Hi
At around 29-30wks I was monitoried for pre-eclampsia, then finally on a Tuesday I was forced into hospital and given steriod injections to help baby's lungs. By the Friday night I mentioned to a nurse that I had what felt like a band around my chest and not long after I was taken to the delivery suite, after both of us were monitored through the night I was prepped for surgery. I let the nurses ring my husband in the morning and he got to the hospital 30mins before I went to surgery. Why surgery? Because baby was presenting breech and it was considered easier for both of us. The gynocologist and the nurses told me not to be disappointed that it wasn't a natural birth, I told them I didn't consider it a race and that a safe birth for both of us was all I wanted.

Elly was born at 1.29pm on the Saturday at 31wk 5dy was 3lb 6oz (1535g), and I had an epidural so that I could hear and see her when she was born. I even got to give her a kiss before she was taken up to NICU. My next look at her was about 7pm when the male midwife and my husband wheeled my bed into the NICU to see her. I saw the video footage hubby took of Elly being brought into NICU and put into the isolet. My first cuddle came on day 2 when she was put inside my dress, a kangaroo type cuddle. I made myself get up and about from the second day on and was able to get up to the NICU to see her on my own steam from day 3. Elly had a bit of fluid on her lungs and had a bit of jaundice, she spent 7days in bay 1 or intensive care and during that time we were limited to one cuddle a day. At first I was hesitant about touching her in the isolet but my husband's confidence rubbed off on me. On day 7 she was moved to bay 3, to grow and get strong enough to come home. She was a fiesty little thing and didn't much care for us touching her much at first, which was the typical reaction of a baby born through pre-eclampsia.

Then on day 9 I was released from hospital. Leaving her in hospital was an ordeal, but I was comforted by talking to the other mums with bubs in the NICU. Sharing with them showed me that my reactions and feelings were normal. On day 11 Elly was kicked out to make room for other babies, I say this in a nice way, Elly was moved to another hospital with a special care nursery to grow, she was early but not ill requiring the specialist care services in the NICU. Elly thrived in the new nursery and together my husband and I got very skilled at changing nappies facing side on to Elly, holding her and bathing her without disturbing her monitoring leads. At times they moved Elly around special care nursery and we'd go to her old spot and suddenly find ourselves with another person's baby. Those were the weirdest times we had through the NICU and special care nursery.

After only 5wks and numerous tests - ultrasounds, physiotherapist and opthamologists, we were allowed to bring her home. I was able to give breast cuddles rather than feeds, my milk never established and she easily switched between breast and bottle. I was also driving from 3wks after the surgery because it was faster to drive 20mins to the hospital over an hour bus ride. I didn't feel any ill effects from driving so early, and met the usual criteria of being able to use the pedals safely and stop suddenly without any difficulty or safety issues for me and others.

It was tiring looking after a baby who went from 4hrly feeds to 3hrly, and recovering from pre-eclampsia and surgery, but it was a joy to have her home with us. We also had community visits from the midwives who checked up on families who'd had premmy bubs, and we learned how to do infant rescusitation. It relieved our minds having that skill, we haven't had to use it thankfully. When Elly was 6mths/4mths I had to go back to work and she was put into full time daycare. Since then we've gone through a couple of viruses with vomiting and diahhorea, asmtha and chicken pox. My husband also caught chicken pox and Elly was by far the easier patient. She's still got to have a check up in a few weeks to see if she needs glasses to correct long sightedness, and we've learned how to use puffers and spacers for asthma medication. At this point in time she's a happy little 18mth/16mth old, who captures everyone's heart with her sunny personality and smile.

I find it interesting that I have 2 cousins on my mothers side who between them had 3 premmy babies each, a cousin had 3 averaging 6lbs and the other cousin had 3 averaging 4lbs birth weight. My sister-in-law also had a 36weeker. I don't know much more than that about their early experiences.

Our time in NICU and a special care nursery was scary at first, but as our knowledge and confidence grew it got easier. We also lived close enough to the hospital to see her every day of the 5wks she was in hospital. I think overall we had a very positive experience.
Tracy - Elly's Mum