Family Welcomes Triplets Thanks to High-Risk Mother-Baby Care at Danbury Hospital

When Alison and Tyler Bergemann of New Milford learned they were having triplets, they wanted to “stay as local as possible” without sacrificing quality of hospital care.

 Having undergone in vitro fertilization to become pregnant, the Bergemanns “weren’t too surprised” when doctors heard two fetal heartbeats. But when a subsequent ultrasound revealed three heartbeats, “We were speechless,” she said. “It took a few days for the news to sink in. We feel blessed.” 

 “Any time you have multiple babies such as triplets, the potential perinatal risks are significant,” said Dr. Kim. “Since the WCHC affiliation, Danbury Hospital physicians and community physicians have been discussing ways to manage high-risk pregnancies. In the Bergemann case, everything worked out beautifully.”

 Today their healthy triplets – Madison Grace (2 lb. 10 oz), Mackenzie Faith (2 lb. 7 oz.) and Zachary (2 lb. 13.5 oz) – are thriving thanks to the expert teamwork between their community obstetrician, John Sussman, MD, of New Milford, and the specialized team at Danbury Hospital.

 Alison gave birth at 29 weeks at Danbury Hospital where the babies spent many weeks in the Level IIIB Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).

 The Bergemanns had access to all the mother-baby services they needed close to home through Western Connecticut Health Network (WCHN), a new health care delivery system that combines the resources and expertise of both New Milford Hospital and Danbury Hospital. The affiliation comes just as Danbury Hospital has strengthened its spectrum of mother-baby care services and opens a new, state-of-the-art NICU with private rooms for newborns and their families.

 For years, Dr. Sussman and other community physicians have relied on institutions across the state – many a good distance from New Milford- on a case-by-case basis to accommodate women with high-risk pregnancies and their newborns. “Now our privileges at Danbury Hospital are permanent, so we know that the mother-baby services our patients need will always be available,” he said.

For patients, having a wider network of providers through WCHN means that pregnant women can stay under the care of their local obstetrician in New Milford or elsewhere and access specialized maternal fetal care at Danbury Hospital, if needed.

“We want to make mother-baby care as seamless as possible so women receiving their primary obstetrical care in their own community don’t need to transfer all of their care to Danbury Hospital just because they need our high-risk services,” said Matthew Kim, MD, Division Director of Maternal-Fetal Medicine and Medical Director of Labor and Delivery at Danbury Hospital.

 Enhanced communication among caregivers enables the team of obstetricians, maternal-fetal medicine physicians, anesthesiologists, nurses and other health care professionals to ensure the well-being of pregnant women and their babies. “We’re able to continuously monitor the health of a pregnant woman while at the same time monitoring the development of the fetus throughout the pregnancy,” said Dr. Kim. “We offer a higher level of care normally only seen at large urban institutions.”

 If necessary, women with high-risk pregnancies can deliver at Danbury Hospital – the same hospital where their babies can receive specialized neonatal care. “There are enough sources of anxiety dealing with a high-risk pregnancy without the added stress of having the babies transferred to an institution in another part of the state or even across town,” said Dr. Sussman.

 Alison was thrilled with the care she received from the peri-natal team. “There were times when I was scared,” she said. “But Dr. Kim talked me through everything, giving me hope that I would have a somewhat normal pregnancy even though I was having multiples.” 

For the Bergemanns, the turning point came at 28 weeks when one of Alison’s amniotic membranes broke. Following an examination by Dr. Sussman at New Milford Hospital, Alison was transferred by ambulance to Danbury Hospital, where she stayed for one week under the close supervision of Dr. Kim in the hopes of delaying a delivery as long as possible. “Every day the baby spends inside the mother’s womb is crucial to the baby’s development,” said Dr. Kim.

 But once Alison’s two other amniotic membranes broke, the “medical team decided together that it was time to deliver the babies,” said Dr. Sussman, who performed the Caesarean procedure at Danbury Hospital. “The neonatal intensive care team was standing by to immediately take the babies to the NICU so they could be evaluated and cared for.”

Zachary spent 53 days in the NICU, while his sisters came home after 69 days. “It took a long time for the babies to overcome all the issues that premature babies deal with,” said Dr. Sussman. “But they were under the care of an excellent team of neo-natologists and nurses.

The babies are all doing well now without any of the sequela of being born premature.”

 For the Bergemann family, the NICU became a “home away from home” with a team of health care professionals who provided expert medical care, along with guidance and emotional support. “They really went above and beyond the call of duty,” said Alison. “You can tell that the doctors and nurses really enjoy what they do. Our experience in the NICU was phenomenal.”

 The opening of an $8 million state-of-the-art NICU this summer will only enhance the experience for newborns and their families, said Edward James, MD, the unit’s medical director. “The family-friendly design includes private rooms for each newborn with space and amenities to accommodate parents who wish to stay with their babies overnight or a few days in a row,” he said. “Studies show babies thrive best when they have contact with their parents. We do everything possible to support the entire family.”

 For more information on Danbury Hospital’s NICU visit the website

www.danburyhospital.org. For more information about Western Connecticut Health Network visit www.WesternConnecticutHealthNetwork.org