What happened to me
When I made it past the first trimester during my daughter Emily's pregnancy I thought my husband and I had finally hit the jackpot.
We attended pre-natal classes, I avoided all the things I was supposed to avoid and ate healthy food and took vitamins faithfully. I was hoping for a natural delivery.
However during delivery everything went wrong. The umbilical cord was around my daughter's neck and the monitoring failed to pick it up. When it became clear the delivery was in trouble there was no obstetrician available for a c-section right away. Finally she was born vaginally, but flat.
Although she was revived, she only lived 89 hours.
What I learned
I learned that even when you do everything right, sometimes things go wrong. I learned that my husband was a true partner even in the worst days. And I found the support of family.
I also learned that life really is the most precious gift. I have a healthy thriving son now and just the fact that he breathes seems like quite a lot.
What I wish I'd known then
I wish I had had a stronger voice in the hospital. I am now the patient that never shuts up, and I'm glad for that. I also wish I had been more aware of the risks that still remain in delivery even in our high-tech world.
