Critical Maternal Mental Health Care for Kiley

Maeve's diagnosis came when her mother, Kiley, was 20 weeks pregnant. A routine visit led to an urgent referral to the prenatal cardiology team at Children's National. They diagnosed Maeve with Tetralogy of Fallot — a life-threatening congenital condition that meant her heart had four abnormalities. Maeve would need surgery soon after birth.

"I cried a lot," says Kiley, who has an anxiety disorder. "I felt panicky and like it was all my fault. I wondered if I would get to hold her, or if she would even live. Our team at Children's National answered every question with kindness." Ellen Bartolini, PsyD, became a lifeline, Kiley says.

Dr. Bartolini is a psychologist within the hospital's Zickler Prenatal Pediatrics Institute. She validated Kiley’s feelings and listened. They met weekly throughout Kiley's second and third trimesters. "Dr. Bartolini helped me stay calm and helped my family prepare for Maeve's surgery and a potentially long stay in the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (CICU)," Kiley says. Dr. Bartolini also helped Kiley plan for breastfeeding, so she and her daughter could have as normal an experience as possible.

During daily prenatal scans at her obstetrician's office, Kiley says Maeve was feisty and always moving. Her team at Children's National was optimistic. But during her routine 32-week ultrasound, the tech couldn't find Maeve's heartbeat. Kiley rushed to the hospital where she planned to give birth. Her team induced labor, but it was too late. Maeve had died from an umbilical cord accident unrelated to her heart condition.

"I was devastated," Kiley says. Dr. Bartolini and other members of Kiley's team at Children's National continued to support her. "It took a long time to process what had happened. They helped me recover and eventually led me to believe I could try again."

Dr. Bartolini and her team were at Kiley's side six months later when she got pregnant with her son, Kieran. "Of course, I was scared," Kiley says, "but Dr. Bartolini helped me manage my mental health." She also worked with the prenatal cardiology team to schedule regular fetal echocardiograms for Kiley. "Having this proactive effort in place to protect him was a huge relief," she says.

Kieran was born healthy the following summer. Kiley continued to work with Dr. Bartolini and her team for several months after his birth. Today, he is a healthy, busy toddler with chubby cheeks and an infectious laugh. He loves to explore and can be delightfully stubborn.

"I often think of the depth of care we received at Children's National, especially from Dr. Bartolini," Kiley says. "That care gave our family a second chance."