Team Emmy Bear

Emily decided she was ready to come into the world on Friday, August 13, 2010. My husband and I rushed to the hospital early in the morning to find out I was in preterm labor. Luckily the team at Greater Baltimore Medical Center Labor and Delivery were able to stop my contractions. I was able to receive two shots of corticosteroid over the next 24 hour period to help develop the baby’s lungs. I lasted on bed rest of three nights and the contractions started again early Monday morning. This time the doctors could not stop the contractions.
I had to have an emergency cesarean section. Our tiny baby was born at 5:04 am on August 16th. She was born at 26 weeks gestation and weighed only 2 pounds, 5 ounces and was 13.5 inches long. She had to be put on the ventilator right away to help her breathe. Ten days after Emily was born we were finally able to hold her. Since she was on the ventilator for this long she was diagnosed with Respiratory distress syndrome (RDS). She was given surfactant therapy to help the small air sacs in her lungs from collapsing. Without March of Dimes research, Emily may have breathing problems or worse, may not have made it out of the NICU.

Emily spent the next 86 days in the NICU at GBMC. They were the hardest days of our lives. Visiting her everyday- multiple times a day we saw new babies checking into the NICU. Some were much smaller and even sicker than our Emily.
Today Emily is 17 months old, healthy and so happy. She amazes my husband and me every day. I support the March of Dimes because before I delivered at 26 weeks, I had no idea the magnitude of issues and problems families could face trying to have a baby. Especially after being in the NICU and seeing all of the tiny, sick babies I had to reach out to make people aware of the issues many people go through when their baby is born sick, too soon, or doesn’t make it. I will continue to support the March of Dimes so they can help fund research to help stop premature births and to someday have all babies born healthy.