SSM Health St. Louis Fetal Care Institute

Happy National Doctors' Day! Thank you to the incredible team of doctors who spend their days offering care and compassion to the families who turn to SSM Health St. Louis Fetal Care Institute.

After struggling through his wife's first pregnancy and the loss of their son, Luke, Adam Hanks says he wants other dads to know that it's OK to ask for help. "(My wife) is a worrier, and I had to watch her go through this," Adam says. "I had to worry about her health, and so I tried to stay strong for her while also doing all I could to find an answer for our family. When I was alone with my thoughts, I struggled.... Read the Hanks' story here: www.ssmhealth.com//march-2021/a-familys-loss-and-lukes-las

When a pregnancy is not going as expected, it causes stress for the entire family, siblings included. Valerie Akerson, LCSW and Meghan Meghan Miller, CCLS, CIMI, CPST, Certified Child Life Specialist are providing information about how to explain a prenatal diagnosis to your other children, how to help them cope as your family navigates the path to delivery and beyond, and answer difficult questions. Valerie is the leader of the new All of You Matters program at the SSM Health Cardinal Glennon St. Louis Fetal Care Institute. The innovative program provides complimentary counseling and mental health support services to our Cardinal Glennon St. Louis Fetal Care Institute mothers and their partners.

What do you want to know? If your unborn baby has been diagnosed with a prenatal condition, we want to know what questions you have about talking with your other children about the diagnosis, the pregnancy and beyond. Valerie Akerson, LCSW and Meghan Miller, CCLS, CIMI, CPST, Certified Child Life Specialist will host a Facebook Live tonight, Thursday, March 25 at 7 p.m. to answer your questions and provide information about normal sibling behavior, how to help them cope and more. Learn more about the event Sibling Support After a Prenatal Diagnosis: Facebook Live.

Why are mommy and daddy so sad? Siblings can have a hard time understanding a prenatal diagnosis and all of the emotions that come with it. Join us for a Facebook Live with Valerie Akerson, LCSW and Meghan Miller, CCLS, CIMI, CPST on March 25 at 7 p.m. to learn how to help your other children cope and process the diagnosis and the impact it has on the family. You can get the event details here https://facebook.com/events/924187831745944/

Clubfoot, or talipes equinovarus, is one of the more commonly diagnosed fetal conditions. Left untreated, clubfoot can make it hard for a child to walk normally. Fortunately, the long-term prognosis for clubfoot is positive when treated early and properly. Many children go on to lead active lives with no lasting effects of the condition! From your first appointment to your last, our fetal and baby specialists at SSM Health St. Louis Fetal Care Institute are available to care for you and your baby's complex needs. Learn more about this condition and how our team will treat it: www.ssmhealth.com//fetal-care-/clubfoot-talipes-equinovaru

Have a question about your pregnancy or a recent fetal diagnosis? You can contact our SSM Health St. Louis Fetal Care Institute team anytime online! Send us a message at https://forms.ssmhealth.com//fetal-care-appointment-request.

The news that your baby has a severe medical condition is a shock. Every situation and every family is different, but at SSM Health St. Louis Fetal Care Institute, we want to help our families do what is right for them. Our Footprints team offers support and resources to help families cope with the diagnosis and prepare a special delivery plan. Learn more: www.ssmhealth.com//november-/preparing-for-the-unthinkable

If your baby has been diagnosed with skeletal dysplasia, you probably have questions about how this will affect your baby's growth and development. Although there is no cure for skeletal dysplasia, there are a wide range of treatment options depending on the type. Because of the complex nature of skeletal dysplasias, babies often face medical challenges during delivery and in the newborn period. It’s important for these babies to be delivered at a hospital that can meet their unique medical needs. Learn more about this condition and how the team at SSM Health St. Louis Fetal Care Institute will care for your baby: www.ssmhealth.com//fetal-care-institute/skeletal-dysplasias

We love hearing from you proud SSM Health St. Louis Fetal Care Institute mamas! Writes Brittney: "Duke is 15 months old and keeping us on our toes every single minute. He might be small, but his personality makes up for it." Want to share your SSM Health St. Louis Fetal Care Institute story with other expecting parents? Send us a DM for details.

Happy Halloween We'd love to see how you're celebrating this year share your kids' costume photos in the comments below!

We missed the chance to catch up with all of our families at our annual reunion this year. We would still love to hear from you, drop us a note, photo or video in the comments below to let us know how you are doing!

"No one expects anything to go wrong with your pregnancy and then it does and it really rocks your world." Sharing River's story and a message of hope from a former SSM Health St. Louis Fetal Care Institute mom!

What a great honor for our hardworking colleagues at SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital from U.S. News and World Report's Best Children's Hospitals rankings for 2020-2021!

We love hearing from our SSM Health St. Louis Fetal Care Institute families! Ryder’s parents recently reached out with these photos of their "silly almost-5-year-old," who they say loves trying out his new bike, swimming and feeding cool animals! Do you have an SSM Health St. Louis Fetal Care Institute story to share? Send us a DM for more information.