Cora-Kathleen born at 32 weeks

When I found out I was pregnant I was beyond thrilled, every milestone of what the baby was doing came up weekly to remind me of the development of my baby each coming week. When I was 16 Weeks me and my partner ben booked for an early gender scan, we already have a son and we're longing for a girl as the last girl in the family was me (22 years ago) it was booked for 17 weeks! 17 weeks came and we went to the scan and to our surprise there was no little boy bit but in fact we was having a little girl!!

As soon as we left the private scanning clinic we went shopping for little girl dresses shoes and head bands! 18 weeks came and we was doing our weekly shop around Asda when all of sudden I felt wet!

Embarrassed I went running to the toilet to my horror it was waters I could tell because of my previous baby Chase plus I was bleeding! I rushed out to tell Ben who was waiting outside and he immediately picked our son up and got us into the car, we rushed to the hospital without even ringing them. All the way there I could feel the water gushing out I was in tears thinking of my little girl who was so far before the viable age.

We arrived at the hospital where they put me in assessment room straight away and examined me down below the only words I heard was ' confirmed positive for amniotic water' this was when the consultant entered the cubical and told me there wasn't any chance for our baby that we had decided to call Cora-Kathleen (after my late nan) We was devastated, I was sent to a ward next to newborn babies crying knowing my baby that was inside me would never cry. All night I was balling my eyes out, ben had to go home with Chase over night and I felt so alone, morning came and the consultant came round and told me he could fit me in for a termination that day I panicked and refused it was all too much needed more time especially when I could feel the little flutters of my little girl. I discharged myself and went home later that morning as everyone was suggesting that I should end my baby's life! I eventually refused and I told them I would allow nature to take its course at least then I knew that I'd tried to give every chance I could. As the weeks went by instead of looking at cots and Moses baskets we was looking at coffins and ideas on headstones. At 23 weeks I started having contractions ben again rushed me to hospital where they found I was 2cm, neonatal team came to see us and explained because she was 7 days before viable age they wouldn't help her and just watch and see if she put up a fight and if not they would allow her to pass away I was in agony mentally and physically, over the course of the night the contractions kept coming but the cervix wasn't progressing any further, the eventually gave me pethidine so I could sleep I awoke 4-5 hours later to the contractions completely gone MIRACLE! I was again sent home after 3 days of monitoring contractions, and had weekly visits to the neonatal surgical team unit and at 25 weeks I was given steroid injections to help my baby's lungs this was after I begged for them, each week and each scan was the same 'no measurable fluid, baby compromised'. All I wanted was to get to 30 weeks as research had shown a 30 weeker had as much chance as a full term baby and also whilst researching I found little heartbeats and all these amazing story's of women going threw the same thing and there babys surviving I just hoped and prayed my baby was one of them.

I turned 30 weeks and we threw a little baby shower celebration, but at 32 weeks those contractions started again and I suddenly developed a temperature of 39.0 they told me they needed to get baby out so they hooked me to a drip to intensify the contractions, hours went by and at 17.36 2nd August, 2 months before her due date Cora-Kathleen arrived.

At first there was no cry as the neonatal team fought to get her breathing then we heard her cry and just screamed with joy. She weighed the most amazingly 6lb 3oz and required no support other than a close observation and antibiotics. She stayed in hospital for 2 weeks and she returned home and joined her brother Chase She's now nearly 4 and the most amazing little girl in the Whole World.