I Am Strong – A Premature Birth Story

I had my birth completely planned out to the smallest detail: I had a midwife, a birth center, a natural birth plan. Everything was perfect.

At six weeks until my due date I woke up to my water being broken, I had to rush to the nearest hospital without my midwife and with all plans going out the window.  My water was broken, but my body wasn’t going into labor, so I had to be induced. After 14 hours of hard labor I developed an infection and had to be rushed off for an emergency C-section.

My son Benaiah was born at 4:30AM, June 30th. Since he was six weeks early, he was rushed off to the NICU. He was hooked up to a CPAP breathing machine for his underdeveloped lungs, he was living in an incubator, and we didn’t get to be close to each other for the first 24 hours of his life.

My son spent two weeks in the NICU – growing, getting healthier, with both of us learning how to breastfeed and live life together. Through this whole process I learned how strong I was; for my son I am strong. I am strong enough to watch him struggle and be by his side through it all. I am strong to work with my premature baby on breastfeeding and be patient with him while we both learn. I am strong to smile and laugh with him when all I want to do is cry. My son made me strong and our birth experience bonded us in a way I can’t even explain. He was worth it all.

Now he is home with my husband and I, he is gaining weight, breastfeeding, healthy, and happy. We are in love with him.