So I hope you stay and walk this journey with me, because Prematurity continues to amaze me. It has taken me on the craziest, most rewarding ride of my life and along the way I've met many phenomenal people.
Today I introduce you to Meghan and Blaise. We have been brought together through (you guessed it),Prematurity.
I'm always in awe of where they started and how far they've come.
Below please find their journey, as told by Meghan.
I had wished for a baby and had tried for over a year to conceive and when my turn finally came around there wasn't a happier mother to be around.
At 18 weeks gestation I went for the routine abnormality blood tests that came back with a chance of spina bifia, my gynecologist sent me to a fetal specialist for a full fetal scan, that's when we found out we were expecting a little boy, Blaise, and he was perfect.
He was thriving and had absolutely no signs of spina bifia. We went on like normal - going for our monthly scans, eating right, drinking my water and taking my vitamins.
29 weeks came along and I can remember as clear as day, it was a Friday, and I had my check up with my gynecologist who was going on leave and I was relieved to know that he then wouldn't be on leave around my due date.
However during my scan he asked alot of questions about Blaise's movements and what they felt like. I had very little amniotic fluid left, I did not leak - I went to antenatal classes so I knew what to look and smell for.
My gynecologist sent me back to the fetal specialist to scan and advise if there was enough fluid to carry Blaise longer.
As it was a Friday afternoon he was already closed for the weekend so I was put on strict bed rest.
Monday morning I called for an urgent appointment and I was told that Dr is very busy he could only see me the following week. I told the receptionist that I couldn't wait that long I need to see him today I would even sit and wait for a spot.
I rushed over to the hospital, which was quite a distance from Alberton, where I stay. During my scan the Dr was very quiet, the occasional "ummm", "aaaah". We listened to Blaise's heartbeat over and over and it was strong but Blaise had stopped growing due to the lack of water.
On the scan he weighed a mere 800g.
Now my gynecologist was on leave, like gone out of the country, leave. I was sent to the Dr on call, when I got to another hospital I went straight to the maternity ward where I was strapped up to monitors and started a course of steroids.
Blaise didn't have enough water to wait another week.
The gynecologist on call had decided to deliver Blaise at 30 weeks on the Wednesday, he organized a bed in the NICU for Blaise and got the neonatologist up to date.
At 2 o'clock on Tuesday morning just before my next dose of steroids Blaise's heart beat became irregular. The gynecologist was called in and I was prepped for an emergency c section.
Blaise was born at 3:47 weighing a whole lot less then we expected. At a staggering 580g and 29cm tall, classified as a micro preemie, with a 15% chance of survival!
He was given oxygen and rushed to the NICU. At the stage I was in severe shock that I simply couldn't get a word out, I couldn't even ask if my baby was OK, I didn't even get to see him.
Blaise spent 84 days in the NICU. He was a strong little man, he fought his Cpap after a day but remained on oxygen.
He didn't have any infections but his tummy was too immature for feeds. He rejected the donor milk and was left on vein feeds for a few days until his tummy settled.
Once he got my breastmilk he managed OK. He got a total of four blood transfusions, one during a growth spurt. Can you imagine the hunger he felt not being able to get a feed in for 6 hours before the blood was administered?
He never got an infection and he was simply there to grow.
Blaise was released from the NICU weighing 2.3kg a far way from his 580g he was born at. He is now a healthy happy 2 year old little boy full of adventure and smiles.
While it hasn't been a walk in the park its been worth it and I'm grateful that God believed I was the best mom for Blaise, because I couldn't imagine my life without him.
If you haven't been in a NICU before you don't know the faith that lives in there. Miracles do happen and I've seen it in there, not just with Blaise but with many other babies that went through the NICU while we were there.
I give thanks to Dr Mnisi and the nurses at the Netcare Clinton for their healing miracle work they do every day.
"Being the parent of a preemie, means you're extra special. After all God doesn't just pick anybody to witness a miracle."
Xoxo
T
