Devin Nicole's Birth Story

My second pregnancy was completely different from my first. My pregnancy with Alex-Marie was uneventful, other than she was born with the help of forceps at eight pounds, 12 ounces. However, our second daughter, Devin Nicole, was born at 34 weeks via C-section.

With Devin, I had morning sickness and heartburn but the pregnancy was going along fine until December 6, when my older daughter woke up in the middle of the night with an upset stomach. While my husband and I were up with Alex-Marie, I started getting this feeling that something was wrong with the baby. The more I thought about it, the more I realized she just wasn't moving around very much. At first I figured she was just running out of room. At two a.m., I got up and had some cereal and juice. All I felt was one kick so I knew something wasn't right.

The next morning I called my midwife and told her the baby wasn't moving much and I was worried. She told me to meet her at the hospital and they would monitor me. At the hospital, I was hooked up to the monitor and was told the baby had a non-variable heart rate. I didn't know what that meant, but it had my midwife worried enough to bring in the doctor. They then sent me for a biophysical profile where they checked the baby’s breathing and movements. Ten is a normal score yet I scored only a two on the test.

By five p.m., it was decided that I should be transferred to a hospital with a doctor specializing in neonatal care, but a few minutes later when the doctor returned and checked the monitor, he said he had to take the baby now–they didn't have time to transfer me. The rest of it was a blur. Everyone was running around, prepping me, talking to my husband and the next thing I knew I was on the operating table with the anesthesiologist explaining how she had to put me under at the very last second so the baby wouldn't get any of the drugs.

At 5:55 p.m. our little Devin was born. She was four pounds, 12 ounces and 18 inches long, which was actually larger than they thought she would be. The umbilical cord was around her neck twice! They said she wouldn't have made the trip to the other hospital. She was in ICU for two days and the hospital for 10 days. The hardest part was leaving this little tiny miracle at the hospital when I was discharged. My husband would go to the hospital on his lunch break and feed her and then I would go over later in the afternoon.

The reason I wanted to share my story is that many people have said they wouldn't have even paid attention if the baby wasn't moving around a lot towards the end of their pregnancy. The doctor even told me I saved my daughter’s life. If you feel your baby isn't moving much or if your intuition is telling you something is wrong, call your doctor. Don't worry if you think you’re overreacting because if it is nothing, you can at least put your mind at ease.

Our little miracle was home in time for Christmas even though she wasn't due for another month! She just had her two-month check up and she is now eight pounds, nine ounces. We are so glad that she's here!