“Honey, you will have to give birth today,” said the doctors. The expectant mother sobbed with horror, because she was 28 weeks pregnant.
Chantal Holly and her husband Ben have long wanted a second child, but they still couldn’t. And suddenly – happiness! – two strips on the dough. A girl was to be born. They even thought of a name for her in advance – Willow. Everything was going well, the pregnancy was developing as usual. And suddenly, on the eve of the second screening, Chantal realized that something was wrong.
Usually her baby led an “active lifestyle” – she kicked, spun, in every possible way demonstrating her presence and liveliness of disposition. And then she froze.
“I was on my way to work when I realized that I didn’t feel anything. I called my doctor, but she was resting that day, so I could not get an appointment. But at 11 o’clock, when I was at work, the panic became so strong that I could not wait any longer. I dropped everything and went to the hospital. And everything started spinning, ”Chantal said.
At the local hospital, the first thing doctors did was send the woman for an ultrasound scan. Then it turned out that her baby is much smaller than a child should be at that time. Yes, and there were problems with the heartbeat …
“The doctor and the midwife sat me down and said: ‘Honey, today you will become a mother.’ I didn’t understand anything. It seemed to me that everything was not for real, ”says Chantal.
The woman was given several injections to stimulate the fetal lungs and protect the baby’s brain. It’s no joke – they were going to have her caesarean just at the 28th week of pregnancy. The dangers were full: stillbirth, cerebral palsy, whatever. But the alternative was fetal death. Therefore, Chantal had no choice but to agree.
“Willow was born a fighter. She screamed when they got her – woman. – She was very red. And so tiny! “
Willow weighed only 743 grams. It’s like a mug of morning coffee when weighed it with the mug. The girl was carried away by neonatologists. She had a long way ahead.
“We spent 15 hours a day in the hospital. But at home we had the eldest daughter, Harmony. I felt guilty in front of her. Guilty to Willow. I tried to cope myself, but after a year I realized that I needed the help of specialists. I didn’t even tell my relatives, I was so absorbed in my misfortune, ”says mom.
Willow spent 94 days in the hospital. Three months – exactly how long she had before the planned birth. She is not completely healthy, the girl was diagnosed with microcephaly, a rare disease that affects the formation of the skull. True, the doctors assured that Willow is doing an excellent job and, perhaps, they can forget about this problem. But this is also far from it. In addition, the baby will need long courses of physiotherapy, the help of a speech therapist, as well as an orthopedist due to problems with her legs.
Willow recently celebrated her second birthday. She still has developmental delays, but if you remember how her life began, these are fixable little things.
“Always trust your intuition. If you feel that something is wrong, go to the doctor. Talk to loved ones, seek professional help – this will help you cope. Do not withdraw into yourself, ”Chantal advises those who have had to deal with the problem of premature birth.