World Premature Baby Day - Jemma's Story

Tina Stobbs • Nov 17, 2021

Jemma shares her story of having a prem baby in lockdown.

Jemma, thanks for agreeing to tell us your story, like our other Mum's I guess it brings back alot of memories for you.

Did you have any idea that you might have an early baby?

No idea - utter shock!

Tell us what happened?

The week before lockdown we had annual leave (should of been at Centre Parcs) as a last break at 27 weeks but we realised lockdown was coming and decided to visit a family home in Scotland for a couple of weeks. Those weeks turned into 3 months! About the birth - at 33 weeks (without going into too many details) I woke at 3am thinking I was leaking to get to the toilet and realised something was very very wrong. I called the local Scottish hospital they said come straight away. The hospital was 45 mins away and then our Sat Nav took us to a farm! So another 15 mins later we finally found the place. The whole journey I was contracting so in my mind I knew I was having a baby but didn’t know if they were alive or not and started thinking the worst! We finally arrive at hospital, and I’m told I’m the only one allowed in because of covid unless I’m actually having a baby. The worse part was them trying to find a heartbeat. After what felt like 10 mins, they finally found a faint heartbeat, they examined me and said we need to take you straight to theatre. My husband and his father were waiting patiently in the car they both didn’t think I was having a baby so got a bit shocked when they got a call to say I was going into theatre and that my husband was now allowed in. I woke up to a man telling me I have had a baby girl and she is doing ok and with the nurses in SCBU.

It sounds like a rollercoaster of emotions?

It certainly was. I didn’t know if my baby was alive or not and then afterwards I was in utter shock. I couldn’t get my head around it and what’s worse is I had to be on my own and deal with it by myself. My husband wasn’t allowed to visit me. He was allowed to visit our baby but we weren’t allowed in together which made naming our little girl harder as it had to be done over the phone. So we were ships in the night for 8 days before I was finally discharged.

What were the things that you weren't prepared for?

Any of it! It all happened while we had been locked down in the wrong location, and wrong month. No hospital bag, literally had absolutely nothing. Didn’t have any of my baby things either as they were all in Whitley bay still in the loft!

Did you receive much help and support?

The hospital were utterly fab during the whole thing. We couldn’t find any tiny clothes with shops not having any stock online and the hospital gave us everything we needed. Obviously, I had family and friends checking I was ok, but no one could see us. I was surprised to have my doctor call me and just check I was ok which was kind. The support I really needed was to be around others and just be a mum with a prem baby or not and I just didn’t have it.

What was going home like?

I went home on day 8 but had to leave my little girl behind which was awful. But I also had my eldest to go home too who I missed so much and hadn’t ever spent that amount of time away from her. I literally cried all the way down the driveway as I could see her waiting for me at the top of a hill and couldn’t wait to give her a big squish but also felt very odd coming home with no baby. I visited every day until day 14 and was told I could room in for 2 days with her so we can hopefully bring her home. We were overjoyed to be able to finally bring her home but also scared as never had to care for such a tiny thing. The hospital felt like a safety net.

How is she doing now, and what advice would you give to anyone else finding themselves in this position?

She might be still small but she Is cheeky. If I told you she was a prem you wouldn’t know now right now. For the first 6 months of her life she didn’t grow very much. 8lbs at 6 months! We had the typical newborn phrase for a very long time. We were lucky that she didn’t have any issues from birth. Once she hit a year old and started finally socialising along with starting nursery thing have been different. Sadly since then she has been very poorly with a stint in hospital for pneumonia and rvs but it’s not related to her being prem. I swear it’s a permanent battle with snots and coughs which is never ending but I know one day she will be ok.

Jemma thank you so much for sharing your story, the added layer of lockdown makes it all unthinkable! It was amazing doing her newborn pics at 9 weeks when she was still so tiny, and the Scottish references in her images........ So lovely to see her thriving now.

Tina

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