by Kristen Nicotra
After a high-risk pregnancy, being diagnosed with Factor V Leiden, and having a DVT (deep vein thrombosis), we welcomed our baby girl, GracieJo, into the world. We were so blessed and instantly fell in love with her.
One day, while at the beach in early July, Gracie started coughing. It was strange because no one around us was sick. When we got home, her coughing worsened, but she was scheduled for her 2-month vaccines and shots the next day, so I planned to ask the doctor to examine her.
At her appointment, she began an unbearable, uncontrollable cough followed by gagging and wheezing, as if she couldn’t breathe. The nurse couldn’t explain the cough, and as it worsened, panic set in. I told my husband I was taking her to the ER.
At the ER, we were initially told it was reflux. This didn’t feel right, and as they prepared to discharge us, I desperately said, “But she was turning blue!” Those words saved her life, prompting them to admit her overnight for observation.
Waiting Out Whooping Cough
That night was the scariest of my life. They decided to run additional tests, including for pertussis, although they were confident it was reflux. I vividly remember taking my baby from the nurse as she appeared to be choking and turning her over to help her breathe. She struggled with each breath, and we feared it might be her last.
The next day, we received the results: she had pertussis. How could this be when no one around us was sick? She was quarantined for a few days and, thankfully, started to improve, but we weren’t out of the woods yet. A few weeks later, the whooping started again, and we rushed her to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. She had a slight cold that aggravated her already weakened lungs.
We Got Lucky but I Wish I Had Done More
Today, our beautiful GracieJo is 11 and healthier than ever. We are so blessed she won her fight. Reflecting on our hospital stay, I realized how lucky we were. Pertussis is deadly for babies, and I wish I had known more to protect her.
No one, not a doctor or nurse, informed me of the dangers of whooping cough during my pregnancy. Diagnosed with Factor V and having a DVT, I had many shots, and when offered the Tdap vaccine, I refused, not knowing its importance.
As a newborn photographer, vaccination is a non-negotiable priority for me. My hope is to create more awareness for expecting moms about the critical importance of vaccinations to protect their precious babies.
Kristen Nicotra is owner of K Artocin Photography and Picture this Printing. She is a New Jersey mom of 6 amazing kids. Her story, like all others on this blog, was a voluntary submission. If you want to help make a difference, submit your own post by emailing us through our contact form. We depend on real people like you sharing experience to protect others from misinformation.
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