This blog is a little bit late but i still wanted to blog about it because it is a very special time of year for us and to try and bring more awareness to Premature Births and babies and how common it is for babies to be born premature for a variety of different reasons. So here it is and hope you enjoy reading it…

Prematurity Day is celebrated every year on the 17th November, and to celebrate we wear something purple. It is a very special day for us as a family, after our little Alyssia was born at 29+5 gestation (11 weeks early) in April 2016. So this year (2018) we were invited to attend a small celebration at our local hospital where Alyssia was born and cared for during her 11 weeks stay in SCBU (Special Baby Care Unit)

The nurses had arranged for all mums who had been in their unit with prem babies to come along, catch up with the nurses and doctors, take photos, share their stories with each other and eat some cake… Eat some cake??!! There was lots of cake… But mmmmm yummy!!

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The celebration was really nice and was a really good turnout. Many mums and dads came along, ones whose premature babies are now entering their teenage years and others of whom have not long left the unit.

We met with some of Alyssia’s nurses and had a few photos done. It was quite emotional when first going through the doors and seeing the nurses who I had got to know really well during Alyssia’s care.

One of which was there when Alyssia was born. She was there when she was transferred to another higher care hospital the day after she was born and she was there caring for her when she returned to our local hospital 6 days later. She would be the one nurse that I believe got to know Alyssia very well and when she was on shift it always comforted me more knowing that if and when I left the hospital to go home, Alyssia would be OK. She knew my child so well that it put me at much greater ease when leaving.

The other nurse at the celebration was very comforting to me during our ordeal and very approachable to answer anything I had to ask, even the most difficult questions about the survival of my child etc. She has such a jovial way about her that I immediately found her very easy to talk to and approach, and we became very good friends.

The third nurse she was there for me when I was struggling during the breastfeeding. As Alyssia was so small she was being fed through a tube into her tummy, but I was able to pump my breast milk to use to feed her through the feeding tube. There were times when I was in so much pain and struggling, she helped me and gave me some really good advice and made me feel a little less pressured to produce milk for my child. She was very approachable and very friendly.

Three very dear friends I made and helped me through some really hard times and it was great to see them, have pictures with them and to just give them a hug. Thanks ladies xxx

 All the nurses in SCBU in my local hospital had their quirks and I made so many friendships, I am sad that they all couldn’t make the celebration but I know they have a very important job to do and we need them there for our little ones.

 At the end before we left each child who attended was given a little wooden heart with purple baby feet in the centre as a memento to remind us and them as they grow what we and they have gone through as a family. Such a lovely little gift, thank you, we were pleased to be invited and we will definitely see you at the next one.

 After the celebration, what surprised me was and still does, is the amount of people who have experienced having a premature baby and have gone through what we have recently experienced. As time goes on and on and I mention to people I meet in play centres, in the supermarket, to even the builder doing my garage conversion, they have all had experience with a premature birth/baby. 

 Sometimes I think well maybe I have been a bit naive in the past and not noticed how many do suffer with premature births, and sometimes feel a little embarrassed by that fact, but I own up to it, I never had a clue what goes on, what it entails, what can happen when you are pregnant. It isn’t always a case of you’re pregnant for 40 weeks and you have your baby and home you go.

 I now look at it in a completely different way, and when I see people out and about with their newborns that were born full term and are fit and healthy and they complain about not getting enough sleep and them wanting to feed every 30mins etc.. I think we’ll at least you got to hold your baby straight away, you don’t fall asleep with the constant reminder of beeps going through your head, and that you don’t have to worry about what will the next head scan show up?

 We are very lucky to have our little Alyssia, yes she has a disability which will be with her for the rest of her life but we have taken all the advice, all the steps and taken all the help and care needed to improve the quality of her life in the long run. It’s been a slog but if it wasn’t for the care she received during her 11 weeks in SCBU I don’t think we would have our happy little girl with us today.

 So this is our thank you to all SCBU nurses and health professionals all across the country. 

 THANK YOU xx