I’m so grateful to have made it as far as I did. I started having contractions and was initially admitted into the hospital on 7/2/21. I went home on 7/12/21 but was re-admitted on 7/20/21. I stayed inpatient from that point on until delivery. I really never stopped contracting but my cervix wasn’t making a lot of change. I was on magnesium, nifedipine, and I had my two rounds of steroids for baby’s lungs. For the two weeks prior to delivery I was 3.5 cm 80% effaced and at station -1.

My water broke at 33 weeks and 6 days. My c-section was done the next day at 34 weeks.

On the morning my water broke while sleeping I was awakened around 3:30 am thinking I started to pee on myself in my sleep. You know when you’re dreaming and you think you’re awake and you start to pee just a little and it wakes you up. Well that’s what I felt and I woke up. I had a towel at bedside and I wiped and thought to myself, I don’t feel like I have to go to the bathroom so I’m not getting up….. Again, thinking it must have just been a little pee, I rolled over and I felt a little leak again. Then I thought to myself, I know I’m not peeing in my sleep. So I decided to get up to pee. When I stood up I put the towel between my legs and immediately more fluid started running out but it wasn’t a big gush, so I thought again….. am I peeing on myself??? I had soaked the face towel that I had between my legs. I smelled it and it didn’t smell like pee. Then I went to the bathroom and I peed. So then I thought wait…. If I just peed on the towel, why do I have to pee now that I’m on the toilet. So I called my nurse and told her what happened. Still not convinced that my water broke I told her if it’s not my water I’m very embarrassed. The doctor was called in to check me and the minute they laid me back and I opened my legs more fluid ran out. She put the speculum in and the big gush came flowing out. Then when she removed it another big gush came running out. She said your water definitely broke. She checked me and I was 4 cm 90% effaced and station 0.

I was later told that my c-section would be scheduled for the next day at noon. My hubby was in California working and I was in Arizona. He’s a truck driver. So I was worried that he wouldn’t make it. I was still contracting and trying to hold on until he could get there. I really didn’t want him to have to go to NICU or be left at the hospital and not be able to go home with us. I had experienced a few early miscarriages before being blessed to make it that far with our rainbow baby boy. I was praying hard that our baby would be born healthy, and could go home when I was discharged.

God heard and answered my prayers. Our young king was born on 8/27/21 weighing 4lbs 5oz and was 16 1/2 inches. We named him after his dad and grandfather. Welcome Terry James Furlow III.

He didn’t need oxygen. He was eating more than the required amount, so no feeding tube assistance was ever required. Since he was eating so good his IV was taken out. He maintained his own body heat so he was discharged after 6 days in NICU. I never had to leave the hospital without him.

I’m 43 and this is my last baby. A look back on our journey.