29 weeks, 769 grams
Kamaleah was born at 29 weeks gestation, via caesarean. This was due to her restricted growth. My partner and I found this out when we went in for what we thought would be a normal scan. However, it showed that she hadn’t gained any weight since our last scan.
From then on, everything seemed to happen very quickly. Within three hours, my partner and I were put on a plane to Wellington, as the Dunedin NICU was full. Our midwife came along with us and upon our arrival into Wellington I was taken to the hospital. I was admitted and monitored overnight, while my partner stayed at Ronald McDonald House.
The next day I was given a caesarean and our baby girl Kamaleah was born. She weighed only 769 grams, I couldn’t believe she could be so tiny!
The first few days were a blur as I was on pain relief. Kamaleah and I had our first cuddle when she was three days old. It felt wonderful to be able to hold my little girl for the first time.
I was discharged from the hospital five days after giving birth and I joined my partner at Ronald McDonald House, what a beautiful place! 
Kamaleah was a fighter and once she began her feeds, she started gaining weight really well. I, however, had a very rough recovery process. It was 14 weeks of pain. I had three hematomas and on the first night out of the hospital, I woke up in a pool of blood. I was so sore.
We went home to Dunedin two and a half weeks after Kamaleah’s birth. My partner had a separate flight, while the nurse and I flew home with Kamaleah. It was a bumpy flight to say the least!
Kamaleah had a slight liver problem to begin with, but has since had the all clear. She stayed in the NICU for three months in total.
She is now a happy one year old, weighing 8 kgs and is nearly walking!
