Strong baby girl Ila Yinka was born on 5/21/20 to first time parents amidst many surprises!

Today's birth announcement was written by our doula, Emily, and shared with permission by the birthing parents. We love it when parents share their own birth story when possible and it is always our pleasure to help announce the birth of our sweet doula babies when we can!

"Surprise surprise surprise! 

There’s nothing like your water breaking to make you feel surprised! I would guess that Yasmin and Malike experienced a lot of different emotions when Yasmin’s water broke at 33 weeks pregnant, but I'm almost certain surprise was one of them. 

Lots of questions and uncertainty followed but one thing was sure they needed to make their way to the hospital. It’s no surprise that they were not even prepared with a overnight bag! 

I was pleasantly surprised with the way the hospital handled the situation. They concluded a premature rupture of membranes and gave her a steroid treatment. When used between 25 and 33 weeks of pregnancy, steroids can speed up the development of the baby's lungs a lot. This gives many preterm babies a much better chance of survival. 

The best part is that even with ruptured membranes, their medical providers allowed the couple to be monitored for a few days until the baby reached 34 weeks before a proposed induction of labor. Doctors considered 34 weeks kind of a sweet spot because at 34 weeks, more babies have a better chance of delivery without any major complications (even though the baby isn't considered "early term" until between 37 and 38 weeks). 

Yasmin and Malike stayed in contact with me, their doula, sharing information and contemplating options. I am extremely impressed with how the couple managed the unexpected surprises with great finesse. I later found out how Malike supported Yasmin

throughout labor and delivery like a highly experienced doula! While only one support person was allowed into Labor and Delivery due to COVID precautions at the hospital, we had spent weeks nurturing our relationship and discussing the couple's birthing preferences. I'm thankful I was able to use that time during pregnancy to share information, tips, resources and answer their questions with their best interests in mind, and support them as they made decisions directly leading up to the birth of their daughter. I had no doubt that Yasmin was fully ready for her birth and that Malike was fully equipped to support her.

I am excited to announce the surprising arrival of a very eager little overcomer born on May 21, 2020. Join me in welcoming baby Ila Yinka Adigun. She’s named after her grandma (Malike's mom) whose name was Olayinka, from Nigeria. This thriving tiny tot was born 34 weeks old, weighing 4 pounds and measuring 16 inches long. 

A great big congratulations goes out to Yasmin & Malike as they enjoy their sweet little bundle! I look forward to hearing more of the story from mom and dad and am honored to have played a small part in their birth journey."

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In doula kindness,

Emily

**If you wish to learn more about doulas or classes to help you prepare for your birth, visit us to schedule your intake call with Mindful Birth Services.