Joshua's Story, 32 Weeks

Miracle Mum, Jennifer had to be flown by air ambulance for an emergency c-section after going into labour at 32 weeks.

"I was sitting at home with my mum and my nan, cleaning when I started to have contractions. I thought it was only Braxton Hicks because I had only hit 32 weeks.

When the pain didn’t stop we went to the hospital in Tamworth. Tamworth nurses tried to stop the labour but were unsuccessful and my contractions began to become more frequent and painful.

Due to an inherited brain condition (Chiari malformation), I was supposed to be going to John hunter to meet the doctors and to discuss the condition and plan a c-section date. The decision was made and I was to be flown via air ambulance to Newcastle that night. My whole family here in Tamworth packed up and left by car to Newcastle, and my mum and I waited to be transported via plane. 

After arriving just before midnight I was settled into the birth suite and spent that night and morning there. The next morning I was told that my cervix was still closed and that Josh hadn’t moved down and engaged. My contractions continued that day well into the night. 

By 1am I was 4cm dilated and taken in for an emergency c-section after labouring for a day. Two attempts were made to stop labour but were unsuccessful. 

Joshua arrived at 01:58am and was a hefty 5lb 3oz (2.4kg) and was taken straight to the NICU. He spent His first 6 days of life in the NICU being tube fed through the nose and had two sessions of light therapy due to his bilirubin levels.

Josh and I were flown back to Tamworth hospital where he spent the next three weeks in the nursery. Josh quickly picked up on how to feed and was one of the most placid baby’s they had had for a while.

Josh got to come home to us on the 2nd of June and is now almost 6 weeks old. It was definitely a roller coaster ride for this to be how our first baby arrived!"


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