Our little blessing: The birth of Chinua

On a Tuesday evening I went to bed and suddenly had this huge “wee.” I thought, “How can it be because I just came from the toilet?” And yes it was clear water, smelling like bleach coming down. Luckily I was at my mother’s, and she said I needed to be rushed to the hospital.

First, I called the labor ward at the hospital. I was booked for birth, and the sister told me to come in immediately. They kept me overnight for observation.

The next morning my doctor came in to do some tests and told me that there was nothing that they could do to prevent my water from breaking—and that my baby could suffocate, which can cause death. He then told me if the water didn’t stop running, he would have to fetch the baby.

I was so terrified because I told him I would really love to have a normal birth.

They then induced me for labor, but the whole night through I didn’t get any pains. In the morning he told the sister on duty to keep an eye on me until 12 in the afternoon. Soon it was 2 p.m., and nothing had happened yet.

At about 2:45 p.m., she came in and in a rush went to call my doctor. He came in and said that he needed to do a emergency cesarean section. I didn’t have a choice because by then all my water was out, there were no contractions, and there was no sign of baby making a move.

I got an epidural, so I was awake through the whole procedure with my partner by my side. We were so delighted when the doctor took our little miracle out, and he cried. The sad part is that I didn’t have a moment to hold him in my arms right after birth because he needed to be rushed to neonatal. But his daddy got a chance to cut the cord.

Seeing my baby so tiny at 30 weeks and full of blue marks due to the lack of water just made me believe in God more. After birth he was in neonatal for two months—not a great experience for me being a first time mom, but I can only learn from it and be grateful for my baby’s health.

We named our little miracle Chinua, meaning “God’s own blessing.” That is what he is indeed, even if we were not prepared for his early arrival.

Send us your birth story! Whether you had a home birth, hospital birth, 37-hour labor or emergency C-section, we’d love to read the tale of your little one’s grand entrance. Write up your birth story (click here for tips on getting started) and email it, along with a few photos, to birthstory@pnmag.com. We’ll share it on our Birth Day blog and may even print it in an upcoming issue!