When Premature Birth Might Be a Good Thing

"We knew at a 16-week ultrasound that our daughter, Evelyn, would be born a condition called Arthrogryposis Multiplex Congenita (AMC). I was under a lot of medical scrutiny, and until she was born at 30 weeks 2 days, that didn’t change.

Her premature birth, though unexpected and scary, was actually a welcomed thing given her diagnosis. AMC is a condition that has one of hundreds of underlying conditions, many of them genetic. Because a baby with AMC has low muscle tone that often results in less fetal movement, being in a restrictive environment is, in a way, the baby’s worst enemy. So, when I went into labor two months before Evelyn’s due date, I was worried she may not survive yet excited to know that her joint contractures could no longer worsen once she was out in the world. Instead, we could work with physical therapists to stretch her out and correct some of what had occurred in-utero.

We spent five weeks in a wing of the hospital I never dreamt I’d have to witness: babies crying, parents crying, machines beeping, doctors and their entourage clogging the floor space. Each day we showed up and sat for hours before going home to sleep. Tears on the way out, tears on the way in. I never wanted to leave Evelyn behind, and I never wanted to have to come back.

But despite learning new jargon, learning how to hold a baby attached to cables and tubes, and trying not to panic every time Evelyn’s monitor went off, there were moments of joy and gratefulness. Those often came under the bliss of the warm blankets they kept on hand for times we could snuggle our baby.

Other babies came and went, roommates changed regularly, and parents we quickly befriended were able to go home with their babies before us. All of it was comforting and upsetting. Nine years later, Evelyn is thriving, and while treating her AMC is a lifelong endeavor, she is more than than a NICU baby. We are more than just a NICU family." NICU Mama Laura