As I was lifted into an ambulance at seven months pregnant, I couldn’t help but recall my own childhood. Like most others, I dreamed of riding in a police car or ambulance. I hoped one day I would be able to explore where the EMT’s sat or maybe even hear the sirens blare. Hearing the sirens in real life was far less exciting, in fact it was terrifying. A routine ultrasound had revealed a major loss of fluids and a lack of movement from my baby. I wondered if someday she’d be mesmerized by emergency vehicles too.
The hour long ride to the hospital that was better equipped to handle a premature birth only gave me more time to worry. By the time I arrived at the Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital I had convinced myself that I was going to give birth that day. I was very wrong. I stayed there on bedrest under close monitoring. Nearly three weeks went past before they had to induce me. They did one last ultrasound before induction that estimated my daughter, who we had already named Kiera, at a little over five pounds. After 28 hours of labor Kiera was born at three pounds and five ounces. …show more content…
Still, she needed to reach a healthy weight and she had to be capable of eating all of her meals independently before they could consider sending her home. They inserted a feeding tube and placed her securely in the incubator, while I prepared for the long journey ahead of us. I healed quickly and was released from the hospital, Kiera, on the other hand, would need to stay much longer. Our home was approximately an hour from this hospital and making that trip multiple times a day was not only illogical, but it would have drained our savings account when we had more important things we needed to buy for
The hour long ride to the hospital that was better equipped to handle a premature birth only gave me more time to worry. By the time I arrived at the Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital I had convinced myself that I was going to give birth that day. I was very wrong. I stayed there on bedrest under close monitoring. Nearly three weeks went past before they had to induce me. They did one last ultrasound before induction that estimated my daughter, who we had already named Kiera, at a little over five pounds. After 28 hours of labor Kiera was born at three pounds and five ounces. …show more content…
Still, she needed to reach a healthy weight and she had to be capable of eating all of her meals independently before they could consider sending her home. They inserted a feeding tube and placed her securely in the incubator, while I prepared for the long journey ahead of us. I healed quickly and was released from the hospital, Kiera, on the other hand, would need to stay much longer. Our home was approximately an hour from this hospital and making that trip multiple times a day was not only illogical, but it would have drained our savings account when we had more important things we needed to buy for