Miracle as tiny 1lb 10oz baby defies odds after mom’s body shut down during pregnancy

A baby born weighing less than two pounds miraculously defied all odds after his mother’s body shut down during pregnancy.

Daphne Washington Chatman discovered her blood pressure was dangerously high during a routine 26-week checkup, but within just a few days, carrying her baby to term was no longer an option.

“My body started to shut down during the pregnancy, so they decided to perform an emergency C-section,” Chatman said WAFB.

Even though her son, Raylon, was born three months premature and weighed about the same as a water bottle, he was finally able to go home after his three-month stay in the NICU — and is expected to not only survive, but thrive .

“I was only able to hold him for three weeks,” Chatman added. “I saw him and my first touch was within a week and a half.

‘I’m ready to show him his room and be in our element. Wake up and see him there.”

The most critical components of his care related to his respiratory health and his nutrient intake

Chatman was diagnosed early in her pregnancy that she had high blood pressure and was at high risk of developing preeclampsia – a serious blood pressure condition that can dangerously affect both the fetus and the mother.

Preeclampsia – which occurs in around one in 25 pregnancies – affects the arteries that carry blood to the placenta, leading to risks such as fetal growth restriction, premature birth, HELLP syndrome and stillbirth.

At just 26 weeks, Chatman was hospitalized and monitored after a routine check revealed her dangerously high blood pressure.

Doctors initially hoped that bed rest would allow her to continue growing her baby, but her body soon began to fail — and the baby had to come out.

After an emergency C-section, Raylon was born weighing just one pound and ten ounces.

But his start in this world was anything but easy.

His size – which was smaller than what babies should be at that point in development – ​​left the new mother and her husband terrified for their son’s future.

Raylon spent 107 days in the NICU at Baton Rouge General Hospital, a Level 3 facility equipped to handle particularly challenging and critical cases

“He looked like a 25 or even 24 week baby,” Dr. Fernando Soares, a neonatologist, told WAFB. “His lungs were even less developed than we thought.”

But fortunately, Raylon was treated at Baton Rouge General Hospital, where the NICU is equipped to handle particularly challenging and critical cases.

A dedicated team of specialists, including doctors, nurses, therapists and pharmacists, worked tirelessly to meet his every need – and even became part of the family.

“I became so familiar with it that they thought I worked there,” Chatman laughed.

The most critical element to Raylon’s survival was his respiratory care and nutrient intake.

‘Nature is beautiful. “When the baby is in the womb, mom gives the baby exactly the amount of nutrients it needs,” Soares added.

“We need to take a small sample from the baby to find out what his daily needs are and we adjust an IV bag according to the baby’s needs.”

Chatman stayed with her son in the NICU every moment and said, ‘I became so familiar that they thought I worked there’

A team of specialists, including doctors, nurses, therapists and pharmacists, worked around the clock to meet all of baby Raylon’s needs – and even became part of the family

Chatman waited patiently every day to hold her son while her husband worked to support the family.

The NICU nurses even threw her a baby shower to help the new mother complete the baby preparations at home, but Chatman spent every moment at her son’s side and never got to start.

Just a few weeks after holding her son for the first time, Raylon reached another milestone: drinking milk from a bottle.

After receiving 24-hour care from the Level 3 NICU, he slowly began to grow and get stronger — so much so that Chatman was eventually able to dress him in little Saint outfits and even a Halloween costume.

By the time his original due date approached, he weighed seven pounds, six ounces — strong enough to go home for the very first time after spending the first 107 days of his life in the hospital.

“When I started doing this, the results weren’t always great,” Soares said. ‘But our specialty is evolving at the moment. We get better equipment, better medicine and better knowledge of what to do.”

Raylon and his mother received waves and hugs from the staff the day he was released from their care as a final farewell.

Raylon and his mother received hugs and goodbye waves from the staff on the day he was released from NICU care

Raylon will still require supplemental oxygen and physical therapy, but he is expected to continue to do well

Chatman never imagined how scary her first pregnancy journey would be, but she wished other mothers facing the same challenges could find the same level of support she did.

“Don’t think it’s your fault because it’s not,” Chatman said. “I definitely blamed myself for having an early baby.”

“If you don’t have it, you get confidence,” she added. ‘Just stay strong and positive. Let people help you.’

Although baby Raylon needs some extra oxygen and physical therapy, he has a bright future ahead of him – and is finally getting to know the house where he will grow up with his stepbrother, who eagerly awaits his arrival.

“It’s a blessing to see these babies grow and become strong enough to go home,” Soares added.

And as for the first-time mom, she looks forward to the routine things — diaper changes and feedings — that have quickly become precious milestones.