Going above and beyond: My labor and delivery experience at the Pavilion for Women

Photo courtesy of Bobbi Johnson

When Bobbi Johnson found out she was pregnant, she was thrilled about one day becoming a mother. Then, 12 weeks into her first pregnancy, her excitement abruptly came to a stop when she suffered an unexpected miscarriage. Coping with the sudden loss of her baby was physically and emotionally difficult for her and her family. Despite her grief and sadness, several months passed by before Bobbi’s painful ordeal was replaced with a glimmer of hope. In Sept. 2020, she found out she was expecting again.

“While I was so excited about my second chance at motherhood, I was filled with anxiety, too,” Bobbi said. “If something went wrong, my immediate thought was, ‘Oh no, I hope I don’t lose my baby.’ As each week passed by, I considered it a huge blessing. I felt more optimistic as I inched closer to my due date so I could finally meet my little girl. While my pregnancy was progressing smoothly, it wasn’t until my 32-week appointment that my OB/GYN, Dr. Carl Lee, expressed concern about my elevated blood pressure.”

Bobbi was diagnosed with gestational hypertension, or high blood pressure, that can occur during pregnancy. If left untreated, it could lead to serious complications including pre-eclampsia, a life-threatening condition that can cause organ damage to mother and baby. To protect her and her baby’s health, Bobbi came in for more frequent visits to monitor her condition and ensure it didn’t get worse.

“Because I had high blood pressure, I was tested for pre-eclampsia at 32 weeks, and my levels were normal,” Bobbi said. “I started going to my OB/GYN every week to get my blood pressure checked, and everything appeared to be stable. But, it wasn’t until I was 37-weeks pregnant that my blood pressure spiked dangerously high. That’s when Dr. Lee told me, ‘You’re going to have a baby today.’ I said, ‘Oh, no, you’re joking right? I have three weeks to go!’ After explaining everything to me, Dr. Lee reassured me this was the best decision for me and my daughter since gestational hypertension can increase my risk for developing pre-eclampsia. So, with that said, I was like, ‘Okay, I am ready! Let’s do this!”

Following her OB/GYN visit, Bobbi was admitted to Texas Children’s Pavilion for Women® on the same day. After 12 hours in labor – and with her mom eagerly waiting to get a first glimpse of her grandbaby –  Bobbi gave birth to Azalea Londyn-Mae Titus on May 26, 2021. She weighed 5 pounds,12 ounces.

“I fell in love with Azalea the moment I laid eyes on her,” Bobbi said. “After all I had been through, seeing her face and bonding with her was a special moment for us. I was so happy my daughter was healthy. Even though she was born three weeks early, she was considered full-term and didn’t have to go to the NICU. Since she passed all of her newborn screenings, she was allowed to stay with me in my room.”

Shortly after Azalea’s birth, Bobbi had a few post-delivery complications – she began clotting and losing blood, which is not uncommon after delivering a baby. She underwent a minor procedure to address the bleeding. During her stay at the Pavilion for Women, Bobbi and her mother were so impressed by the care team – from the physicians, to the residents to the amazing nurses. Each one went above and beyond to ensure Bobbi and her newborn daughter were doing well and all of their needs were met.

“After going through a miscarriage, I had so many concerns with this pregnancy,” Bobbi said. “When I first found out I’d be delivering early, I was very apprehensive. My care team really calmed my nerves. They explained everything to me, and answered all of my questions and concerns. They checked up on me frequently to make sure I was comfortable and they had great bedside manner. Besides Dr. Lee, there were two resident physicians, Drs. Elizabeth Cook and Phillip Connell, who were phenomenal as well as my nurses, Catherine and Amanda. I had a wonderful experience delivering my baby here. When you have hospitals like the Pavilion for Women where staff are going above and beyond for their patients and making you feel like you’re part of their family, this is the place where you need to be.”

Click here to learn more about Texas Children’s Pavilion for Women.