My daughters story

On June 4th 2008 I began laboring. I had already been having contractions for 6 days! Two weeks prior I had begun losing my plug, my body was cleaning itself out, and I was naueated. I brought these things to my midwife's attention. The plug wasn't a big deal because I know it can regenerate itself. She advised me to try and eat something and to stay hydrated. I began contracting somewhat regularly around 11am that morning. At 6pm I called my midwife to let her know I was contracting about every ten minutes. At 9pm, it had slowed down some so I let her know that. Around 3:30 am I decided to wake my husband up because things were getting closer. At 4:10am we called her to say it was definately time. Needless to say within twenty minutes, I felt like I had to push. My husband called medics and as soon as he hung up, our baby's head was born and he helped deliver the rest of her. Paramedics arrived on scene just moments later (we live near a fire department). They check us both and said we were fine. They wanted to wait until my midwife arrived before they left. She got here about 5:30. Mind you, it took us around 20 minutes to get to her home for my visits and that was in the evening on the tail end of rush hour. Why it took her almost and hour and a half to get here is beyond me. After she got here, she checked out my placenta and helped us into bed. She looked my daughter over. We brought up some concerns we had. For one, my daughter had what looked like bruising around her nose. We were told it was due to her coming so fast. We believed it. Then, my daughter made an odd noise in which we were told it was just mucus in her airways and it would clear up once she ate. We could NOT get her to show the slightest interest in nursing. I even had my husband go to the store and buy a bottle so I could pump some colostrum. My midwife knew she wouldn't eat and likened it to her just being tired. She also seemed very tired which was due to a long labor. we were told that due to her being a preemie, her body would be unable to regulate it's temperature so we needed to keep her skin to skin or bundled up. She was 36 1/2 weeks.

At 11am, my husband realized she had stopped making that noise. And realized she was no longer breathing. He brought her to me (I had laid down to nap). We called 911 and did cpr on her. Her heart wasn't beating and she was limp. At the hospital, they did all they could and at 11:34am, they stopped trying to get her back. I remember all these people in this room trying so hard while I sat outside and watched them. The social worker kept me updated on what they were doing. I was told at one point that they had given her three shots of epinephrine to try and get her heart going but if she responded she would be severly brain damaged. After they stopped, so many people were crying. They pulled out a glider rocker and wrapped her up in a blanket for me to hold. My husband arrived after this and was devastated. Our pastor came and baptised her. The social worker got handprints, footprints, and a lock of hair. A photographer affiliated with Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep came and took pictures. Looking back, I wish I would of had all my other children brought to the hospital so we could have pictures of our entire family and all of our children together. Our daughter was laid to rest just 4 days later next to her great grandfather.