Corinna Barto of Apollo isn’t the first in her family to choose UPMC Magee-Women’s Hospital to have her baby. When Corinna’s mom had her nearly 25 years ago at a small rural hospital outside of Pittsburgh, Pa., she suffered life-threatening complications.
“So, when my mom got pregnant with my brother 16 years later, she said she'd only go to one hospital. That was UPMC Magee,” says Corinna.
Corinna had her first child, Everleigh, on October 2, 2016.
“It was a perfect delivery,” she recalls. “My doctor was awesome, and the staff was fantastic.”
It was then that Corinna came upon Magee’s legendary chocolate cake.
“I crave a bite of it even now,” she laughs.
Having another baby was something Corinna and her boyfriend, Dailen, always knew they wanted.
“When we talked about getting pregnant again, we’d say ‘wouldn’t it be mind-blowing if we had twins?’ And that’s exactly what happened.”
Problems in Week 34 Lead to the Early Birth of Her Twins
But in contrast to her first delivery, Corinna had complications in week 34 of her pregnancy.
“I was dangerously anemic and started having problems with my amniotic fluid. They kept me in the hospital for observation until sending me home to rest until the babies were due.”
Two days later, though, Corinna began having severe contractions and was back in the hospital.
“The goal was to delay delivery for the twins’ health and safety — and mine,” she says.
She spent four days at the hospital until her obstetrician, Andrew Kellerman, MD, felt it was safe for her to deliver. Just 35 weeks and a day into her pregnancy, Corinna gave birth to twin girls.
“Every moment, I was surrounded by people who were ready to take care of me and any problem I had,” she says. “I knew UPMC Magee was the best place in the world for me to be. I’ll always be incredibly grateful to Dr. Kellerman for safely delivering both my babies — and for saving my life, too,” she says.
Her twin daughters were born just six minutes apart — Layni at 4 pounds, 10 ounces, and Evangeline at 4 pounds, 15 ounces.
“It was a miracle that they never had to be in the neonatal intensive care unit,” Corinna says.
The newborns stayed with Corinna on radiant warmer beds.
And Corinna has high praise for the hospital’s security measures.
“Baby safety at UPMC Magee is amazing. Alarms go off immediately if someone takes your baby out of the room without credentials,” she says. “In our crazy world, with all you worry about when you’re having a baby, that offers such comfort and peace of mind.”
Superb Care and Chocolate Cake
And while she can't deny her love for UPMC Magee’s chocolate cake, it’s the quality of care that Corinna will always remember.
“I love UPMC Magee,” she says. “Our family is not complete, so I’ll always choose to go there for my care.”
Corinna's treatment and results may not be representative of all similar cases.
