Fuel NICU baby Jericho's Fight: Single Mom's Plea

My name is Ashley and I’m 24 year old, single momma now to a 25 week old preemie NICU baby boy named Jericho Ray.

Let me tell you about our story.

The day me and his dad found out I was pregnant, we told my dad and he said, “I should have known! I had a dream of a Fiesty and stocky little boy running around!” And another night I woke up at like 3 am randomly and God/YHWH told me I would have a son and his name shall be Jericho.

My Medicaid took FOREVER to hit for no good reason and when it finally did, I was able to make an appointment for my baby in my tummy at 22 weeks at about 8 am. The appointment was supposed to be an ultrasound and exam….. we see on the ultrasound I was having a boy! But… during the exam, the nurse stops and says, “okay you are 2 1/2 centimeters dilated already, (again at 22 weeks!) We are gonna have to take you to labor and delivery.” You could imagine how terrified and worried I was especially dealing with this all alone as a helpless, single parent, just trying to do what’s best for her son.

They ended up institutionalizing me over night to see how I would do… followed along right after that first news, another ultrasound because something didn’t seem right with the first… They tell me my son could have a possible brain abnormality aswell. So, I try to take it all in and just do what I need to do. That day was full of tears.

The nurse said that they were gonna schedule a cerclage surgery for me the next day, which if you don’t know, it’s a surgery where they stitch your cervix shut to try and prevent you from dilating more and keep baby in longer. So they keep me over night and early in the morning I had to get a spinal tap/epidural for the cerclage, I cried the whole time. The nurses kept saying that I’m doing the right thing, but I couldn’t help, but say yeah I know I’m doing all I can and able in tears, but my baby might not even make it. That whole team of nurses and doctors prayed with me for my unborn child.

once the cerclage was over, they immediately went straight to telling me if I took several sets of steroid shots and magnesium IV’s it will help baby’s brain and growth and give him a better fighting chance at survival. So I once again, do what I must and let me tell y’all I HATE needles. I had IV’s in both my arms the whole time. I had to stay another night to see how I would do with the surgery, which appeared, at the time, to go well. All the while being fed constant pills of all kinds for contractions, pain, and other things I don’t even remember, but it was a lot and eventually got to go home. While I was home I noticed some weird jelly like discharge…

Then my next appointment comes up, and they have me marked as a high risk so I was scheduled appointments every other week. This appointment was once again an exam and ultrasound… cerclage looked good and THEN I’m told had BV from all the pills I was having to take which totally messed with my Ph balance and gave me too much good bacteria and no bad bacteria (no balance) So I had to go home on even MORE pills. As I’m having to take these pills and as each day goes by I notice each time the discharge got redder and redder and redder until one day a HUGE splash of liquid, not gummy blood came out with lots of cramping and PAIN. It was time to go to the hospital AGAIN.

This time I was 25 weeks.

Day one of being in active labor and didn’t even know it-

My mom takes me to the hospital and I have an exam done and I’m told my cerclage is wanting to not work and so they figured I was far along enough to deliver SO they admit me again to see how I would do over night… they check me again and decided to take the cerclage out UNMEDICATED, yeah OUCH, and I was 3 centimeters dilated at 25 weeks! They had me connected to a constant epidural in my back, magnesium (if you know, you know, it makes you feel AWFUL) and constant sets of steroid shots AGAIN. They did this thinking that sense I was dilated 3 centimeters already, baby would come today right? WRONG.

Day 2 of being in active labor-

I’m still STUCK at 3 centimeters so they start me on pitocin, which if you don’t know, makes contractions hurt worse, but I wasn’t worried AT THE TIME,

because I had the constant epidural in my back that I could use anytime I needed. I thought I was good to go, again WRONG. I get to 5 centimeters dilated and I was stuck AGAIN, but at 5 centimeters. If you think it couldn’t get any worse, it does.

The epidural was in my back for so long, that it started making my blood pressure fluctuate to where I couldn’t get as strong as a dose. And of course this happens when I’m stuck at 5 centimeters when they DECIDED to do another exam just the see I had scar tissue from my cerclage that was preventing me from dilating anymore. So, they STRETCHED my cervix with their FULL HANDS, while I’m UNMEDICATED and I was in PAIN. I’ve never cried so many tears ever in my life and followed up with more steroid shots and magnesium for the night.

Day three of being in active labor-

Day three roles in and I’m STILL 5 centimeters dilated. Come to find out, the bleeding was because my placenta was trying to detach itself which could have KILLED ME ALSO.

AND they tell me they might have to CUT MY CERVIX to dilate quicker! But LUCKILY another nurse stepped in and said nope! This girl has been through WAY too much already and just started upping my pitocin dosage. Again , my epidural is non existent at this point, so I felt EVERYTHING. Contractions start coming in closer and closer and stronger and stronger, I’m telling my self I can’t do this!!!!! The pain is TOO unbearable!!! And she cranks me up to a level 16 with pitocin and had me dilate to a full 10 centimeters, unmedicated. I pushed about 5 times and my son was born, FINALLY!

He was crying and breathing all on his own. I thought to myself. I did it!!!! Not only did I do it, but he’s okay! He’s alive! Everything I did and endured was worth it and he was okay! All the nurses kept saying he was a “strong and feisty” little boy!!! Which reminded me of my dads dream, it made me think of in a way, God’s/YHWH’s promise to me that he was gonna be okay.

Jericho Ray at 25 weeks is now a NICU baby… doing great! But still worrisome… as a single mom who got out of a toxic relationship despite how her heart felt, I had to do what was right for my kid. No vehicle, no job, no home to call my own, but my mother’s couch. If you know, you know. I once had all those things all on my own….

But by doing so, I had to take on the role and responsibility to do this on my own. I was a mother now and I am here to tell my story and ask for help for me and my NICU baby, Jericho.

He will be at the hospital for about 2 months/his due date. With this being said I HAVE to see him and hold him and bond with him as much as I can to ensure his survival rate is again, even higher. So, here I am asking for help. I live 30 minutes away from the hospital and all that driving is SO MUCH MONEY, I just need a break! I need help until I can get back going how I was before things got bad…..

Anything helps, if you made it this far, thank you for taking the time to acknowledge me and my Jericho’s story and helping if you can.