Father’s Day is a day of celebration, especially for my family and me. Being a father is the gift of a lifetime – it’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me.
The gifts I treasure most are my three kids. Our youngest – and only daughter – Margot, was born in January of 2021. She’s a happy, healthy four-year-old girl, but if not for a smartphone app and my wife’s instincts, we would have never met her.
My wife, Cathleen, is the hero of our story. From the start of her pregnancy, she was on top of everything. One of the tools she used to make sure our baby was healthy was an app called Count the Kicks, which helps expectant parents monitor their baby’s movements.
I learned from our doctor and Cathleen that a baby’s movements are an important sign of their well-being – especially in the third trimester. All babies move differently, but where Count the Kicks can save lives is by raising the red flag when a baby’s movements are out of the ordinary.
Cathleen began counting the baby’s movements daily in the app at the beginning of the third trimester. She spent ten minutes at the same time every day counting Margot’s kicks and tracked those numbers in the app. It helped her see what Margot’s normal movements looked like.
For most of Cathleen’s pregnancy, everything went well.
Everything was normal at a routine follow-up appointment on January 4, 2021. Our medical team told us Margot was healthy and things were good.
But the next day, after doing her daily Count the Kicks session, Cathleen realized something was wrong – Margot wasn’t moving the way she typically did. It was clear after comparing that session with her previous pattern that Margot was not moving as often as she normally was.
At first, we were hesitant to call the doctor. Margot had just received a clean bill of health. Surely nothing could be wrong, right?
Wrong.
We ultimately decided to call the doctor – and we are glad we did. Cathleen was sent to Labor and Delivery for closer monitoring.
After further examination, the doctor determined Margot was not doing as well as the day before. Cathleen was later admitted to the hospital for closer monitoring and to receive steroids.
A few days later, Margot started showing signs of distress, so our healthcare team quickly performed an emergency C-section to deliver the baby. We were relieved and overjoyed when she was born healthy just after midnight on January 8, 2021.
When she was delivered, doctors discovered that Margot had a complete knot in her cord and it was wrapped around her neck two times. Her hands were tangled in the cord, too.
Thankfully, after a brief stay in the neonatal intensive care unit, Margot was able to come home with us – and we couldn’t have been happier.
Our family’s experience still gives me chills. It has made me reflect on the role fathers can play in helping ensure healthy pregnancies.
The first thing I’d recommend to any father is to speak with their partner about the importance of monitoring fetal movement and encourage her to download the Count the Kicks app. For us, we credit Count the Kicks for helping Cathleen determine something was wrong.
Second, show up. Go to the doctor’s appointments. Install the car seat. Build the crib. Being there in whatever way you can matters more than you think.
Third, support your partner to trust their instincts when they think something might be wrong. Encourage your partner to call a medical professional if they feel something might be off. Being there for your partner in tough times is everything – and it can save your baby’s life.
We are so grateful to our entire medical team, Count the Kicks, family, friends and community and Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Kentucky – Count the Kicks’ Kentucky-based partner – for helping families just like ours deliver healthy babies by funding Count the Kicks in the Commonwealth.
This Father’s Day, let’s remember that dads play an important part in keeping our children – and our partners – safe and healthy. We do have a role in this.
That can be as simple as counting the kicks, providing a helping hand and following your intuition.
Happy Father’s Day.
Michael Wolff lives in Northern Kentucky with his family.