Mckenna's Story

Hello! I have enjoyed reading all of your inspiring stories so I thought I would share my own with you. My husband and I were married 1 year when we decided to start trying to have a baby. After a few months went by and nothing finally on the 5th month of trying we got a positive. I know now that I am so lucky to have gotten one that quickly. Anyway, all went well the first 6 months and it was a pretty typical pregnancy. However that soon changed.

After a visit to the Dr. and a high blood pressure reading she started to watch me very closely. Then on the next appt. same thing. So once a week I would have to go in for an ultrasound and then again on a different day of the same week for a stress test. This went on for several weeks and my blood pressure was still high. She tested me for precamplsia on several occasions and the test was always negative. Every ultrasound they would tell me that the amniotic fluid level was "low" which scared me to death.

Finally on July 19th at what I thought would be just another appt. I was 28 weeks pregnant and she put me on bed rest. After about 3 weeks of that.. which was MISERABLE I went in for another stress test and all was fine EXCEPT the blood pressure which was still high. She decided at 32 weeks to hospitalize me. I was to stay a couple of days and go home. Little did I know I would not be coming home for over a week. About the time she decided to release me to go home the babies heartbeat kept dropping on the monitor and the alarm started to sound. I was totally freaked out by this point. No sooner than she had left to let me go home she was back telling me that she start to give me shots of steroids to mature the baby's lungs and that we would be having a baby the next morning at 8am.

I had nothing prepared at home.. no nursery.. nothing. Throughout the night they continued to monitor me and the heartbeat only dropped once all night long but she decided to go on and take her from me at 33 weeks. The next morning after a c-section she came out healthy at a whole 3 pounds 4 ounces, 16 inches long. She never had to have oxygen.. never had to have a feeding tube.. nothing. She got to come home in about 3 weeks weighing 4 pounds by that point. She will be 1 year old in about 2 weeks and now weighs about 19 pounds. She is my miracle baby. The best and scariest thing that has ever come into my life.

Stephanie - Murfreesboro, TN Mom to McKenna