One mother’s story…

One mother’s story…

Susan Muncy experienced difficulties conceiving.

When she and husband John got the news that they would be expecting their first born, they were ecstatic. Susan's pregnancy proceeded as expected until her second trimester. She had extremely high blood pressure and swelling and was put on bed rest. She was on constant fetal heart monitoring and checked regularly for changes in heart rate, body tempera- ture, and uterine contractions. She was also given steroids to help her baby's lungs develop faster in preparation of a preterm birth.

Their daughter, Kristen, was delivered six weeks early and was moved to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) for observation and specialized care. After a short stay in the NICU, Kristen was able to go home.

Susan's experience with the preterm birth of her first child motivated her to become dedicated to the March of Dimes. Kristen is now an extremely healthy 23-year-old, who has participated in the March of Dimes every year with her mother. She is currently pursuing a graduate degree to eventually begin working for a Women's or Pediatric