Being pregnant is a beautiful and terrifying experience. A mom took to Instagram to share the story of her toddler, who was born at 29 weeks. When she was 17 weeks pregnant, doctors told her that she had no amniotic fluid left and that her pregnancy was likely not viable.
Despite the doctor’s warnings, the mom continued with the pregnancy. After an emergency C-section, her baby was born needing oxygen. But over time, her “warrior” defied expectations and is now a thriving toddler.
More from CafeMom: Parents of Micro-Preemie Discover Clothes From Build-A-Bear Fit Their Baby Perfectly
The mom celebrated her baby turning 2, sharing the message on social media.
Mom Suzy Mack shared her son Ozzy’s story in an Instagram reel to commemorate his second birthday. “Two year old warrior baby 💪🏾 His story wraps us in a blanket weaved of faith, hope and love,” she captioned the post.
The video opens with ultrasound pictures with words reading, “Week 17: baby has no amniotic fluid due to preterm pre rupture of the membrane (PPROM).”
Next is a photo of her older son posing in a pregnancy announcement photo with “They tell us ‘this pregnancy is over,’ it’s ‘non viable’.” She further explains that doctors told her she could terminate the pregnancy or decide to wait for labor to start.
Having a fetus with no amniotic fluid is incredibly dangerous.
“Typically, labor begins within hours or days after water breaks,” Mack explained in an interview with Newsweek. She further explained that a lack of amniotic fluid can severely impact the development of a fetus’ lungs.
“In our case, remarkably, our baby continued to grow despite the lack of fluid. However, this growth didn’t guarantee proper lung development, leaving us uncertain if he would be able to breathe at birth. It was an unusual and worrying situation, as babies rarely continue developing without amniotic fluid,” she continued.
More from CafeMom: World’s Youngest Preemie Given ‘0% Chance’ of Survival Celebrates 1st Birthday
She decided to wait and see what was going to happen.
The mom told the magazine that she thought her pregnancy would end naturally
“However, when we returned to the ob-gyn after two days, we saw our smiling baby on the screen with a strong heartbeat,” she said. “This powerful moment changed everything. Seeing him alive and seemingly well, we couldn’t bring ourselves to terminate, regardless of the lack of amniotic fluid.”
She continuously had to make the choice to keep going with her pregnancy; every two days she had doctor’s appointments and ultrasounds to track Ozzy’s development. At each one, she was given the option to terminate, but the mom kept deciding to “let nature take its course.”
She knew the risks, but she wanted to give her baby a chance.
Around 3 a.m. on the day Ozzy was born, Mack woke up in the hospital and knew something was off. Doctors and nurses insisted she wasn’t in labor, despite her pain and pleas for help.
“As a woman of color, I was acutely aware that my experience reflected a broader, systemic issue,” the mom shared. “Studies have shown that Black women are more likely to have their pain and health concerns dismissed or undertreated by medical professionals. This knowledge added another layer of fear and frustration to an already intense situation.”
Eventually, they listened and discovered Mack was five centimeters dilated. Ozzy was born via emergency C-section and immediately placed on oxygen. Doctors told the mom her son could be on oxygen for years before being able to breathe on his own.
Now her 'miracle' baby is a thriving toddler.
Ozzy has continued to defy doctor’s expectations. Once he came home from the hospital, he thrived, no longer needing oxygen. He continues to grow and meet all of his developmental milestones. Every day, the mom is thankful for her “warrior baby.”
“Ozzy’s journey, from a precarious pregnancy to his current thriving state, embodies the spirit of a true warrior. His ability to overcome challenges that many thought insurmountable is a constant reminder of his incredible fighting spirit,” she shared.
