Babypalooza Summer 2019

A MOM AND OBGYN BATTLES PREECLAMPSIA AND BRINGS HOME A HEALTHY BABY BOY.
Excited. Slightly overwhelmed. Cautiously optimistic.
Those were Julie Taylor’s emotions when she and her
husband, Craig, found out they were expecting a baby.
In the past, the Taylors struggled with infertility and
opted for adoption as the path to becoming parents.
They adopted their daughter Cady Riley, now age 5.
“I asked God to take away the desire for another child
if that wasn’t in His plan,” Julie recalls. “For a few years
it wasn’t, and then the desire came back and I knew
I wanted one more chance to have a baby.”
This was Julie’s first time being pregnant. Regardless
of any potential complications she knew might arise,
her overwhelming feeling was one of peace and
gratefulness for this blessing from God.
A TROUBLING CONDITION
When Julie was around 24 weeks pregnant, her blood
pressure began to rise. Julie, who happens to be an
OBGYN at the Women’s Center at Brookwood Medical
Center, knew that this time also coincided with a baby’s
ability to survive outside the womb—however, she also
knew the health issues for babies born this early.
“I’m not an anxious person, but I did start to worry
a bit,” Julie recalls. “My doctor (and my friend who
went to residency with me) was very reassuring, and
I trusted her completely. Not only was she watching
out for me, but all of my partners were keeping an eye
on me [while] praying for me and my family. This was
such a comforting force.”
Julie kept in mind that every day she could stay
pregnant meant one fewer day her baby would be
in the NICU. However, she was exhausted, and her
swelling began to worsen. She kept working, knowing
she had a maternity leave coming up, and figured she
was just tired from her busy life as a mom of a
vivacious 5-year-old, and wife, and full-time doctor.
Finally her diagnosis was official: She had preeclampsia,
and it was clearly taking a toll on her body.
LIVING WITH PREECLAMPSIA
“One day at a time.” That’s how Julie tackled life with
preeclampsia. She started with the basics: Is the baby
moving? Once the answer was yes, she checked to
ensure her blood pressure was stable.
As an OBGYN, she’d advised plenty of patients in
the same situation; however, she says, “It was different
when I had to take my own advice! Very humbling.”
As her pregnancy continued, Julie started working half-
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