I did IVF (In Vitro Fertilization) to get pregnant. We had 6 embryos and she was the only one who made it. Starting at 7 weeks I started bleeding. I spotted until 15 weeks when I had a huge bleed and was passing clots the size of a liver. I even had a blood transfusion (the doctor told me then there is no way you should still be pregnant they never saw that much bleeding and the baby be okay, she never showed a sign of distress).
At 22 weeks I started bleeding again after not bleeding for like two weeks, so I went in to get checked out and, lo and behold, I was dilated 1cm, my cervix was shortening, and my fluids were extremely low. Still she had no effects on her, they thought she would be underdeveloped and small. I chose to intervene as strongly as possible by starting steroids at 23 weeks 0 days (they usually do it at 24).
I know this sounds crazy, but up until the day before I had her I didn't think I'd deliver early. The Friday before I had her all I kept saying to everyone what if it's better for her to be out than to be in me, what if something worse happens because I keep her in to long I'd rather her be out where we could do something for her, but everyone kinda hushed me and told me no its best for her to stay in as long as possible (duh, because who wants to have a premature baby ... no one but obviously my body wasn't doing a good job of caring for her). Well I guess my daughter felt the same way I did because the next morning at 23 weeks 0 days, when I was supposed to start the steroids, I went into labor.
It started at 6:00am and in about 2 1/2, almost 3, hours I was completely dilated and had no cervix, they tried to stop my labor but nothing worked. The previous day I met with the baby doctors and they told me if she is born any time soon she will not survive, there is just no way let's keep her in there at least til 25 or 26 weeks… the docs told me they wanted me to deliver her naturally and comfort care her while she passed if my body didn't kill her during the delivery. But I told them no I want to give her a chance so I opted for a classical c-section (T shape cute on my uterus) that way she would definitely be born alive. They didn't give her but an hour.
Yet here she is 1 months old and doing well. You have no idea how many times I heard from nurses and doctors, "Kristina you just don’t understand 23 & 24 week old babies just don’t survive, they just don’t." She has all the doctors stumped. Then I would hear things like, "I can't believe how developed she is and how proportionate she is," she was born 1lb 6oz.. all her body parts were enact. I thank God for her everyday, he has had his hand over her since the beginning.
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| The day she was born |
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| The first time I held her, 8 days old |
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| The second time I held her, 1 month old |
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| One of my favorite pictures |
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| Alexya now, 1 month old, 2 lb 4 oz |
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