Noah, 34 weeks

Miracle mum Stacey shares Noah's story:

The day my life changed forever was also my birthday.
At just 34 weeks pregnant, six weeks earlier than expected, everything happened so quickly. I was rushed by ambulance from Parkes to Orange Hospital, knowing something wasn't right but never imagining what was about to unfold.
While in Orange, I reached 8 cm dilated when everything suddenly became critical. My placenta erupted, and Noah was beginning to detach from it. His heart rate started dropping, and within moments, the room was filled with doctors and nurses moving as fast as they could. It was terrifying.
At 4:43 pm, my beautiful little boy entered the world.
He weighed 2550 grams (5 lb 6 oz), measured 51 cm long, with a head circumference of 31 cm. Even though he was six weeks premature, he was absolutely perfect.
I was only able to hold him for a couple of seconds before he was taken away by the neonatal team. Those two seconds are something I'll treasure forever.
Just 12 minutes after birth, Noah developed increased work of breathing. By 10 hours of age, he was admitted to the Special Care Nursery after developing respiratory distress. He was placed on CPAP to help him breathe, started on antibiotics and IV fluids, and later received two normal saline boluses after experiencing low blood pressure.
Not long after, the NETS team transferred him to Nepean Hospital on CPAP with 25% oxygen. Watching your newborn leave in an helicopter with the amazing nets team! And me not being able to go with, while you can do nothing but hope is something no parent should ever have to experience.
Thankfully, Noah continued to fight.
On his third day of life, he came off CPAP and was placed on high-flow nasal cannula (HFNC). By day four, he no longer needed the high-flow support and remained stable on low levels of oxygen in his crib. His doctors diagnosed him with mild Respiratory Distress Syndrome (RDS), and day by day, he kept proving just how strong he was.
We spent around two weeks in Nepean Hospital before being transferred back to Orange Hospital, bringing us one step closer to home. About a week later, we were transferred again to Forbes Hospital, allowing our family to finally visit and support us during such an emotional time.
Slowly but surely, Noah reached one milestone after another. He came off oxygen completely, continued feeding through his feeding tube while learning to breastfeed, and before long, we finally heard the words we had been dreaming of:
"You can take your baby home."
Walking out of the hospital with Noah was one of the happiest moments of my life.
Our journey didn't end there. Since coming home, Noah has faced two surgeries, proving time and time again just how resilient he is.
Today, it's hard to believe that the tiny little boy who fought so hard to survive is now a happy, thriving little boy who has just celebrated 100 days of Kindergarten.
From a 34-week premmie who gave us the biggest scare of our lives, to the incredible boy he is today, Noah continues to amaze me every single day.
He is my greatest birthday gift, my strongest little fighter, and the reason I know that miracles really do happen. 💙