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Shelby James – 32-Weeker
By Valerie Duff
On December 11, 2000, I was 32 weeks pregnant. I had a pretty uneventful pregnancy till that day. I had my husband take me to the hospital. I was starting to bleed and I thought I was having some contractions.
We arrived at 6 p.m. The nurse told me she wasn't picking up any contractions. I was having back labor so I guess they were not registering on the monitor. I kept asking for my doctor to be called.
I was finally checked at 7 p.m. and I was dilated to 8. Finally they realized I was in labor. At 7:45 p.m. I was dilated to 10 but they had to break my water. Three pushes later Shelby was born at 8 p.m. weighing 4 pounds, 6 ounces.
He came out screaming. I briefly saw him. They told me he had a cleft lip and palate. The neonatologist gave him an Apgar of 7 and then an 8, which is excellent for a preemie. He did have immature lungs. The hardest part was getting him to eat. We had to use a special bottle.
On Christmas day Shelby was transferred out of the NICU to special care and by New Year's Day he was home. He is very healthy.
