangerously low.”
Babywearing and the Impact It Has on the Bond Between Baby and Caretaker
Kangaroo care (KC, sometimes referred to as “skin-to-skin”) is the most optimal way to promote close contact and can be done by placing your diapered (undressed) baby on your bare chest. This seemingly insignificant practice will actually promote a strong and healthy relationship between caregiver and baby while helping baby thrive exponentially.
Mother’s Mental Health: Caring for Yourself After a Difficult Pregnancy Diagnosis
By: Kylee Bennett Nearly 120,000 infants are born with congenital defects each year, and they don't always go on to live happy lives. If you’ve received a difficult fetal syndrome diagnosis, you’re certainly not alone. During this challenging time, it can be easy to...
Curing Spina Bifida
Growing up in the 1960’s, Dr. Diana Farmer’s mother taught Sunday school for disabled children where she first met children who had spina bifida.
“It was a really crummy disease,” Farmer said. Dr. Farmer is now leading innovative research, which holds promise of saving lives and lifetimes.
Everett’s Update: Flourishing After Fetoscopic Surgery
Most mothers would probably tell their child to sit down and stop standing on the chair in the middle of their family photography session. But when you’re told your son will never walk and he mischievously climbs onto a chair with no help and stands there, posing for the camera … well, you let him do it.
When You Need To Start Baby Proofing
Your question should not be whether or not your child will find hazards in the home, but how soon and where will they find them. 2,700 children die from preventable injuries each year, and the majority of preventable injuries occur in the home. 120,000 children are permanently disabled from these preventable injuries. Learn the habits you should adopt to keep your children safe.
Research Grant Awardee: Understanding the Underlying Causes of Hydrops
The Fetal Health Foundation Awarded the 2018 Research grant to Dr. Teresa Sparks and team at the University of California, San Francisco. They are working to understand the underlying causes of Hydrops.
A Magazine for the Fetal Health Community
Our 4th annual digital issue of Connexion features resources, articles, and photos of children who are thriving after fetal syndrome diagnoses.
Three Reasons it’s OK to be Picky When Selecting Your OB/GYN
After delivering baby number four, experiencing a twin birth, a water birth, and a C-section, I want expecting mothers to know what I didn’t during my first pregnancy: it’s OK to be picky when selecting your OB/GYN!
Running With Your Children: The Best Life teacher
Fetal Health Foundation Founders Lonnie and Michelle Somers recently ran the Disney Half Marathon with their twin daughters and wrote about what the family learned through the training and race experience.
Fetal Health Foundation Awards $50,000 Research Grant to Further Study Life-Threatening Fetal Lung Complication
The recipient of the 2017 Brianna Marie Memorial Research Grant, awarded annually by the Fetal Health Foundation (FHF), is a team led by Dr. Ali Gholipour of Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School. The group’s focus will be on improved imaging for the prenatal prognosis of incomplete development of the lungs, a life-threatening complication that is associated with several fetal syndromes.
Twin Teens Share the Message of Hope After Beating the Odds for Survival
November 12th Great Candy Run Benefits the Fetal Health Foundation Denver, Colo. (November 2, 2017) – Being the face on an organization is a big responsibility for anyone, but it's one that 14-year-old twins Ashley and Aspen Somers have accepted gladly since they...
Family of Triplets Honor Angel Sister at The Great Candy Run Minneapolis
Based on blood levels, the parents were told they were probably expecting one or two babies. However, an ultrasound at six and a half weeks showed one sac with one baby and a second sac with identical triplets. Read their TTTS story.
Meet The Sweet People – 2017 Great Candy Run Ambassador Team
We’re proud to announce that we have the SWEETEST people helping us spread the word about The Great Candy Run. The 5k family fun events takes place this year in Minneapolis on October 14th, in Denver on November 12th, and everywhere else world wide November 30- January 1, 2018.
One Family’s TTTS Nightmare Journey Stretching from Hong Kong to Kentucky
It’s not surprising that Mary Elliott is looking forward to spending a special Mother’s Day with her nine-month-old twin sons, Owen and Stevie. A little over a year ago, the first-time mom was struggling with the fact that her unborn babies might not survive. Mary and...
When Nerves Take Over: What to Expect at Your First Fetal Center Visit
When you have recently received some not so hopeful news about your pregnancy and your unborn child, nerves may have you on edge. Couple that with knowing you’re heading to consult with an unfamiliar maternal/fetal medicine specialist (who may be all the way across...
What are Doppler Ultrasound Tests?
Many patients ask this question so we asked Dr. Joel Schwartz to give us a better understanding of what a doppler ultrasound is, and what he can observe during this kind of special examination. Beyond the stunning 3-dmensional and 4-dimensional images that grab...
Talking About Loss: What Families Wish You Knew
Do you have a friend or family member who lost their baby or babies? Do you struggle to know what to say and how to act around them? Many families go through this loss, and we asked them to share what they wish their family and friends knew. 1 - Parents who have lost...
How Can I Help? Creative Ways to Support the Foundation
“How can I help?” It’s a question we, at the Fetal Health Foundation (FHF), hear frequently. For some, the motivation to help comes because they have experienced a fetal syndrome; others reach out to show support for a friend or family member in the midst of a...
How to Obtain Social Security Disability Benefits for a Child with a Fetal Syndrome
We're often asked by parents about resources that are available to families. In a guest post, Bryan MacMurray shares information on how to obtain Social Security Disability Benefits for a child with a disability related to a fetal syndrome. Applying on Behalf...
Persistence Pays … From TTTS Survivor to Discovery Girl Role Model
12 year-old Aspen Somers contributes her first blog post to the Fetal Health Foundation.
Honoring Me on Mother’s Day In Celebration of My Angels
We are saddened by the loss of Ella and Grace to twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome. Their mother, Jennifer, wrote this piece on Mother's Day, and she's allowing us to share it here. I am a mother. I have thought all morning about what today means to me and if I even...
10 Ways To Help a Friend During A Difficult Pregnancy
When a friend’s baby is diagnosed with a fetal syndrome or she is having a difficult pregnancy for other reasons, her family’s life turns upside down. It is often hard to know what to say - or how to help. Several of FHF's board members have experienced fetal...
My Letter to The Silent Grievers
Dalia EL-Prince served as the Executive Director of the Fetal Health Foundation. Recently I joined the Fetal Health Foundation to offer hope to unborn babies and help families who are faced with the loss of their child during pregnancy or after delivery. Though I...