Good Afternoon!
We met with Gillette Children's Hospital on Tuesday, May 26. We met Dr. Wood, the plastic surgeon, Dr. Cermin, the orthodontist, and Cheryl Shell, the lactation consultant/nurse practitioner. We will be using Gillette Children's hospital instead of the Children's Hospital. We made this decision based on Dr. Wood and Dr. Cermin's extensive history in cranofacial surgery. The pictures they showed us were unbelievable. They were very thorough with the timeline we will follow and took time to answer all of our questions.
Dr. Cermin designed the OrthoCleft Retainer, which is an oral retainer make of acrylic and wires. They customize the retainer to fit the baby at a week old and modify it weekly until the first surgery, which takes place at 12 weeks (3 months). The appliance brings gum segments together, reducing the gap in the mouth, stretching the lip muscles, and give the nose a more even shape. It will also help improve sucking and eating abilities. The retainer comes out twice a day to clean, but is in the rest of the time. It was amazing to see pictures of children who used the retainer and those that did not.
Dr. Wood is a very confident doctor, with a straight-forward approach to this process. He has studied cranofacial abnormalities through medical school and has specialized in this type of surgery throughout his career. He will be doing the cleft lip surgery and the palate surgery. The cleft lip normally requires only one reconstructive surgery. This surgery will restore the mouth's normal shape and function. The nostrils are also repaired during this surgery. This surgery is typically an hour in length and requires an overnight stay.
Beginning June 8, we will have weekly ultrasound visits. They will be looking to see if growth is continuing and will decide if a natural birth is best. So far so good. Many people have asked us if we really know the gender of the baby and just aren't telling. We REALLY DON'T know. When they go to that region, we close our eyes.
We will be delivering at North Memorial in Robbinsdale and not needing any additional care there, unless feeding becomes difficult. If this changes, we'll let you know.
We cannot say thank you enough for the prayers, cards, and phone calls. We appreciate all of the support. It means the world to all three of us.
Here is the website to Gillette Children's Hospital if you want to read more: http://www.gillettechildrens.org/default.cfm?PID=1.17.1.2
Here is a timeline of surgeries too:
Week 1: Visit with Gillette Children's Hospital to do initial retainer fitting
Week 2-10: ENT Consultation to insert tubes in ears
Week 12: Cleft Lip Surgery
Week 12: Speech and Language Initial Evaluation
Month 9-12: Cleft Palate Repair
Month 9-12: Speech and Language Follow-Up
Month 12: Dental Check-up
Month 12-18: Speech and Language Therapy
Follow-up surgeries are schedules after this time, depending on the need of the child.
We look forward to sharing news with you as we get it!
Thank you.
Wayne, Shannon, Baby Smith
Sunday, May 31, 2009
April 28, 2009
Good Evening!
Wayne and I had our second visit at the Perinatal Center in North Memorial Hospital. We had our second Level 2 ultrasound. The Perinatal Center has more advanced technology when doing ultrasounds, allowing us to see the baby in 3D. Just like the last appointment, the baby was not very cooperative when trying to get a profile picture. Sounds just like our offspring….glad the attitude is starting early!
Our baby’s growth is right on target. In four weeks time, he/she weighs 2 pounds, doubling in size from our last visit. It was amazing to see the growth in such a short amount of time. We were able to see the brain, heart, kidneys, gallbladder, and liver, all in wonderful working condition. We were also able to see the hands and feet too. The feet have grown to 2 inches long. I think we may have a diver on our hands, as baby was in a perfect pike position.
We also learned more about the cleft lip and palate. The cleft lip is a unilateral split to the left. The baby will also have a cleft hard and soft palate. We will be delivering at North Memorial Hospital in Robbinsdale. We made this decision after talking with our OB, Dr. Sarkinen. She is confident in her abilities and North Memorial’s facilities to deliver our child. We are working on picking a surgeon and pediatrician. Our two options are The Children’s Hospital and Gillette Children’s Hospital.
The staff at the Perinatal Center have been phenomenal. They answer our questions with straight forward answers. The doctor we had today recommended an extended maternity leave to help deal with all of the surgeries, appointments, and feeding.Please continue to keep us in your prayers. Wayne, Shannon, and Baby Smith
Wayne and I had our second visit at the Perinatal Center in North Memorial Hospital. We had our second Level 2 ultrasound. The Perinatal Center has more advanced technology when doing ultrasounds, allowing us to see the baby in 3D. Just like the last appointment, the baby was not very cooperative when trying to get a profile picture. Sounds just like our offspring….glad the attitude is starting early!
Our baby’s growth is right on target. In four weeks time, he/she weighs 2 pounds, doubling in size from our last visit. It was amazing to see the growth in such a short amount of time. We were able to see the brain, heart, kidneys, gallbladder, and liver, all in wonderful working condition. We were also able to see the hands and feet too. The feet have grown to 2 inches long. I think we may have a diver on our hands, as baby was in a perfect pike position.
We also learned more about the cleft lip and palate. The cleft lip is a unilateral split to the left. The baby will also have a cleft hard and soft palate. We will be delivering at North Memorial Hospital in Robbinsdale. We made this decision after talking with our OB, Dr. Sarkinen. She is confident in her abilities and North Memorial’s facilities to deliver our child. We are working on picking a surgeon and pediatrician. Our two options are The Children’s Hospital and Gillette Children’s Hospital.
