A MUM whose baby was born almost 12 weeks early has praised a hospital’s initiative.
Florence McCurdy spent the first 70 days of her life in hospital after she was born on March 30 at 28 weeks and two days, weighing just 2lbs 5oz.
Having spent almost two months on the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Leighton Hospital, Florence was finally able to go home to Northwich with her parents, Charlotte Smith and Leon McCurdy.
After celebrating their first Christmas together, mum Charlotte has taken a moment to thank the hospital staff for setting up neonatal clinic coffee mornings, bringing together mums and dads who have faced similar challenges.
“The NICU coffee mornings are special for lots of reasons,” Charlotte said.
“Babies are being born every minute, of every hour, of every day the world over. We're sold the perfect 2.4 pregnancy and birth from sex education in school to Hollywood. It's what we're brought up with.
“So when your pregnancy or birth don't quite fit the 2.4 mould and your baby ends up in the NICU not everyone understands what you're going through - thankfully."
Charlotte continued: “It is a completely different experience that you're not prepared for. Although, I don't think you could ever be prepared for it. It's all-consuming. It becomes your life. You eat, sleep and breathe it all day, every day. You drive yourself mad with all of the ‘what ifs’.
“Thankfully, you're not alone. There are other parents around who are going through similar experiences as you and your baby. You end up on the journey together; supporting one another and sharing in the highs and the lows.”
Due to her early arrival, Florence faced complications including a condition called necrotising enterocolitis - a serious illness of the intestine that tends to affect more premature babies and causes tissues in the intestine to become inflamed and potentially cause a dangerous infection.
She was treated for this at Liverpool Women's Hospital and spent more than two weeks there.
Now, Charlotte and Florence attend the coffee mornings which were set up by Mid Cheshire Hospital’s senior staff nurse Anne Nixon in January.
Anne runs the clinic on the first Friday of each month, giving her the chance to see babies who have been discharged and need to come back for blood tests, weight checks, eye clinics and more.
She said: “I realised once the babies didn’t need to come back to the clinic, there was a need for support specifically for parents of preterm babies to meet up with other parents.
“It’s a chance for them to catch up and chat with other parents who have gone through similar experiences. The coffee hour now seems to be going from strength to strength.”
The NICU recently held a Christmas event for the group, which included the children wearing festive clothes and receiving gifts from a special elf visitor.
They also enjoyed a rendition of Hark the Herald Angel Sing by NICU ward manager Rachael Beagles and ward assistant Josia Arowosafe.
Charlotte said the sessions at the hospital had become a 'safe place' for her and other mums and dads who needed to talk to people who understood the challenges they had faced.
She added: “These coffee mornings enable you to keep that connection, as well as meet other parents whose babies may be previous or current residents of the NICU.
“It's a safe place. A place to ask questions. A place to share fears, experiences and hopes and not be berated for ‘wrapping your baby up in cotton wool’.
“The coffee mornings offer a much needed time out with other adults. Our babies are amazing, but coffee, cake and adult conversation, instead of babble, keeps us sane.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here