But I was determined I could do this alone.  I found out that i was having a baby girl and decided on the name Skylee Jade.    When I was 18 weeks pregnant I started bleeding, I went to the hospital where I was kept waiting for 6 hours before they checked the heartbeat.  It was 142 BPM so I was told it must be normal pregnancy discharge.  As it was my first pregnancy I didn't know any different. 

Three weeks later, when I was 21 weeks was when it became clear that the bleeding was a warning sign.  It was 18th May 2008 (also a Sunday) and I had been fine all day.  I was lying in bed trying to get comfortable as I had started getting cramps in my back.  After about half an hour I got up and felt a gush of something come out.  I went to the toilet and saw that it was blood.  I ran out and got my aunty (who I was staying with) to take me to the hospital.  By the time I got there the cramps were unbearable and I thought I was going to faint so my aunty told me to sit down and she'd get the nurse to come to me. 
 
While I was sitting there I got the feeling that the pad I was wearing wasn't going to hold the blood about to come out so I ran to the toilet.  I'd just gotten into the cubicle, but hadn't managed to take my pants off or anything when I felt a massive gush come out.  there was blood everywhere.  I sat in there crying for about 10 minutes until I heard someone come in.  I opened the door so she could see the blood, told her I was 21 weeks pregnant and asked if she could get my aunty from emergency.
 
My aunty came running in with two midwives and a wheelchair and I got taken up to maternity.  On the way up my aunty asked if I had tried to was the blood off my jeans.  When I said no, I saw the look on her face and that was when I knew it wasn't just blood as I had thought, my waters had broken.  I didn't know what this meant I just knew it wasn't good.  In maternity, I got stripped off and they started using a doppler on my stomach.  After a few minutes they gave up and brought in an ultrasound machine.  From this they could detect the heartbeat.  It kept varying from 40 BPM to 100BPM and then it would drop again.  I couldn't understand a word the midwives were saying except when they said "if you had've been 24 weeks or even 23 and a few days we could do something." 
 
It was then told that they weren't convinced it was my waters that broke and I would be staying in overnight and we'd see what happens.  I was then taken up to a room with drips and a catheter inserted.  Told not to eat or drink anything in case I required surgery and that I was being prepped for blood transfusions.  My aunty called my grandma who came to the hospital and did not leave until I did. 

 
During the night, the bleeding stopped and the midwife said that it was a good sign and again said she didn't think my waters had broken.  But about 6:00 in the morning I felt some more gushes and buzzed the midwife who came in and checked (because I couldn't move at all) and she freaked and started talking to the other midwife, telling her to get the doc up asap. She then said to me "I'll be honest here, there is still a chance that the baby's going to survive, but that chance is getting smaller".  At 8:00 I was given another ultrasound where I could see before I was told, that there was no heartbeat.  I was then told that there was no fluid either. 
 
I had a student midwife who had come down with me for the ultrasound and she just held me and cried as well.  I got back to my room, not really comprehending anything at all when the doctor arrived and started talking about giving birth.  I hadn't even thought about the fact that I would need to do that.  My grandma yelled at him and told him it was unfair to make me go through that.  That they should give me a caesarean.  But we were told it was too risky and I'd need to go into labour and as my cervix wasn't ready to deliver this baby, it could take 24-48 hours. 
 
At 2:30 that day I was given a suppository to bring make labour begin as I was bleeding too much for it to be inserted vaginally and told that in 8 hours I'd need more.  Well Skylee had other ideas.  I went downstairs for a walk with my grandma, just got downstairs when I felt like I was going to faint.  She grabbed the closest wheelchair and took me back up to my ward.  My blood pressure revealed it was 90/50 where it stayed for the rest of the day. 

 
I was put back into bed where I started getting contractions that were not even a couple of seconds apart.  I told the midwife who said I was exaggerating as I had a long way to go.  They then walked out and left me and my grandma alone.  i decided that I'd try and sleep which was an impossibility so I buzzed the midwife and asked if I could have anything to stop the pain.  She gave me panadeine forte.
 
About 5 minutes later I told my grandma that I really needed to poo.  so I got up and went to the toilet.  However I pushed once and I knew the baby had come out.  I screamed and told my grandma who ran and got the midwife.  I then had to walk back to the bed with the midwife holding Skylee in her hands, my grandma holding me up and the placenta still inside me. 
 
Once they had got me back on the bed they cut the cord but my body was not pushing anymore.  I couldn't make it and there were no contractions at all.  so I got sent back to the toilet to deliver the placenta.  Afterwards I got to hold my baby girl and she was so perfect.  Just small.  27 cm long and 360 grams.  There was not one imperfection that could explain what had happened except when they examined the umbilical cord they found only 2 arteries instead of the 3.  I had the first actual contraction at 3:00pm and was holding her in my arms at 3:50pm
 
That was Skylee's story.  Thanks for taking the time to read.

Story written and sent in to Born Sleeping by Skylee's Mummy Natarsha