2 years after Clarkston woman with Covid delivers twins, her family grows with a daughter
FOX 2 -
A young Clarkston woman delivered a set of twin boys after she and her husband became extremely ill from COVID-19.
Nearly two years later -- those two little boys are now big brothers. Mom and dad -- recovered from the virus and were recently blessed with a precious little girl.
Jennifer Laubach cradles her newborn baby girl - not even three weeks old - another pandemic birth for this family - but far different from the last time.
"It's been really nice to have this time with her because we missed that last time with the boys," she said. "We didn't even meet the boys until they were 21 days old."
"I remember I was lying in bed," Andre said. "I could barely move. I was coughing so hard and I didn't know what was going to happen to me - if I was even going to survive.
"Jen yelled from the other room - I think my water broke - I was like - oh that is not good timing."
Jen had to drive herself to the hospital - where she learned - she, too, had the virus.
"Andre couldn't come with me because he had also tested positive, so I just jumped in the car and drove myself," she laughed.
She gave birth to the twins with no family by her side - immediately separated from the boys because of Covid - who were born at 32 weeks and taken to the newborn intensive care unit.
"I came home alone without the boys," she said.
And she was back at Beaumont within days with dangerously high blood pressure - again - she was alone.
"I couldn't see the boys - I couldn't have Andre - nobody could be there with me. I felt so alone and so isolated," she said.
Jen still gets emotional talking about it - and says when she reached 32 weeks in her pregnancy with Liv - so much of the trauma - came rushing back.
"I was a basket case of emotion," she said. "Just reaching that anniversary date of when I went into labor with them - it was really hard for me."
Related: Mom sick with COVID-19 drives self to hospital to deliver twins, meets them in NICU weeks later
Because all of this was happening as the highly contagious Covid variant - omicron - was surging.
"I just thought oh my gosh - I can't believe that we're going through this again," she said.
Fortunately - they didn't have to. Baby Liv's birth - was normal.
"This is really an amazing, amazing experience with baby girl," she said.
"It was wonderful to be a part of it," Andre said. "I'm glad i got to be there for one and actually show up this time - so that was great."
Doctors now know Covid can contribute to premature birth and high blood pressure - both of which Jen experienced two years ago.
They also know how dangerous Covid is for pregnant moms and their babies, but they also say that the vaccine can make all the difference..
"The sooner they get vaccinated in the pregnancy - the more likelihood they're going to get a benefit from that as a mom, but they can also help the baby," said Dr. Brian Torok, chief of obstetrics and gynecology, Beaumont Troy.
The Laubach family just so grateful that this time around - everyone is happy and healthy.
"Liv's birth really did truly heal me from everything I went through with the boys," Andre said.
Boys - Max and Mitch - are about to turn 2 - and have no idea - what they've all been through.
"The one feeling that I have for this whole process is just, I feel really lucky and fortunate and blessed that we have a family of healthy people," Andre said. "Because that wasn't always guaranteed throughout this process."
