Jasper was born at 29+6 in August 2013. Over a week before my waters started to leak, I thought I had bladder weakness, as it got worse I thought I had a UTI but the antibiotics didn’t help and I started to get green discharge. We went into the maternity unit where they found my waters had broken and the baby was breach and in distress.
I was prepped for theatre but was able to be awake with my husband with me. We had a scary moment when the doctor felt it was taking too long to get him out but then at 9.41 am he was born with a small cry. I watched as a team of nurses and doctors worked on my tiny baby. They brought him over for me to see before racing him through to the NICU with his daddy following. In recovery I was given a photo before being taken to see him in my bed.
He was ventilated self extubating at 9 hours old but he wasn’t able to breathe properly on his own. He was put on vapotherm having rejected c-pap. He had apnoea and was put on caffeine to help him remember to breath. Developed reflux and had frequent bradys and desats. As well as low levels in various minerals.
At 3 days old I got to hold him. We soon got into a routine of days in the nicu and the constant expressing for me determined to feed my milk to my baby. Kangaroo care became a constant, Jasper was always in my top as I read to him or snuggled up with his Daddy.
He was in ICU for 8 days, HDU for 11 days and SCBU for 16 days. Suddenly at just over a month old we were preparing for home and rooming in.
The Neonatal Unit not only looked after Jasper but helped us as well. Andy had never held a newborn or changed a nappy suddenly he had to do all this around wires and lines. The nurses were always there to lend a helping and supportive hand.
We now have a lively, determined and strong willed toddler who lets nothing faze him. At 22 months he’s still petite but that seems to only add to his speed. Everyday there’s something new which is great fun.
I was prepped for theatre but was able to be awake with my husband with me. We had a scary moment when the doctor felt it was taking too long to get him out but then at 9.41 am he was born with a small cry. I watched as a team of nurses and doctors worked on my tiny baby. They brought him over for me to see before racing him through to the NICU with his daddy following. In recovery I was given a photo before being taken to see him in my bed.
He was ventilated self extubating at 9 hours old but he wasn’t able to breathe properly on his own. He was put on vapotherm having rejected c-pap. He had apnoea and was put on caffeine to help him remember to breath. Developed reflux and had frequent bradys and desats. As well as low levels in various minerals.
At 3 days old I got to hold him. We soon got into a routine of days in the nicu and the constant expressing for me determined to feed my milk to my baby. Kangaroo care became a constant, Jasper was always in my top as I read to him or snuggled up with his Daddy.
He was in ICU for 8 days, HDU for 11 days and SCBU for 16 days. Suddenly at just over a month old we were preparing for home and rooming in.
The Neonatal Unit not only looked after Jasper but helped us as well. Andy had never held a newborn or changed a nappy suddenly he had to do all this around wires and lines. The nurses were always there to lend a helping and supportive hand.
We now have a lively, determined and strong willed toddler who lets nothing faze him. At 22 months he’s still petite but that seems to only add to his speed. Everyday there’s something new which is great fun.