My birth story is nothing like I thought it would be. It’s a long one so bare with me. It all started at 24 weeks 6 days. I went to the bathroom and had a huge glob of mucus and bloody discharge. I went to L&D and they monitored me, no contractions, baby was good and my cervix was closed. For the next couple of days I continued to bleed. I called my OB the following Monday and they offered an ultrasound the following day. We did an ultrasound on Tuesday and all was well with baby. That same night I started having contractions. I just assumed they were Braxton Hicks because they really weren’t bad and I had no prior experience. I ignored them that night and went to bed. I woke up on Wednesday and while I was working I had consistent contractions every 5-10 mins the whole day from 7am to 1pm when I finally called my OB because I was concerned. They told me to lay down and drink some water and if they didn’t go away to go to the hospital. They didn’t go away and I still really didn’t think it was that serious so I took a shower and then went to the hospital. They checked my cervix and said, she’s 7 centimeters. Immediately my heart sank and I was crying my eyes out and couldn’t calm down. I look over at my boyfriend who never shows emotions and see tears in his eyes and fear on his face. We were not at the best hospital for a NICU so we called the fire dept my boyfriend used to work at and they transfer me with lights and sirens to a better hospital with the best NICU. I get to that hospital and they are all running around 20 people in my room and they check my cervix and I’m still at 7cm and the water hasn’t broken. Everyone calms down a little, they put me on magnesium and give me steroid shots for her lungs. I’m stable through the night and the next day with contractions about once an hour. They eventually remove me from magnesium and move me to an antepartum unit and I have to come to terms that I will be living here for a while. We finally relax and take a breath but then that night at 7pm my contractions start again. This time they are more frequent and more painful. It feels like my hips are ripping apart. Eventually a doctor comes in to check me and say I’m at an 8-9. They get me into another room to give me an epidural and move me to labor and delivery. Then they check me again and her head is moving further into my vagina which is an infection risk so they say it’s time to deliver her. We wait around until the whole nicu team is ready, about 20 plus people in my room. It’s time to push and I’m terrified, have no idea what I’m doing, everyone is staring at me, I have no idea if my daughter will be ok, and my epidural wore off on half of my body. I push for about an hour and then she’s born. I was too afraid to open my eyes and look at her. I heard her trying to grunt and it was a magical sound. I finally got brave enough to peak at the back of her head. The nicu team whisked her away and worked on her. They tell me she’s on cpap to help her breathe, they let me look at her again and they take her down to the nicu as dad follows.

She is doing well in the nicu , still only on cpap and is such a fighter. We have a long journey ahead of us. I’m still trying to process everything that has happened to me over these last few days

So here she is, Riley Charlotte born July 5th at 2:03 pm. Weighing 2lbs 1 ounce and 13 1/2 inches long. We are so in love, and also so terrified for her health and her future.

UPDATE 7/17:

Thank you all for your kind words. It’s been a rollercoaster already with her having some bad days. Yesterday was a really good day so hopefully it continues!

Another update for anyone who cares I know this is old, my daughter is 19 months old and perfectly healthy! These preemies are fighters! Here she is now: