Baby Jaye
Born: October 2021
Weight: 700 grams
Gestation: -25 +0 weeks
Jaye has one hell of a story to tell she is the strongest little person I’ve ever met. 💜
Jaye was born very early due to my cervix opening, membranes being exposed and in the end infection set in causing me to go into labor. I was on bed rest for 11 days trying to keep her in for as long as possible, getting steriods and everything else they needed to help strengthen and grow her lungs. She was also breach which set the conversation of a c-section.
A couple days before birth she turned and was head down so natual labor was a no-go and after many hours of labour I was rushed down to theatre for an emergency c-section as I just couldn’t continue and she just wanted to stay. However, I actually ended up spontaneously delivering her naturally on the table and before they rushed her away they brought her back to the table to say hello and then she was whisked up to nicu.
The following day we were told she was doing great but she got tired with the breathing and needed ventilation, which she ended up needing four more times during our stay. She kept getting staph infections; she got sepsis and needed multiple blood transfusions, also she has chronic lung disease for which she still requires low flow oxygen.
This little girl spent 105 days in room 1 intensive care where she went from strength to strength, had good weight gains, good progress, she moved from incubator to cot and clothes, and was on CPAP for many months before finally graduating to high flow and then low flow. We moved on to 2 more rooms where she went from strength to strength , again the doctors told us it wasn’t going to be plain sailing and she was going to have many ups and down which she absolutely did. There were many set backs and very scary momnents but this little girl kept bouncing back with a little help from doctors and nurses and us willing her to keep going. She really struggled with bottle feeding and was consistently tube fed which she came home on she is now almost fully bottle feeding. She was on caffeine for most of our journey which was stopped not to long before our journey finished.
She’s a little girl that was not expected to survive that had everything thrown at her is now well over 5kg, fully bottle fed and is only on medication for reflux and a tiny wee amount of low flow oxygen. She is an absolute fighter and as her mother I couldn’t be more proud of her will and strength to keep going.
I owe everything to Christchurch NICU doctors and nurses for making our journey something we will absolutely never forget and forever be in debt. Our journey hasn’t finished yet – we still have many appointments, many hospital visits, blood test, scans, doctors appointments but the best day of my life was the day we got to bring my little girl home.
162 days of tears, frustration,happiness,triumphs,love and share will to keep fighting has gotten us here.
To all the other parents going through their own NICU journey, it does get easier. Jaye is 4 days off turning 6 months old, 2 months corrected, and is hitting milestones really well. She absolutely loves her mobile and her favorite song is ‘Row row row your boat’ and would be so lost without it and gives the best cuddles we’ve ever had.. keep fighting x
