Remembering 6 years ago .....

6 years .. SIX years !!! Where on earth has the last 6 years gone???

This day 6 years ago I was happily plodding around Chadstone shopping centre .. 36 weeks pregnant and not at all aware that I was just hours away from the early arrival of my first child ...

At around 8pm Hubby and I sat down with some nibbles and a movie.. we got about 1 hour into the movie when a toilet break called (pretty standard stuff when 36 weeks pregnant !) I noticed a very small amount of pink blood at this point and after about another hour of discussions decided to call the hospital to make sure I shouldnt worry (or should worry !!) A quick call to the hospital and then we were in the car, heading to the hospital just to get checked out and make sure baby was ok... It was about 11pm.

We arrived at the hospital and half a dozen steps later my waters broke with a gush in the carpark !!! YIKES !!! I still recall saying to hubby at that point "ummm I think we might be meeting our baby very soon !"

I Waddled up to the birth wards and was checked out and told to rest there that night and that if labour hadnt progressed by itself that they would induce me at 9am...

By 1am labour had kicked in and hubby and I started the journey that would bring our first child to the world.. Labour was uneventful and reasonably quick.. by 7:48am our baby boy was born, perfect, beautiful. 6lb 7 oz and 51 cm long. Classed as premature even though only by a short while, our baby boy seemed to be perfectly fine.. but soon after birth two things were noted..

a) this boy wont suck and b) this boy wont warm up ..

so they rugged him up and popped him into a humid crib to get warm ... he looked so cute in there with his hat and hospital gown on ...

I took this chance to shower and dress and get some food into me !

During the shower I asked the nurse if "this much bleeding was normal?" .. how was I to know what normal was... her reply "its a fair bit but yes, quite normal"

So dressed and fed and gazing at my sweet boy getting warm in a crib, bliss ..

Then I recall a comment I made to hubby ....
"I dont feel very well"
then the next thing I remember is doctors and nurses everywhere... poking my vains to get an IV in, poking around "down there" and lots of pressing on my belly... I had had a large bleed .. but that wasnt the worst part... the worst part was the group of people around my baby... taking him away ....

My poor hubby ... I will NEVER forget his face as he stood in the middle of the room.. torn between his sick wife and his sick newborn son ... he stayed with me, on their instruction.

My son had gone into respiratory distress and was also hypothermic and hypoglycaemic ( I was diabetic in pregnancy) He was taken to a special care unit and given formula via a nasal gastric tube as he needed food in his belly fast ... That night I was wheeled down to see him and touch him a little....

By the next morning i was informed that he had developed a high grade "mystery" blood infection and was now in the NICU (NeoNatal intensive care unit) He was on IV antibiotics and fluids and had CPAP for oxygen... was covered in monitors and had a nasal gastric tube for feeding... He was so tiny and helpless and I just wanted to hold him but couldnt... It was like a horrible nightmare.



They kicked me out after two days so I travelled from home to hospital all day to bring milk and be with my boy. By day three I was allowed to have the occasional cuddle depending on how strong he was at the time...

This pic is of my first cuddle (apart from straight after birth)... they allowed the CPAP off for a quick cuddle (hence the velcro on face)


approx day 6, CPAP off, note the bruising on his poor little hand ... :(


All up he spent 10 days in hospital, slowly improving each day, he was SO strong .. It seemed like forever at the time.. I will never forget that last day when they said we could take him home.. the joy I felt, and the fear !

Now its been 6 years and although my boy took time to develop in some areas he is now just a normal, strong, healthy, often frustrating 6 year old boy and I love him to BITS !!

Happy 6th Birthday my precious S, You are more precious to me every day and EVERY day I thank God that you are here with us, that he gifted us with you !!