ONE POUND, TWELVE OUNCES

In this memoir, a woman recounts the emotional and physical struggles to save her micropreemie baby.

Harris’ baby was due in January 2011. But in September 2010, the author went into labor and was rushed to the hospital. The tiny fetus was still four days short of the 24-week mark, the accepted standard for potential viability. But the gestational sac had begun to emerge from her uterus. Harris was placed in the “Trendelenburg” position, with the head of her bed tilted downward at a 30-degree angle, a spot she remained in for six days. The night of the sixth day, she was pumped full of drugs to slow the labor. In the morning, she was examined by the on-call perinatologist, who declared: “I believe this is a doomed pregnancy, and you should stop treatment and let it go.” But Harris had already suffered two miscarriages in her attempt to have a second child, including the heartbreaking loss of twins during the 14th week of her pregnancy. She was not about to give up without a fight. Samuel William was born five days later—having made it several days across the 24-week divide. He was 12 inches long and weighed 1 pound, 12 ounces. Having survived birth, he would now face 95 roller-coaster days in the newborn intensive care unit, including surgeries on his heart and retinas, before he could go home. Harris relates to readers her entire experience of Sam’s birth and the following months, up until his first birthday, through meticulous descriptions, revealing some of the most intimate details of her own recovery and the precious moments she shared with the tiny infant. Some readers may find themselves squirming during the more graphic passages. Still, the painstaking, moving memoir is packed with valuable information and intriguing factoids about the unique micropreemie world. In her acknowledgement section, Harris thanks her first child, Irene: “I know you have had to deal with more than most kids ever have to deal with.” Unfortunately, despite earlier extensive personal disclosures, there is no afterword, leaving engaged readers pondering the subsequent consequences of Sam’s four-month-early birth.

An articulate, poignant, and gritty family account, but one in need of a short follow-up.