Prematurity Has No Prejudice

My name is JessieLeigh.

I was raised in a comfortable, upper middle-class home.

I have a college degree.

I am happily married.

I have always been healthy.

I do not use drugs, drink heavily, or participate in "risky" behaviors.

I sought prenatal care at the start of my pregnancies.

My blood pressure, sugar levels, and weight have never wavered.

I gave birth at barely 24 weeks gestation.

Prematurity can affect anyone. It has no prejudice. And its consequences can be devastating. I am one of the lucky ones... my little girl's story is one of great triumph. Still, that came with a world of worry and challenges.

No one knows the reason I went into labor at only 23 weeks gestation. No one could ever find a single cause for C's prematurity. I was blessed to have a full-term birth prior to that one and even more blessed to have had one since. But my life will forever be changed and touched by the premature baby I brought into the world...

Today I'm joining forces with other bloggers to Fight for Preemies. Won't you please take just a couple minutes and visit the March of Dimes website? There is a wealth of information there... from what causes premature birth to statistical rates to how your state ranks to how you can help.

Today, November 17, bloggers unite to Fight for Preemies. Won't you join us?

(In an ironic twist, today is also my sister's- a preemie herself!- birthday... Happy Birthday, JB!)

Standing up and fighting for these precious, tiny lives works for me.