Birth Story: Katie, Mike and Logan

Katie was near the end of her pregnancy and focused on her due date, which was about a month away. This was her first pregnancy and she’d been very happy with the prenatal care she’d received. Although she doesn’t live in Bellevue, she and her husband, Mike, wanted to have their baby at Overlake Medical Center (OMC). “Overlake has a great reputation for providing excellent care. The hospital is also close to where I work, so going to the prenatal appointments was easy,” Katie says. 

Everything was going smoothly but there was one small wrinkle: her doctor, Jean Chakraborty, MD, was going to have her own baby at the same time.

To accommodate the change in providers, Katie met with Certified Nurse Midwife Lore Loghin at the Overlake Childbirth Center. As Lore examined Katie, she commented that the baby, which Katie knew from amniocentesis was a boy, was in a breech position and his heart rate was low. She suggested that Katie remain at Overlake for a few hours so they could continue to monitor his condition.

“This was the last thing I expected,” Katie remembers. “But I was so thankful that I was here so his low heart rate could be detected. I hadn’t felt anything different and, on my own, I don’t think I would have known he was in distress.”

Katie was transported to Overlake’s Emergency Obstetrics Department for continued monitoring by OMC’s labor and delivery nurses and obstetrician Sarah Bienenfeld, MD. Concern grew as the baby’s heart rate continued to drop. Additional medical staff came to examine Katie and confer. “Seeing more people come to the unit was a little frightening, but it was also very reassuring.”

By this time, Katie’s husband, Mike, had joined her. Dr. Bienenfeld updated them on the baby’s condition, advising that they could wait and see if his heart rate continued to drop or he could be delivered later that night.

“It took me a while to wrap my head around this. I’d come to the hospital that day for an exam, not to give birth,” Katie says. “I asked Dr. Bienenfeld what she would do if she were in my shoes. She said she would opt for the delivery tonight, so that’s what we decided to do.

“I was understandably anxious, but the nursing staff treated me like I was their only patient. I could tell our well-being and safety were their top concerns. They were very patient and answered all of our questions which was very encouraging and calming,” she remembers.

“Throughout the afternoon and evening, the nurses and other medical staff made sure that I was comfortable. They also kept Mike and me informed as decisions were made.”

At 11:20 p.m. that night, Katie and Mike’s son, Logan, was safely delivered, weighing just under 6 pounds. He was monitored for four hours in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. His lungs, blood pressure, heart rate and other important markers were in the normal range, so Katie and Mike could continue caring for him in the post-partum unit until everyone was safely able to go home.

“During this experience, I knew I was in the right place with the right people,” Katie says emphatically. “I had a lot of trust in the medical team. I knew they were watching out for me.”

In July 2022, Logan celebrated his 1st birthday, which was also his mother’s birthday. Katie reports that he’s right on target for all the growth benchmarks.

“I’m so glad we chose Overlake!”

At Overlake, we know every birth is unique, and yours will be, too. Our team is here to support you throughout your entire birth experience and help you navigate the expected—and unexpected. Visit Overlake Childbirth Center to learn more.