Wyatt Anthony

Wyatt was and still is my rainbow baby. His name was chosen for its meaning, "Little Warrior". Prior to Wyatt, I was unable to remain pregnant past the first trimester for no medical reason. With Wyatt, it was different. He taught me how it felt to feel that first kick inside of you and what it was like to have your heart grow even larger than you thought it could and break into a million pieces all in one day. I held Wyatt for the only time and last time on November 18th, 2017. He was a week shy of his due date, and 6lbs 7oz of cuteness. It felt like a cruel joke to be holding a rosy-cheeked baby that would never breathe a breath in this world.

Wyatt was born still via a c-section due to something called a true knot in his cord. It was not wrapped around his neck. I was told most babies are born with knots in their cord every day, but his happened to tighten, cutting his oxygen off and killing him.

Here's what I believe in all of my heart. Wyatt's movement slowed down in the third trimester. The day before he died I had a doctor's visit. I told my doctor about the decrease in movement who told me to "drink a soda and eat something to wake him up." No further testing was done. I was sent home feeling like an overly anxious mother. So much that the next morning when I woke up and felt no movement, I hesitated to call my doctor. I remember the feeling as if he wasn't there. When we called and were told to go to the hospital, the nurse told me everything would be fine and he was probably taking a nap... an hour later no fetal heartbeat was found.

I firmly believe that if more healthcare professionals were informed about fetal movement in the third trimester and took a mother's concern more seriously, future neo-natal deaths could be prevented.