My son Arthur was born at 30
weeks.
On 13 August 2023, I came into triage after having pains in the morning. I was
quickly told that I was in labour and fully dilated! I had been put on
metformin for gestational diabetes and was told by a few patients on the
vascular ward which I work on, that it can give you stomach cramps.
I joked around with one patient
and said I hope I know the difference between that and the contractions! I had
no idea and as I was 30 weeks pregnant with my first baby, it never crossed my
mind that I was in labour at this point.
I was taken to the delivery suite and given all kinds of drips and gas and air and
quickly realised that my baby was coming. I had no idea what to think other
than be scared, I didn’t know if he was going to be okay.
I don’t remember a huge deal of
labour, but I remember looking down as I thought I had a ‘second waters’ break,
but it was blood. I’ve been told that my reason for early labour was placental
abruption, I’m lucky that I was still able to have a very quick natural birth
rather than a c-section as a result.
Arthur was born weighing a smashing 4lbs at 30 weeks, then taken to NICU and I
was left feeling odd, a bit numb and not knowing what to think or feel. I was
lucky enough to have a few seconds of having a hold and a quick photo with him
before he was taken and I’m grateful for this memory.
He was on a ventilator in NICU for 48 hours, if I remember rightly, and then
weaned down gradually until he was on just room air. We got ‘promoted’ to the
nursery where we thought we would quickly be discharged; however, Arthur’s
temperature spiked and he had a climbing CRP level which landed us another
couple of weeks. After reading his discharge papers, it appears that he was
treated for suspected sepsis.
