I found out I was pregnant with my little girl when I was 4 1/2 months gone.

I already had one son, and that was a textbook delivery so I expected the same for her. I was 18 weeks along when I found out that she was more than likely going to die. One bump or knock to the stomach could have killed her. There was hardly any amniotic fluid in the sac. That’s why I still wasn’t showing. The doctors told me, I had to have a C-section on the 29th of July. 4 weeks before she was due. I was living in fear for the next 2 1/2 months. Every time I even bumped her, I’d get the heart monitor out and check she was fine. There was one point where no one could find her heartbeat and I had to have an ultrasound which proved she was fine. I’ve never been so scared. I was 29 weeks then and they gave her steroids in the lungs.

On the 5th of July, my waters broke, I would have just dismissed it because it was that little, but I was in the middle of a shop and just screamed. An ambulance was called and I was rushed in for a C-section. She came out not breathing with the cord around her neck. I was lying there waiting for her scream. It took 3 1/2 minutes to revive her. I had tears streaming down my face. When she started crying, I don’t think I’ve ever been so relieved. She started breathing on her own after that but was rushed straight to NICU. She’s getting better bit by bit every day. She’s fairly well developed for a baby born at that gestational age.