#30DaysofBrave- Day 7- Meghan

“I went into labor with our daughter Stella Mae at 25 weeks and 4 days pregnant on Jan 31st, 2019. I had woke up that morning with some heavy spotting so I called my OBGYN and they told me to come in. When I got there I got a cervical check and was 4 dilated and in active labor. I was shocked, and terrified for what laid ahead. I was wheeled down to labor and delivery where they immediately started me on magnesium to stop the contractions I had thought were just back cramps.

Our local hospital only had a NICU suited to preemies 32 weeks and older so they wanted to get me transferred to a bigger hospital an hour away.

Thankfully they were able to stop the contractions. Luckily my daughter stayed in my belly, and the next morning I got transferred by ambulance.

For two days I was contraction free, and it seemed like my labor had stopped. I was on the antepartum floor, in my own clothes, IV removed, and needed to be on bed rest until baby came. I was still scared but had some glimmer of hope she might stay in.

I had received 2 rounds of steroid shots to help her lungs just in case, but the goal was keep her in until at least 32 weeks. However at 9:00 pm, 2 days after I had come into my OBGYN, I started contracting again.

They didn’t want to take any chances so they moved me back to a labor and delivery room.

They told me that I should let them know if my contractions get more painful or if I felt pressure. At about 12:30 am I called the nurse saying the contractions were extremely painful and I felt a lot of pelvic pressure pressing down.

The doctor came in, they assembled the NICU team and after 5 min of pushing our daughter was born at 12:43 am on February 3rd 2020.

She was only 2 lbs and just over a foot long.

My husband cut the cord and they immediately wheeled her away in the incubator.

We spent 69 long days in the NICU battling various issues due to her prematurity including breathing problems, PDA & heart murmur, brain bleeds, ROP, reflux, and learning to eat by bottle.

It was a scary journey, but NICU babies are the strongest warriors out there and she came home on Easter 2020.  Stella is now 13 lbs, and a happy thriving almost 7-month-old!!”
- The Rose Family