Babies who come early

Several of our Birth Day contributors experienced the whirlwind of premature birth. Here are their stories.

“I was told there was simply no time for any sort of pain medication and that they normally give preterm mothers two steroid shots in an attempt to rush the infant’s lung development before labor. And that was when it hit me. I was only 7 months pregnant. All worries about preparedness subsided in fear for my beloved unborn child. How could he be okay in such a situation? He still had 2 very necessary months of developing to accomplish before entering our world. I was in absolute shock, expecting the worst. All I wanted was to know that he was going to be okay.”

—from Rolling with the punches:The birth of Max by Jessica

“The doctor didn’t have time to mentally prepare me for what was about to happen. She just told me on my next contraction to push. So I pushed! Within six pushes, out came this tiny baby. No crying, no movement, nothing. There it was, the birth of my daughter, Eva-Ann Rose, born January 28, 2011. She was 11 inches long and just over a pound. I noticed soon after how many people were in the operating room with me, at least 15 people, all amazed at the size of the baby. As they took me back into the labor and delivery room, they let my husband get a sneak peek. The doctor explained the odds were not good and that’s when the real journey began.”

—from Good things do come: The birth of Eva Ann by Anya

“So at 30 weeks and 1 day I was going to give birth to my child. I was scared and unprepared for the long road ahead. That morning at 10:16 a.m. via c-section my 2 pound 10 ounce baby girl Caitlyn Ann was born.”

—from Premature but perfect:The birth of Caitlyn by Heather

“’I can feel your baby’s head. You’re going to give birth.’” What? Now?! No no, there must be some mistake, doctor. We were just here for the cramps. You see, that baby is still cooking in there. We have two more months, don’t you know? We don’t have a finished nursery or a stroller, and nary a onesie! And what do you mean exactly by now?”

—from Looking at the future: The birth of Eliot as told by his dad by Josh