This week, we extend a warm welcome to Beth Prus. A working mom of two beautiful boys that are always on the move – she manages to pull it all together seamlessly. Her story is really amazing and shows what a miracle life really is. Let’s get to know Beth!
• Name: Beth Prus
• Married to: Adam Prus
• Children: Axel and Jenson, 3-year-old twins
• Originally from: Downingtown, PA (outside Philly)
• Occupation: Director of Account Leadership, Wray Ward (Advertising)
Share your pregnancy/delivery story.
I will always love how I felt when I was pregnant with our boys but we did run in to some struggles along the way. Issue #1 occurred when I was just about 3 months pregnant, my husband had to take me – screaming in pain – to the ER as I had double ovarian torsion (when your ovary essentially twists on itself and cuts off blood flow to itself). I was rushed in to surgery and quite lucky that I made it out with our two boys in fine shape and with both my ovaries still intact. Issue #2 occurred when my husband was driving me to work one day when I was 30 weeks pregnant. I wasn’t feeling so hot so my husband said that I should trust my instincts and just head home and rest (which I did). We went to the doctor for a routine visit the next morning and the next thing you know, I was being diagnosed with HELLP Syndrome (which is an elevated variant of preeclampsia) and checked in to the hospital. Two days later, I was having an emergency C-Section and giving birth to our amazing tiny little boys. Following the birth is when Issue #3 happened. We had gone through recovery, the boys were safely in the NICU and my husband and I were trying to get some rest in our hospital room. Next thing I know, my husband was yelling for the nurse and there’s a code blue called and I am being rushed back in to emergency surgery. I woke up three days later.
Apparently, the doctors had nicked a muscle during the c-section but, due to the HELPP Syndrome, the muscle had spasmed shut and the doctors sewed me back up, unknowing that I was still bleeding internally. I had lost so much blood that my body was failing and I fell in to a coma for 3 days. It’s still difficult to talk about and think about how my husband and family must’ve managed through those days. I can not even imagine and I am forever blessed to have a husband who has saved me twice – once when he and I got married and again when he quite literally saved my life by noticing that my eyes had rolled back in my head when I was trying to fall asleep post-birth.
At the end of the day, we have each other, two healthy, happy boys and our family and friends. We are so grateful.
Share the first few weeks after the twins were born, what was a typical day like for you?
Well, I’ll fast forward a few weeks since I was in the hospital for a while and the boys were in the NICU for 5 weeks. In any case, there’s only one word to describe it…delirium. I felt like we were constantly feeding, burping (the boys had reflux), pumping, and rocking the boys. We still joke that we started hallucinating because of lack of sleep. Again, I was lucky enough to have a husband who was a very active daddy so that made it all much more do-able and bearable.
What was it like going back to work? What tips would you recommend other new parents to help with the transition back to work?
Going back to work was brutal for the first week but it got better – mainly because I love what I do. One thing I really tried to focus on was not putting too much pressure on myself. At the end of the day, family will always come first, and that’s one thing that we clearly learned after all we went through with the boys birth.
What drew you to Charlotte to raise your family?
We wanted to move South for a few reasons – closer to the grandparents, better quality of life, nice weather, and lower cost of living (Boston is expensive for families especially!). We looked at a bunch of different cities but really liked the mix Charlotte offered. We love that we can drive in to the downtown (sorry, uptown!) in less than 5 minutes and that we have good arts and entertainment options, an up & coming restaurant scene, professional sports teams, and great family activities.
What is your must-have baby item?
How come that I didn’t know about Costco baby wipes before I had kids?? They are amazing and I use them for everything.
What’s your ideal date night?
My husband and I love to eat, drink and watch movies. So, I’d say wine at Petite Philippe, dinner at Roosters, and then a movie at Phillips Place.
What’s your favorite activity to do with your family/kid(s)?
Playing in the backyard, doing puzzles, and going out to eat.
Best kept secret in Charlotte?
Having only been here 2 years, I feel like someone should be telling us that
Spring has officially sprung! What are you looking forward to doing with your family this spring?
We are big fans of the weekend events list on CSP as we love exploring new places and trying new things every weekend. This spring we really want to hit a Knights game (we still haven’t gone).
Minivan or SUV?
SUV. That’s all we need for 2 kids.
Favorite Smarty phone app?
Zillow. Artkive. iHeartRadio.
I could not live without….
My gorgeous husband and amazing kids (obviously). Plus ice cream, pepperoni pizza, cookies, and gin & tonics. Oh, and then my weekly dose of running and boot camp to even it all out.
