Give a Warm Welcome to: Ms. Allegra Blair Neely

On Friday, June 9th at precisely 9:15am, I gave birth to a healthy baby girl. She weighed 6 lbs 14 ounces and was 20 inches long. At that moment, life completely changed, the stars and moon aligned and instantly my purpose became clear. I was put here on earth to care and provide the best life I could for this little person… (What a load of Bull, lol). Let me tell you what I really felt, EXHAUSTION and though I have the deepest appreciation for the care the medical staff provided me, I was anxious to have doctor and nurse out of my private parts. I could not wait to simply close my eyes. Don’t get me wrong, I was indeed in love, but I was just so relieved to have delivered this baby. Once I held her and confirmed that she was breathing, saw that she had her 10 fingers and 10 toes, I gave her to my husband and closed my eyes for 5 harmonious minutes.

Allegra came about 2 weeks early as her due date was June 23rd. If asked, my doctor would tell you that I had one of the easier births that he’s delivered. My water broke at about 3am in the morning and guess what I did, I went back to sleep.🤦🏽‍♀️ Why you ask? Well, I felt no pain, and didn’t realize my water had broken. That day, I went to a client meeting, and I was shopping for baby clothing until about 3pm. Luckily, I had an appt which is how I ended up at the hospital ( I felt a little tension throughout the day so I called my doctor and he said that I should see the nurse before taking the class to make sure everything was ok). I strolled into the Labor and Delivery unit, with shopping bags in hand, literally skipping. I looked around and there were at least 5 women in active labor and I was the only goofball with a big smile, completely chilled. After being triaged, I found out that my water broke and that I had to be admitted. I was surprised and a little annoyed because: a. I didn’t have my bag or anything with me, b. I was actually there to take an Infant Safety class that I had already paid for and c. I was like WTH do you mean I’m not going to have a Cancer baby? Thankfully, my husband was there to basically tell me to chill-the-heck-out. Furthermore, I wouldn’t give birth for about another 15 hours so my husband was able to go home and get my things. I eventually had to be induced, and it all moved pretty quickly from there. I had about 25 minutes of pushing and it was over. Those 25 minutes were very exhausting, so although it was quick I was TIRED.

I am really thankful to have had such a good experience with my pregnancy because I have heard some horror stories. This experience has given me a profound respect for mothers and all women. Our bodies are treasure troves, we create miracles every day. I remain in complete awe of its capabilities, and the way we can create nutrition and care for another human being. My mind is just blown, and I continue to be amazed with each passing day. Below are more photos of my baby girl who I am smitten with. Now, you might understand why I preferred to stare at her all day long instead of the photos on social media.