The Fetal Circulatory System Simplified

In a standard circulatory system, the heart performs two functions, the right side pushes blood that comes from the body out to the lungs to get oxygen added to it.  The left side receives blood with oxygen from the lungs and pushes it out to the body.  This cycle repeats with every heart beat.

However, when you are carrying your baby inside you, you provide all the oxygen.  Because your baby isn't using the lungs for oxygen, there are two special connections that the body uses to make those two separate systems in to one big system.  The special connections are called Ductus Arteriosus and Foramen Ovale.

If Your Baby Needs Open Heart Surgery

Update:  Here is a link to my full hospital packing list: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1FzROktZ9IWOKyDiKdieuBXiJrbYBzTSxvExoJf335Jw

This blog post was originally created and conceptualized over at The Blessing of Verity.  With permission from that blog owner, it is being moved here so we can keep updating and expanding the post.

We are hereby soliciting experienced advice to help other parents prepare for this situation!  We want this to be an ongoing project, so…

• If you have any ideas and/or short anecdotes to contribute, please put them in replies to this post for us to consider. We put quotation marks around all the advice that came from friends.
• If you are a relative or friend of the baby’s parents, please check out the last section of this page for ideas of how you can help lift their load.
• Thank you to everyone who is helping to contribute to this list!