Day Zero

So let’s get you caught up.

Isabelle Louise was born at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston last Thursday at 4:37am weighing in at 1lb15oz. and 13 1/2 inches long. She was 26 weeks and 3 days gestation. Gosh is she small and so very beautiful!

But first, let’s rewind to Saturday, April 14th. I was taken by ambulance, with lights and sirens, from Emerson Hospital in Concord to Brigham and Womens Hospital in Boston. I was 3cm dilated, scared out of my mind and in preterm labor. I sat on the labor and delivery floor for 48 hours as doctors and nurses pumped magnesium, steroids, and penicillin into me. We met several teams of Doctors, including the day and night OB team, the day and night NICU team and the rock star nursing staff. They watched my vitals for signs of labor with the hope I would level out. I was finally considered stable on Tuesday morning and transferred to the antepartum floor where the plan was to bake our little girl for as long as possible.

I made it to Wednesday night before I started experiencing pressure and pain that was unmistakenly contractions. I was rushed back down to the labor floor at midnight and by 4am the team was assembled and we started the delivery.

I’d like to say that Isabelle’s arrival was a happy and joyous occasion, and while we’re obviously thrilled to have her in our lives, her early arrival was a mix of fear, shock, and elation. It is honestly still difficult to fully express what I felt that early morning when Isabelle came into our lives. Only now am I starting to realize that I am no longer pregnant and that I am a mother to the most perfect, little baby girl.