A miracle baby which was born 14 weeks earlier than expected at just fifteen ounces has finally made it home. Poppy Martin spent 102 days in an incubator at Leicester’s Royal Infirmary hospital.
Doctors feared for her, but Poppy has survived and now weighs a healthy eleven pounds. She is now seven months old and living with parents Lauren and James, who are both 24, in Northamptonshire, reports The Sun.
Lauren described the ordeal as “the scariest experience of my life”, saying the couple “weren’t sure if she was going to make it at first”. The mum added: “She was so tiny – indescribable really – and was on a ventilator for the first month of her life”.
Lauren also explained the difficult circumstances when Poppy was born, saying she and James couldn’t hold the newborn for over a week when she was first born.
“All we could do was make sure our hands were washed and sanitised so we could slip our hand in the doors of the incubator and touch her teenie tiny hands – the wait felt like forever. All we wanted to do was hold our precious girl.”
Babies born prematurely – which is officially before 37 weeks of pregnancy – are more likely to have long-term health issues, such as illness, asthma and feeding problems, because they have not fully developed in the womb, according to Mayo Clinic. They are also said to be more at risk of sudden infant death syndrome – when an infant dies for unclear reasons, often while asleep.
Nevertheless, the NHS says it is possible for babies born at around 24 weeks of pregnancy to survive. Premature babies need to go into a neonatal unit.
Statistics have shown that one in every thirteen babies in the UK will be born premature. The NHS says if you should call your midwife or maternity unit if you’re under 37 weeks pregnant and have:
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regular contractions or tightenings
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period-type pains
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a gush or trickle of fluid from your vagina – this could be your waters breaking
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backache that’s not usual for you
