#30DaysofBrave Day 20- Deanna

When we found out that I was pregnant in October 2020 we were beyond excited. We knew that there were some risks of preterm labor, and at 17 weeks I started getting weekly progesterone shots. Since my first two trimesters went smoothly, I was hopeful that I would be able to make it to at least 36 weeks.

On March 28, at exactly 29 weeks, I had mild cramps and dismissed them as Braxton Hicks. When they kept getting worse and wouldn't stop, I knew something was wrong. At 12:25pm I left a message for the on-call midwife and explained the situation, and at 12:45 she called me back and asked me to come in to be monitored. My husband and I left home around 1pm and arrived at the hospital at 1:13pm.

After checking in at Triage, being taken to a room, hooked up to monitors, and having consistent contractions, I asked the nurse if I could go to the bathroom to pee. Instead, Emery was born at approximately 1:47pm in the triage bathroom. She was breech, and it was a very fast, unmedicated birth. Nothing like what I had planned in my head or expected.

I can't tell you how many people ran in to assist with her birth. I can't even give you a name or pick out a face from a line up. All I knew was my baby was born 11 weeks early when she shouldn't have been, and I was just in total shock.

Emery was taken to the NICU with my husband and isolated until I was given a rapid COVID test. After it came back negative she was moved to a NICU pod. We had some scares with a small pneumothorax and a heart murmur, and she needed assistance with a CPAP and later hi flow oxygen. But overall Emery was a total rock star during her NICU stay.

After 49 days we were able to bring her home to meet her big brother and our immediate family. She is now a happy and chunky 5 month old with the most precious cheeks and smile.