Corie and Michael Goldman had a plan. It wasn’t particularly complicated or extraordinary. In fact, it was the plan of many recently married couples: have children within five years.

But a few years into their plan, things weren’t progressing as expected. First they had trouble conceiving…followed by trouble staying pregnant. Life suddenly became an emotional rollercoaster, filled with moments of elation and stretches of profound pain. “I always imagined myself getting married, then getting pregnant. I assumed everything would fall into place as easily as I had pictured it. The dreams I had for us were crushed,” remembers Corie.

Then, in 2009, came the news they had been waiting to hear: Corie and Michael were expecting. “We were beyond elated—it seemed like a miracle—but we were still very nervous,” Corie says. “During the first few weeks, I was doubtful. I didn’t want to get my hopes up in case it didn’t work out.”

But it did. And just six weeks into the pregnancy, an ultrasound detected two heartbeats. Twins. Healthy, thriving, fabulous, perfect twins!

Silly baby! Samuel loves to giggle with mom.

“We were excited and grateful, crying and cheering at the same time! And, according to the doctors, everything seemed to be moving along as it should,” says Corie. “Best of all, I felt fine.” Her full-term due date was Feb. 27, 2010, “but I knew that with multiples I would likely deliver before 40 weeks, a full-term pregnancy. I thought, maybe, 38 weeks.”

Soon after, Corie met with Bridgeport Hospital’s Chief of Obstetrics, Steven Laifer, MD, a perinatologist who specializes in high-risk pregnancies. (A woman who has a medical condition and/or who is pregnant with more than one baby is considered high-risk.) Dr. Laifer reviewed Corie’s medical history and developed a plan for watching the twins carefully using ultrasounds.

Corie and Michael were excited to find out that they were expecting two boys. “We named them Samuel and Noah, after grandparents on either side of the family,” Corie explains. Throughout her pregnancy, Corie made several visits to Bridgeport Hospital’s Antenatal Testing Unit (ante=before, natal=birth) for ultrasound tests and other important screenings. “There are many risks that come with carrying more than one baby,” says Bridgeport Hospital’s Chief of Maternal- Fetal Medicine, Robert Stiller, MD. “Therefore, mothers pregnant with twins generally need additional ultrasounds to follow the growth of both babies and to check for signs of preterm labor through measurements of the length of the cervix, as well as screenings for other medical problems such as high blood pressure or high blood glucose levels.”

During an appointment in December 2009, while Corie was on winter break from her job at a school in Trumbull, Dr. Stiller expressed concern about a new issue: the ultrasound at 25 weeks’ gestation showed a decreased level of amniotic fluid (fluid that surrounds a baby during pregnancy) around Samuel. “This was worrisome because it indicated the possibility that her placenta was not working as well as expected,” says Dr. Stiller.

Dr. Stiller advised Corie not to return to work after winter break. “I wanted Corie to rest, given that she had such an active life and many responsibilities,” he says.

“Dr. Stiller’s recommendation really caught me off guard, because I was looking forward to returning to work at the end of the week,” says Corie. “But he explained that I needed to take it easy and rest in order to maintain my health, so I prepared to concentrate on doing just that.”

On December 30, Corie, accompanied by grandparentsto- be, went to Bridgeport Hospital for a scheduled test. “Dr. Stiller measured the growth of both babies and the blood flow from the placenta to the boys,” she explains. “To my surprise, it indicated that Samuel wasn’t growing as well as Noah, and that he might be under stress.” She was given a steroid injection to speed up the twins’ lung development just in case the babies had to be delivered before their due date—and Dr. Stiller advised her to return the next day.

By December 31, Samuel’s condition had worsened and, without delay, Dr. Laifer admitted Corie to the hospital. “I was concerned. The fluid appeared more decreased and the blood flow pattern in the umbilical cord was indicating that Samuel was receiving less oxygen,” says Dr. Laifer. “It was in the babies’ and Corie’s best interest to be admitted for continuous monitoring. If anything further changed, the boys could be delivered immediately.”

“Everything happened so fast,” Corie remembers. “I called my husband, Michael, at work to tell him I was being admitted. Then I was given a second steroid shot to speed up the twins’ lung development. Thank God my family was already with me. I was so worried—I had come in for a simple test!—and couldn’t have handled the serious possibilities of that situation on my own.”

After the initial hustle and bustle subsided, Corie slipped into denial, hiding her profound fear of not having the children she always wanted. “Deep down, I was terrified. We had come so far in this pregnancy and I didn’t want to entertain the ‘what ifs’. I was physically and emotionally unable to face what could be around the corner,” she says. The nurses helped keep her spirits up. “My nurses were so warm, encouraging and supportive, and I really appreciated that.”

But just a few hours later, Noah’s heart rate suddenly dropped and Women’s Health Care of Trumbull OB/GYN Donna Sinclair, MD, arrived to check Corie and the babies. Corie wondered, Is it time? “Thankfully, it wasn’t,” she says. “Dr. Sinclair told me that the heart rates looked normal and she wanted to wait for the steroids to take effect. So it wasn’t time to deliver yet. It was more of a wait-and-see.”

Hours passed and the babies were doing well. Corie and Michael settled in for the night. “We cuddled up, watched the ball drop on TV and welcomed in 2010, just as we would have done at home,” remembers Corie. After riding an emotional rollercoaster for two days, the couple finally relaxed enough to drift off to sleep…

The Goldman Family:
Michael, Corie, Noah and Samuel.

But not for long! “Suddenly, all these people—nurses, doctors— ran into the room to wake me up,” remembers Corie. “They were saying that their monitors showed that Samuel’s heart rate had dropped and that it was time to deliver. I was sound asleep and had no idea that Samuel was in distress. Thank goodness they were monitoring him and me. When they said it was time, I couldn’t believe it.” Within 15 minutes, Corie was in the operating room where Dr. Sinclair and a team of doctors, anthesthesiologists, nurses and technicians were waiting to welcome the babies into the world.

Just after 2:00 a.m., Corie and Michael celebrated the births of Noah, who weighed 3 lbs., 15 oz., and Samuel, weighing 2 lbs., 15 oz.—the first twins born in Connecticut in 2010! These tiny brothers arrived nearly two months ahead of schedule, but were, thankfully, strong and relatively healthy.

The boys were transported to the Newborn Intensive Care Unit (NBICU) at Bridgeport Hospital, which provides the highest and most comprehensive level of care available in Fairfield County to premature and critically ill newborns. “The fact that they were born so early was frightening to both of us,” says Corie. “We were very worried. But when I saw the doctors and nurses jump into action, I relaxed.”

“We immediately fitted the twins with nasal prongs to provide oxygen and pressure to their lungs to relieve their respiratory distress,” explains Bridgeport Hospital’s Chief of Neonatology Robert Herzlinger, MD. A team of specialists took care of the twins for the two weeks they were in the NBICU. “And Michael and I were at their side practically 24/7,” Corie says. Noah grew strong quickly and came home first. Samuel came home the following day.

The boys continue to thrive. “They have done great with excellent ‘catch up growth,’ which means they are growing faster than usual to catch up for their premature birth,” says their pediatrician, Richard Freedman, MD. “They are developing as they should, and we expect them to be perfectly normal little boys.”

“We have so many people to thank at Bridgeport Hospital. We couldn’t have gotten through this without them,” Corie continues. “From the compassionate care Michael and I received before the boys were born to the supportive Newborn ICU team of specialists. They cared about all of us individually and as a family. They loved our baby boys; we felt it. We are so thankful to everyone at Bridgeport Hospital who helped our dream come true.”

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