Three heartbeats

With three babies in the NICU, having care close to home was a blessing for the Carlson family.

Panda Express® associates met kids like Kutter Shed (and his little sister) who benefited from the physical and occupational therapy suite.

After experiencing fertility issues and pregnancy loss, Taylor and Brandon Carlson certainly weren’t prepared to learn they were expecting triplets.

“We went in for an ultrasound pretty early because of our history,” Taylor said. “We were honestly very worried that we would go in and not hear anything. But, the doctor looked at the scan and said, ‘Okay, you definitely have fraternal twins.’ We were thinking, ‘alright, a BOGO deal, that’s great!’”

Then everything got a little quieter as the physician looked back and forth between the couple and the monitor. “I asked what was going on, and she said, ‘Well, there’s a third heartbeat.’”

At first, Taylor and Brandon were overwhelmed and a little panicked at the thought of having three babies in addition to having such a high-risk pregnancy. Doctors were also concerned that the triplets would need to be transferred from the hospital in College Station to Temple or Houston if they were born too early.

“We were so excited when we made it past the point of needing to be transferred,” Taylor said. “It gave us a lot of peace knowing that we could stay and deliver here at Baylor Scott & White in College Station. I knew my doctor so well, and I have friends who are nurses who were in my delivery with me. It brought so much comfort in that situation.”

Willis, Hadleigh and Haven were born at 34 weeks and spent 12, 17 and 20 days, respectively, in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Baylor Scott & White Medical Center - College Station.

“It was a blessing to be able to stay as close to home as possible, especially since the babies were all discharged at different times,” Taylor said. “We were at the NICU from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., went home for dinner and then came back until 11. But it was right here, so we were able to make it a priority to spend as much time with them as possible.”

Though it was hard to go home for the first time while their babies remained in the NICU, Taylor and Brandon felt confident in the care their family received.

“It was hard for me to leave at night, knowing that I wasn’t going to see them or hear them cry until the next morning,” Taylor said. “But the staff really loved my kids, and I felt completely confident leaving my babies in their very well-trained hands,” Taylor said.

At seven months old, the triplets are fully on track with their milestones. “They each have a unique personality, and they differ in what they like and how they operate, which keeps us on our toes,” Brandon said.

To support families in the NICU, please contact Kassi Horner, JD, at Kassi.Horner@BSWHealth.org or 979.571.4872.