July baby became a June baby!

After a week of struggling at 5cm and 50% effacement to keep my little girl in until the 36 week mark, my little girl finally arrived. I went to the hospital exactly one week before baby arrived due to intense back pain and numbness in my legs. I was already 5cm dilated and 50% effaced at that point. They wanted to keep me on the fetal monitor for 24hours, but after 8hrs straight of not one single contraction being seen I made them release me. I returned Wednesday of the same week for a regular checkup and started having contractions while waiting for the doctor to come to the exam room. We did a few hours of monitoring and pumped me full of all kinds of drugs to stop the contractions because no doctor at the hospital was prepared or capable of delivering baby before 36 weeks due to inadequate facilities for a premature baby. They referred me to another hospital who gave me more meds to take at home to prevent contractions to try to at least make it to the following Monday. Starting that Friday my entire stomach became incredibly tight and uncomfortable with some slight pain where my gallbladder used to be. I tolerated that pain until Sunday afternoon when the “gallbladder” pain suddenly intensified and began radiating to my back, at which point I finally decided to go to the ER. During triage they never even hooked me up to the monitor because they were smart and checked my cervix. I was 8cm, 75% effaced, and my water was bulging and I had walked into the ER smiling and joking still! I was shocked. My husband was 2 and a half hours away at his restaurant that he had just opened for business the previous day. I started trying to contact him immediately. (This was difficult due to the remote location of his restaurant and the spotty, at best, cell phone service) I told him, “this baby is coming within the next 24hrs at most, start driving right now” then I let them cart me away to labor and delivery. Within an hour they had my epidural in and before 3 hours were up my husband arrived. On June 3 2019, 12:05A.M. My water broke on it’s own. At 12:47 they had me do 2 pushes while the doctor made her way to my room. 12:53am 2 more pushes and only the second contraction later, my daughter made her appearance.

Rowan Zelda was only 6lbs 0.6oz and 18 inches long. She was perfect and the doctors were amazed by her. No NICU needed. She was originally due on July 3, but, boy, when it was time she was serious about it. She’s now 3wks and 4days old. She struggled immensely with jaundice, but, as of 3 days ago, she surpassed her birth weight. She was 6lbs 4.5oz and 20.5in long at that point.