Mia's Story, 23 Weeks
I had been having Braxton Hicks all throughout my first pregnancy. I was only 23 weeks along when they were particularly bad one day. My husband kept telling me to go to the hospital and get checked but I thought I was just overreacting. By the next morning the pain was very strong so off I went to my local hospital not really sure what was wrong. The midwife on duty assured me there was nothing wrong and was about to send me home with some antibiotics for a UTI when a student doctor asked if they could chat to me and feel my stomach when I had pain. Right away she was sure I was having contractions and when a swab came back positive for amniotic fluid we were quickly given a shot of steroids and priority one ambulance straight to King Edward Memorial Hospital.
King Eddies were fantastic and managed to stop my labour for about 6 hrs. but right around 5pm my contractions started again and then my waters broke. I was petrified! After 3 hours of strong labour we delivered our little girl at 9.00pm the 17th February 2009. She was 23 weeks and 4 days and weighed only 645gm.
She was so tiny she looked like she could fit in the palm of your hand. About a minute after she was born she let out the tiniest cry. It sounded like a little mouse. It’s a sound we will never forget. Just as quick as she was born she was whisked straight down to Special Care Nursery 3 where she would stay for the next 122 days. The doctor’s nurses and staff were so amazing. Although they made it very clear she only had a 5% chance of making it through the night they were going to do everything they could to save her. She made it through the night, then the week and then she just fought on through lots of ups and downs over the next 5 months.
Mia suffered from all of the usual preemie issues. Lots of infections, RoP (which she had laser eye surgery), blood transfusions, sleep apnoea etc. But we were extremely lucky; she was very strong right from the start. A real little fighter, with lots of determination. Finally we were able to take her home a few weeks after her due date, with a tank of oxygen and a few monitors, but home none the less. It was the best day of our lives we were over the moon! Surviving the NICU is by far the hardest thing my husband and I have ever done. It was heart wrenching and a very tough time for both of us. It took me a long time to come to terms with it, and now I am so proud of how far we have all come.
Mia is now 4 years old and has just finished her first term at kindy. She is incredibly smart and outgoing and brave. Apart from having Chronic Lung disease and a slightly lowered immunity she has had very little health problems considering her early start. We were warned of all the disabilities she might have as a result of her birth but she has defied all the odds and is a very healthy, Normal and active 4 year old. She has just finished Occupational Therapy for the term and will be starting Speech Therapy soon but these are tiny hurdles. She really is our little miracle girl!
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