When Baby
Crashes Babymoon An unexpected visitor surprises mom and dad on their babymoon getaway.
W
hen Jessica and Nathan set off on a “babymoon,” they had planned to rest and relax before their daughter arrived. A babymoon is a chance for expecting parents to get a vacation before their baby arrives. But baby had other plans. Jessica and Nathan live in Chicago, where Nathan teaches at a small liberal arts college and Jessica is a freelance writer. As many expecting parents do, they chose to spend a few days with some friends, who own the Amber House Bed and Breakfast in Rocheport, Missouri. Two days into their trip, Jessica work up at 2 a.m. having strong contractions that were already five minutes apart. She was only 34 weeks pregnant. Jessica and Nathan’s birth plan had been thrown an unexpected twist. Back in Chicago, they had been meeting and working with midwives for months. Jessica going into labor in Columbia, Missouri, was not part of the plan. They first called their midwife back in Chicago, who thought that Jessica could be having intense Braxton Hicks contractions. But after Jessica’s water broke, Nathan and Jessica drove to the nearest hospital. Zora was born at 3:24 p.m., weighing in at 4 pounds, 6.5 ounces, 17 inches, and six weeks early. Jessica was able to get skin-to-skin contact with Zora. She says, “When she got in my arms,
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BOONE HEALTH
Winter 2022
Baby Zora being held by mom Jessica in the NIC U.
