image source, RACHEL STONEHOUSE
The doctors told us that our baby had less than 10 percent chance of survival. But Rachel and Corey say our daughter defied their predictions.
On September 6 last year, a baby girl named Imogene was born at Swansea’s Singleton Hospital in Bridgend, Wales, weighing just 515 grams.
Imagin was born at five months from her mother’s womb, which is the reason for her low weight. Doctors had told her that her chances of survival were slim as she was born too early before her due date.
“But no such mishap happened, she is now growing up well,” say the parents of the toddler.
After nearly 132 days in intensive care, Rachel and Corey are back home with their baby.
Imogene’s mother, Rachel, says, “We’ve been through more grief than we’ve ever experienced in our entire lives when our baby was born.”
Before this, Curtis Sy Keith, a baby from America, was known as a premature baby who was born in a very short period of time. The baby was born at 21 weeks. That means the baby was born 11 days earlier than Imogen.
In Western countries, it is customary to hold a program called ‘Gender Reveal Party’ to let friends and relatives know whether the baby is a boy or a girl. Rachel also had a similar event during her pregnancy.
But the day after the event, Rachel was in pain. His water tank broke. So Rachel’s husband Corey rushed him to the hospital.
image source, RACHEL STONEHOUSE
Rachael says she started having pain in her fifth month and the ice pack breaking caused her a lot of anxiety and fear.
“The pain was excruciating. I couldn’t bear the pain. But I have to survive for myself and my child. So I was trying to breathe through the excruciating pain,” says Rachel.
Within minutes of entering the hospital, Imogene gave birth. Doctors immediately placed her in the intensive care unit’s incubator.
Rachel says words can’t describe the feeling she felt when she first saw and touched her tiny baby in the hospital’s intensive care unit (NICU).
image source, RACHEL STONEHOUSE
“This child must have been inside my womb by now. But she is lying in front of me. The fetus in my womb is now a baby in my arms. Now I have to trust in the people around me and in God,” Rachel says she thought to herself when she saw Imogen for the first time.
The doctors tell Rachel and Corey that Imogene has suffered a brain haemorrhage. It has caused them great anxiety.
“For the first 98 days in the intensive care unit, Imogene had an uphill battle. Her health was a little worse. She had to overcome countless obstacles. Her heartbeat was irregular. She also had neurological problems and some sores on her body.
She had to inject herself multiple times for treatment every day. It would have made her very uncomfortable. But I’ll make up my mind that it’s all for the betterment of her health,” Rachel laments.
image source, RACHEL STONEHOUSE
Rachel breastfeeds Imogen with the help of nurses. She breastfed Imogen for almost 16 weeks.
The hospital kept Rachel and Corey in the hospital for 13 weeks to keep them mentally exhausted and to keep them by Imogin’s side as much as possible.
After 98 days on January 15, Imogen was transferred to another hospital, Princess of Wales. There she spent the next 34 days.
“These were the scariest days of my life. But all the hospital staff were very supportive and helpful. “They knew exactly how I felt as a mother,” says Rachel.
Now Imagin has come home. But she still needs a ventilator. However, doctors have said that her organs are healthy. They say Imogen’s eyesight and hearing are also good.
“To this day I don’t know the exact reason why I gave birth prematurely. But the doctors have said that there is a 40 percent chance of another premature delivery,” says Rachel worriedly.
But until now, Rachel is having a great time with her little one. For that he is grateful to the doctors and nurses.
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