One minute I was standing at a barbecue with a glass of (alcohol-free) Crodino Spritz in my hand, and two hours later I was in the hospital’s delivery ward on tocolytic drugs and a shot to boost my baby’s lung development in my buttock. The contrast couldn’t have been greater. I was 33+2 weeks pregnant, and it soon became clear that our baby would arrive ahead of schedule.
Pregnant!
In October, we found out that we were expecting a baby. We were overjoyed and proud, but also a little nervous about the challenges that awaited us. The pregnancy progressed smoothly. Sure, I had some ailments, but I certainly had no reason to complain. The weeks flew by, and slowly but surely, we were getting ready for the arrival of our precious little baby girl.
Spinning baby - Making your baby turn around from its breech position
During a check with the obstetrician, we discovered that our daughter was in breech position. There was still plenty of time for her to turn around, so we didn’t really worry about that yet. But in the meantime, I was wriggling around on the couch or lying on the floor in any number of weird positions, doing the Spinning Babies exercises: I did whatever I could to help my baby girl turn around. Spoiler alert: it didn’t help.
Unexpected panic - Dilation
On the day of the barbecue, but even on the day before, I already experienced a lot of cramps. I texted a friend who was also pregnant at that time that I thought I was having preterm contractions. The cramps were getting more intense, but I had no idea that these were already real, active contractions. When the midwife told me that evening that I already had a dilation of 3 centimeters and had to go to the hospital, it came as a complete surprise to me. Panic! I did not have any size 44 at home, I had not even washed the baby clothes at all (because I was not yet on leave), the stroller had not yet been assembled, the car seat had not yet been installed, and my emergency bag? Obviously not yet ready either.
Labor suppressants, lung maturation and childbirth
At the hospital, everything went at lightning speed. I was given an infusion, blood was taken, I had to hand in a urine sample, and they took a vaginal swab. They made an ultrasound (and yes, my baby was still in breech), I was given tocolytic drugs, and I got a shot in my buttocks for lung maturation. I was due to get another shot 24 hours later, and ideally, that one would also work its magic. By myself, however, I thought, this is never going to work. In the meantime, my contractions continued to increase, and I was now at a dilation of 4 centimeters. Fortunately, they actually did manage to postpone delivery for a bit, because in the end our daughter Lynn was born at the age of 33weeks and 6 days.
"This felt all wrong for me: I had just become a mother, my nether regions were still all in shambles and then I had to lie there all by myself."
The challenges of a premature baby
Lynn couldn’t drink on her own yet, so she needed a feeding tube. Through the stomach tube, she received expressed milk. In the meantime, we practiced drinking from a bottle. Patches on her chest monitored her heart rate, oxygen levels, and breathing. Fortunately, she did well, and at 35 weeks she was able to go off the monitor. At 36 weeks, we were allowed to go home as a family. Lynn still needed a tube for a while, but we were fortunately able to do without it fairly quickly. Finally, we were able both of her cute little cheeks!
In addition to all the good care, we also experienced the time in the hospital as very intensive. I was constantly surrounded by so many different (para)medics at my bedside, who monitored Lynn’s development with a magnifying glass, figuratively speaking. On several occasions, we were concerned and worried about things that ultimately turned out to be (fortunately) harmless and innocent.
Embracing vulnerability: A lesson in parenthood
Despite the tumultuous start and all the worries and concerns it entailed, we look back at this time with positive feelings. Sure, it turned out to be quite different from what we expected. It took a while for the pink clouds to appear. But we received such wonderful support from our family and dear friends around us. Everyone in the hospital was incredibly sweet and helpful; no question was too much or too crazy. This time has taught us how fragile life is, but also how powerful love and support can be. And that is something we would like to pass on to other parents.
