Isabelle's Story, 27 Weeks
Miracle Mum, Trudie shares her daughter Isabelle's story.
"From the outset my pregnancy was perfect, no morning sickness, loads of energy and a healthy bub. I went for the standard 20 weeks scan to make sure everything was on track and to find out if it we were having a boy or a girl. It was a girl, my husband and I were so excited! I think I actually had tears roll down my face. Then the nurse went quiet and left the room, she said I will be back in a moment. Our hearts sank. Someone else came in and checked the screen, they then said you need to go to the hospital you don’t have any closed cervix. My husband and I knew this was bad biu didn’t quite understand the full impact. Our Obstetrician was called and I was whisked off to the hospital.
Waiting in the maternity ward was horrific, I had no idea what was going to happen. We saw our doctor and was told that I have no cervix holding the baby in, (well half a centimetre compared to the 5cm that it is meant to be), and our little girl could come at any moment but being only 20 weeks there is no chance of survival. The only choice I had at this point was to put a stitch in and lay in bed with my feet raised until the day comes. This lasted eight weeks.
I had reached 24 weeks, a point were my baby was now “viable” (such a horrible word to use for a baby) I was given steroids for lung development on a weekly basis and sent off to another hospital that had a NICU. I was given the tour of the NICU, advised of what to expect when bub was born, what my choices were if something went wrong and asked to plan what my husband and I wanted to do if something developmentally was wrong with our baby. The emotions were running wild by this time.
Laying on my back lasted another three weeks. One Monday morning I woke with lower back pain, I knew this was it. After daily doctor visits and scans ever second day with no pain or changes in mucus or any obvious signs I was actually pregnant (other than big belly and kicks) I knew my little girl was about to be born at 27+3 weeks.
I was given medication to try and stop the labour but nothing worked. I was then given magnesium and sent off to the labour ward. 1.5 hours later Isabelle was born, weighing 970 grams and sent off in a crib with a herd of doctors. It was at least two hours before I could go and see her.
Our NICU journey last 70 days. We were very lucky that she did so well with everything that was thrown at her. She worked her way through all breathing issues, with oxygen only needed for the first few days. She basically told us when she was ready for coming off all the machinery; she even pulled her feeding tube out before she was on all suck feeds.
Our little Isabelle is now 2.5 years old and is kicking life’s goals. She has met all of her milestones well and truly before she should have. 27 weeks was her full term due date. She is my inspiration to pushing harder and taking on challenges I never would have before."
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