The staff at the Perinatal Center have been phenomenal. They answer our questions with straight forward answers. The doctor we had today recommended an extended maternity leave to help deal with all of the surgeries, appointments, and feeding.Please continue to keep us in your prayers. Wayne, Shannon, and Baby Smith
March 22, 2009
Good Evening!
We are writing this email to each of you, not as a way to sound insincere or impersonal, but for a way for everyone to get the same information at the same time. We love each of you very much and are going to need you for support in the upcoming months.
As you are well aware, we are due August 5. We are 22 weeks or about 5 months pregnant. On March 26, we went for our 20 week ultrasound at North Memorial Clinic with our regular OB doctor. We found out our baby will be born with a cleft lip and possibly a cleft palate. We were referred to the Perinatal Center at North Memorial Hospital to have a Level 2 ultrasound. The Level 2 ultrasound allowed the nurses and doctors to see the baby in more detail and also in 3D, which was pretty amazing to see. It was like the baby was staring right back at us on the screen. The Level 2 ultrasound confirmed that the baby indeed will have a cleft lip and possible cleft palate. It is difficult for doctors to determine if the baby will have a cleft palate because they cannot get a good look inside the mouth through ultrasound.
Today, we had a consultation at the Cleft and Craniofacial Clinic through Children’s Hospital in Minneapolis. We were given information on the surgical process and different things we get decided soon. We need to decide, with the guidance of our OB doctor, if we will deliver at North Memorial Hospital or at Abbott Northwestern. We also need to determine who our pediatrician will be so we can begin to line up care after the baby is born. We will also need to pick which surgeon we will use to repair the cleft.
The really good news is this appears to be an isolated incident, meaning no other body parts or functions are being affected. We have seen two hands with five fingers on each hand and two feet with five toes, all moving on their own. The heart has four developed chambers, working properly. The brain is developing normally, along with the spine. Although, there is no guarantee, the doctors have been very positive on the rest of development.
The cleft lip and palate are surgically repairable, but will take some time. The first surgery will occur 6-8 weeks from delivery to repair the lip. During this time, feeding may be difficult as we will not be able to nurse, but can use breast milk. We will need to get special bottles with special nipples to ensure proper feeding. If palate surgery is needed, they will do surgery at 10-16 months. Along with the lip and palate surgery, the baby will have to have tubes in their ears at about 6 months as the Eustachian tubes do not develop normally. We will have a team of specialists working with us to monitor hearing, speech, dental issues, etc.
We are feeling quite overwhelmed with all of the decisions that need to be made and dealing with the emotions that come with learning about our new baby. We are hoping to keep everyone up-to-date so everyone knows what to expect at delivery and thereafter. Any extra prayers you can send our way would be greatly appreciated.
Our plan is to email all siblings later this week with the same information. Thank you for understanding and being supportive. We love you.
Wayne, Shannon, and Baby Smith
We are writing this email to each of you, not as a way to sound insincere or impersonal, but for a way for everyone to get the same information at the same time. We love each of you very much and are going to need you for support in the upcoming months.
As you are well aware, we are due August 5. We are 22 weeks or about 5 months pregnant. On March 26, we went for our 20 week ultrasound at North Memorial Clinic with our regular OB doctor. We found out our baby will be born with a cleft lip and possibly a cleft palate. We were referred to the Perinatal Center at North Memorial Hospital to have a Level 2 ultrasound. The Level 2 ultrasound allowed the nurses and doctors to see the baby in more detail and also in 3D, which was pretty amazing to see. It was like the baby was staring right back at us on the screen. The Level 2 ultrasound confirmed that the baby indeed will have a cleft lip and possible cleft palate. It is difficult for doctors to determine if the baby will have a cleft palate because they cannot get a good look inside the mouth through ultrasound.
Today, we had a consultation at the Cleft and Craniofacial Clinic through Children’s Hospital in Minneapolis. We were given information on the surgical process and different things we get decided soon. We need to decide, with the guidance of our OB doctor, if we will deliver at North Memorial Hospital or at Abbott Northwestern. We also need to determine who our pediatrician will be so we can begin to line up care after the baby is born. We will also need to pick which surgeon we will use to repair the cleft.
The really good news is this appears to be an isolated incident, meaning no other body parts or functions are being affected. We have seen two hands with five fingers on each hand and two feet with five toes, all moving on their own. The heart has four developed chambers, working properly. The brain is developing normally, along with the spine. Although, there is no guarantee, the doctors have been very positive on the rest of development.
The cleft lip and palate are surgically repairable, but will take some time. The first surgery will occur 6-8 weeks from delivery to repair the lip. During this time, feeding may be difficult as we will not be able to nurse, but can use breast milk. We will need to get special bottles with special nipples to ensure proper feeding. If palate surgery is needed, they will do surgery at 10-16 months. Along with the lip and palate surgery, the baby will have to have tubes in their ears at about 6 months as the Eustachian tubes do not develop normally. We will have a team of specialists working with us to monitor hearing, speech, dental issues, etc.
We are feeling quite overwhelmed with all of the decisions that need to be made and dealing with the emotions that come with learning about our new baby. We are hoping to keep everyone up-to-date so everyone knows what to expect at delivery and thereafter. Any extra prayers you can send our way would be greatly appreciated.
Our plan is to email all siblings later this week with the same information. Thank you for understanding and being supportive. We love you.
Wayne, Shannon, and Baby Smith
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