Grace

Born Too Early.

Hello, my name is Becky, Grace's mummy - thank you for reading our story.

I was into my 29th week of pregnancy, all seemed well until I visited my doctors on 14th October 1996 when I noticed that my ankles had began to swell. The nurse discovered that my blood pressure and protein levels were dangerously high, I was rushed straight to Grimsby Maternity Hospital by ambulance with severe pre-eclampsia.

Once in hospital I was put onto a drip and given steroids for my baby’s lungs.

The next day the doctors tried to bring my blood pressure down, with the aim of keeping my pregnancy going for as long as possible and to give my baby more of a chance of survival.

The next morning I was given a Doppler scan to ensure my baby was still healthy, which she was. By early afternoon, her heartbeat was not as strong and an emergency caesarean was needed.

Grace was born on the 16th October 1996, at 3.31pm weighing 2lb 9oz (1.17kg).

She cried for a split second and I remember thinking that was a good sign. I saw her for a moment and she looked like a baby bird.

Grace was taken to the Special Care Baby Unit, my partner Alan went to see her where he was told that she urgently needed to be transferred to the Jessop Hospital in Sheffield. He followed Grace’s ambulance and on arrival she was taken straight to the Operating Theatre where it seemed she spent most of the night, as surgeons attempted to fit an intravenous line into her stomach without success. She was breathing with the aid of a ventilator, we were told her lungs were extremely immature even for her gestational age of 29 weeks.

Alan came back to Grimsby and told me that Grace was holding her own, that she was quite poorly. When he returned to Sheffield, it was clear Grace was very ill. She was now on an Oscillatory Ventilator to try to ease the pressure on her lungs as we were told they were extremely stiff and likely to tear. This change of ventilation was Grace’s last hope.

As soon as I could, I was transferred to Sheffield, I knew things were not right when I saw Alan’s face. I saw Grace properly for the first time and had to think that she would recover, the doctor told us several times she was very sick and the next 24 hours were crucial.

We decided to have Grace christened, this was a very emotional time and it put life into perspective.

The atmosphere of the hospital was so intense but we kept willing Grace on day and night. Two days later we had great news, Grace was showing signs of improvement. She was to be put back on the CPAP, which was a big step for her, we were very nervous but everything went well. From there on, Grace came on in leaps and bounds and was soon off the CPAP just needing to have oxygen in the incubator.

On 28th October 1996, Grace was finally transferred back to Grimsby. We were only 16 miles away from the hospital so we could travel to see her every day.

Grace still had an upward struggle; her main problem was her lungs, she found it extremely hard to wean herself off the oxygen and Grimsby SCBU had to purchase a special meter for her, as she only needed a miniscule amount. Her nurses said that it was equivalent to someone blowing lightly up her nose!

On Christmas Eve 1996, Grace was finally discharged from the SCBU, our heartfelt love and thanks go to all the staff who looked after Grace, and certainly not forgetting all the other lovely little pre-term fighters that come into this world (not forgetting you mums and dads too!).

Birth is just the beginning :)

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