11/01/2025
In honor of Prematurity Awareness Month, we are sharing one Oklahoma mom’s story of strength and survival:
My name is Angela, and I have been a labor and delivery nurse for 28 years. In November 1998, my husband and I welcomed our triplet daughters much earlier than expected. They were born extremely preterm and spent 65 days in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at the University of Oklahoma.
My pregnancy was complicated by preterm labor. At 20 weeks, I needed a rescue cerclage to help keep the pregnancy viable. Because I lived two hours away in Blackwell, it wasn’t safe to remain at home. I moved into the Baptist Plaza Hotel near the hospital, where I spent seven weeks on strict bed rest. During that time, I used a terbutaline pump to control contractions, sent twice-daily monitoring reports, and received home health visits twice a week. Those weeks were filled with uncertainty, but they taught me endurance, faith, and the value of every single day of pregnancy.
After 65 long days, our three girls came home. Today, they are nearly 27 years old. Two are married and thriving, and one, who has cerebral palsy, still lives with us and fills our lives with joy and strength.
As a labor and delivery nurse, I can say with conviction that every week counts. Each week inside the womb strengthens those tiny lungs and lowers a baby’s risks. As a patient who was also a nurse, I learned a personal lesson: do not ignore preterm contractions, even if they are not painful. More than six an hour should always be evaluated. Mine were not painful, and because I was carrying triplets, I dismissed them. When I was finally checked, I had already dilated to three centimeters at 20 weeks.
Looking back, I hope my story reminds others that vigilance, advocacy, and awareness can change outcomes. Every week truly matters.
Learn more about preterm birth and warning signs here:
https://www.marchofdimes.org/find-support/topics/birth/preterm-labor-and-preterm-birth-are-you-risk
