Premature Baby- True Life

It is a shock to go into premature labour weeks before you expected to. Three mums tell us what it was like for them.


You’re still going to antenatal classes, you haven’t got your hospital bag packed, and the nursery isn’t finished. Suddenly, you’re in hospital and giving birth weeks before your expected due date. It can be a frightening experience. Here, three mums tell their own stories.


‘I just went absolutely rigid with shock’

* Name:Miranda Collins, 31

* Lives:Teddington, Middlesex

* Birth partner:Husband, Tim, 31,

* Type of birth:Hospital, at 34 weeks

* Baby’s name and birth weight:Timothy James, 2.38kg (5lb 3oz)


‘With six weeks ahead of me before the birth of my first baby, I was relieved to be going on maternity leave and was looking forward to relaxing and helping Tim decorate the nursery.

‘But I woke up in the early hours of the following morning, feeling wet and uncomfortable, and presumed my waters had broken. Tim turned on the light and I went absolutely rigid with shock. There was blood everywhere. Tim quickly phoned the hospital, while I lay on the bed feeling very frightened. I thought I was losing our baby.

‘We were rushed to hospital in an ambulance at 5am. The midwife strapped a fetal monitor on to my stomach. It was an enormous relief when we heard our baby’s heartbeat - he wasn’t distressed or in any immediate danger. The doctor said I would probably have a Caesarean later that day, but they would need to do a scan first to find out exactly why I was bleeding.

'Thankfully, the scan showed the bleeding was due to the placenta coming away. I was told I could have a normal delivery - I’d even been having contractions, but hadn’t noticed. My waters were broken and the contractions became very fiercely. I had a cold, so couldn’t use gas and air and survived with just Pethidine. At 12.20pm, our baby, Timothy James, was born, with Tim and me still in shock.

‘Though we were kept in hospital for 10 days, there were no serious problems, although Timothy had to be treated for jaundice. It was a stressful time, but we got our wonderful baby who has brought us so much joy.’


‘My tiny baby boy looked like a survivor’

* Name:Karen Threadwell, 29

* Lives:York, Yorkshire

* Birth partner:Karen’s parents, June and Simon

* Type of birth:Hospital, at 28 weeks

* Baby’s name and birth weight:Joshua, 0.9kg (2lb)


‘At 28 weeks pregnant, I was due to fly home to the UK from Trinidad, where I had been living for two years. First, I was going to Tobago with my parents for a holiday. I’d been told my baby might come early as I had very little amniotic fluid, but had no idea as we enjoyed our first evening on the island that labour would start that night.

‘I started getting contractions, but assumed they were Braxton Hicks. By 5am I was having pains every few minutes so I woke my mum. She called my obstetrician in Trinidad, who arranged for a local doctor to see me.

‘The next thing I knew I was in a helicopter, in terrible pain, being flown back to Trinidad. At hospital, I was put on a drip to try to slow the contractions down. I was desperately worried about losing my baby.

‘The next day my obstetrician came to see me and I was in total shock when he said, "I can see the head - you must deliver straightaway." Joshua was born, screaming lustily, only 10 minutes later. As I briefly held him, all I could think was that he looked like a survivor. Then he was rushed to another hospital with a special care baby unit.

‘Joshua was given a 25% chance of survival. We had a lot of dramas before he finally reached his discharge weight of 1.8kg (4lb), nine weeks later. Now 19 months old, he has been treated for talipes (club foot) and has spent eight months in plaster casts because of spine and hip problems. He’ll need more surgery over the years and he is 80% deaf, but he’s the most determined little boy ever - I’m so very proud of him.’


‘I suddenly heard a strange popping noise’

Namee:Kirsty Goffin, 33

* Lives:Maidstone, Kent

* Birth partner:Husband, Bill, 38

* Type of birth:Hospital, at 34 weeks

* Baby’s name and birth weight:Harry, 2.3kg (5lb)

‘One evening, six weeks before my baby was due, I suddenly heard a strange popping noise. I went to the bathroom to check whether my waters had broken - I’d expected Niagara Falls, but it was just a trickle. I wasn’t worried, but rang the labour ward who told me to come in.

‘Bernadette, the night midwife, checked a sample of fluid. By now I was really nervous. I was told my waters had broken and was kept in for the night. The next morning it was confirmed labour had started, but it was slow going. By 9pm that night, the contractions were more intense, but I was still only 5cm dilated.

‘Bernadette arrived back on duty. She examined me and said I had a full bladder which was slowing things down. She inserted a catheter and the release of pressure was wonderful - I was suddenly ready to push. It was 1am on Tuesday morning, nearly 24 hours after being admitted that I gave the last push and my son was born. Bill helped with the delivery and put Harry on my stomach before he was taken into special care.

‘Everything has been fine since and we’re over the moon about our lovely son.’