My 6 weeks premature, traumatic birth story

Pre-eclampsia, premature baby and drama, but now life is good.

This is my premature, traumatic birth story…

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Young and realized in week 12 that I was pregnant

I was 12 weeks along and 17 years old when I found out I was pregnant with our first child. I was still going to high school and my boyfriend at the time was and still is working part-time at Mc Donald’s. I was not and still not employed. (doesn’t sound so good but it is)

Everything was going great, it didn’t really seem like I was indeed pregnant cause it was so what you could call normal, I loved how he would move around and kick, but things were not good with my family that we were living with and still are not, but trying to get out.

High blood pressure and the problems begin

Anyway, I went to one of my normal monthly check-ups but it wasn’t so normal all of a sudden. They did the normal things like urine test and all that jazz, but they said my blood pressure was a little higher than normal so they put me on bed rest and a 24-hour urine collect which all this happened Monday.

So we watched my blood pressure wasn’t doing so good Tuesday, then Wednesday rolls around and its time to go to the appointment. Everything seemed fine (that is to me), I get my blood taken and my jug of pee to be tested that same day with my blood. We went back into the doctor’s exam room.

We waited for him which seemed like hours and he finally came with the news at last. He told me that I had protein in my urine and I also had preeclampsia but it was mild at first, so that day I was admitted to the hospital around 10-11 am.

Everything was going crazy. All I wanted to do is be with my boyfriend I really didn’t want my family around; they were the reason for my blood pressure because when I admitted my blood pressure was 185/109!

Preeclampsia and medically induced

Finally, after a few hours, I was induced at 1 pm-ish. Labor was slow and painful until the epidural, then I could handle it a bit more.

Around 6:45 I was ready to push but my doctor wasn’t there so I crossed my legs held onto the bed handle and waited until my doctor came. After a few minutes, he was there.

I started to push at 6:56 am. After ten minutes of pushing and getting an episiotomy, my son arrived at 7:05 am weighing 5lbs even and 173/4 long.

My baby was not well

But I didn’t get to hold him, he wasn’t crying, he wasn’t breathing, his cord had been wrapped around his neck and he was grey.

My boyfriend still got to cut the cord. He was then rushed over to his own little bed and his own team of nurses. My boyfriend leaned over to me and gave me a hug and kiss and said I did a good job and that he was beautiful.

I kept thinking “He isn’t supposed to be here until in 6 weeks. Why isn’t he crying? Is he gonna be ok?”

We were both so scared and I was so tired and in pain from the stitches. After watching his nurse work on him forever I got to hold him. He was perfect in every way. But still grey and had an oxygen mask on him, I peeked under his little hat and saw so much light red-brown hair.

Baby to NICU with lung problems

Then they had to take him away from me and rushed him to the NICU. They hooked him all up and my boyfriend was able to go see him and took a picture for me. I couldn’t go because of my stitches. He came back with the picture. He looked so small and helpless with all the tubes and wires that surrounded him with his heat lamp, he was finally pink.

The nurse was so nice kind and sweet to me and my boyfriend; she understood our situation. But she also told me that his lungs weren’t developed all the way and he may come home on his actual due date or he may not.

All I could do was cry I was so scared that I lost him. Thank God I didn’t.

My doctor was so caring; he would come into check on me and told me what was going on, all my family came to visit and were supportive and my pastor did too.

After a day in the delivery room, I was able to go see him in my wheelchair, but all I could do was touch him. I was wheeled to a recovery room where I could go down to the NICU all I wanted we both did, we even had our little badges.

Then things started to improve

After a week in the NICU, he was strong enough to go to the special care nursery. He was fed with a bottle and breathed normal air now. But couldn’t eat a whole bottle so had a feeding tube. Gosh, I wish I could be there 24 hours a day but I had to go home because of my mom.

After another week he was finally able to go home, we were so happy but still drama. As always.

Now he’s a healthy wonderful bouncing 7 months old who is so blessed to be here and so perfect. Still drama but we’re getting out and going to doing our own thing from now on even if we do live in the same house as my evil mother.

Everything is going well. Baby boy is growing fast me and my boyfriend are going to get married soon. Life is good. I was young but I don’t regret it at all never would take any of it back.

by Alicia C. Young

Who else has a premature traumatic birth story to share? Or to say anything about to Alicia? Please comment below! :-)

You can also read more birth stories here or contribute your own!

Paula Dennholt

Paula Dennholt founded Easy Baby Life in 2006 and has been a passionate parenting and pregnancy writer since then. Her parenting approach and writing are based on studies in cognitive-behavioral models and therapy for children and her experience as a mother and stepmother. Life as a parent has convinced her of how crucial it is to put relationships before rules. She strongly believes in positive parenting and a science-based approach.

Paula cooperates with a team of pediatricians who assist in reviewing and writing articles.