S2 EP4 | Jessica’s Story: A 27 Week Preemie, NICU Stay and Her Second A 10cm Breech Labour Turned Emergency C-Section

In this episode, Jess shares her journey through two high risk pregnancies and births, including the emotional aftermath of extreme prematurity and NICU motherhood.Jess speaks openly about:Going into spontaneous labour at just 27 weeks with her first daughterThe shock and trauma of becoming a NICU mum overnightProcessing the grief of not getting immediate skin-to-skin or those “normal” newborn momentsEntering her second pregnancy carrying constant fear and hypervigilanceSevere pregnancy sickness with HG and managing multiple medicationsDiscovering she had an irritable uterus and recurrent contractionsWeeks of bed rest while parenting a toddlerRecurrent bladder infections potentially contributing to preterm labourBeing admitted to hospital at 33 weeks for threatened labourThe reality of steroid injections and prolonged monitoringHer waters breaking at 36+5 with a breech babyDilating to 10 centimetres before an emergency caesareanThe physical intensity of having a spinal while contractingHer daughter struggling to breathe after birth and being taken to special careThe emotional impact of once again not being able to hold her baby immediately after birthHow her first NICU experience changed the way she and her partner navigated the second birthRecovery after caesarean birth while parenting two young childrenThe emotional complexity of pregnancy after traumatic birthThis episode is a raw and honest reflection on premature birth, maternal resilience and the reality that birth doesn’t always go to plan.Want more?You can find episode photos over at:⁠https://www.instagram.com/wearemotherspod/⁠You can find me at:⁠https://www.instagram.com/iamsarahcusack/⁠You can find Jessica at:https://www.instagram.com/jessicaafisher/