Talia was born on 1st May 2009 at 25 weeks and 6 days, weighing at just 683 grams, she was due to be born on 8th August 2009. Little did we know that when we were going to start a family what a long journey we were facing. I always knew from teenage years that I was never going to have children the easy way, IVF was the way my husband and I had to go. We started the process in 2006 whilst living Adelaide however we had to cease the process as we moved to Melbourne in 2007. Once we settled in we recommenced IVF in 2008 and after 3 tries we were pregnant.

Our 1st hurdle was when I was 13 weeks pregnant, I ended up in the Freemasons Epworth Hospital with cellulitis in my left leg. Ten days later I was released believing that it would be smooth sailing from here, how I was so wrong, hence my 2nd hurdle. On March 18th 2009 when I should have been celebrating my 35th birthday and enjoying my 20 week scan I was facing the next challenge. During the ultra sound they noticed that my cervix was 3mm and my membranes were buldging, so I was rushed to Francis Perry Hospital in the Royal Women’s Hospital having a cervical stich put in.

The next 6 weeks I was bed ridden unable to leave my bed not for anything, no toilet, no showers all privacy gone. This was the longest, most painful, stressful and worrying time praying and hoping to get to 24 weeks. Once we hit 24 weeks there was a slight sigh of relief and now it was week to week nowing each week the chances will get better and better.

On 25th April 2009 my water broke, requiring urgent surgery to remove the stich so there would be no infection, Talia was born 1 week later on the 1st of May 2009. She was so small but her eyes were open and I heard a little cry. A quick kiss and she was carried away by the wonderful doctors and nurses of NIC. The Royal Womens Hospital this was going to be Talia’s home for a very long time. During this time my husband and I went through so many hurdles, too many to count.

Talia was breathing on her own for a couple of hours but required to be put onto CPAP. She had prolonged aponeas and on day 6 of her life she required intubation. Mothers day was my worst day, Talia developed not 1 but 2 infections, Sepsis and Golden Staph, it was evident that she would require 2 different types of antibiotics administered through an IV in her tiny little arm, a lumbar puncture to rule out meningitis and a blood transfusion. We were given the worst case scenarios and for the next 48 hours I sat bedside her and watched her praying that she would get through this and wished that I was in her position.

Two days later we started to turn a corner, as the antibiotics were working, 5 days later she had her breathing tube taken out and she was placed back onto CPAP. It tool Talia 4 trials of no CPAP, watching each time getting tired and the many A’s and B’s she was having. Eventually on 26th of June 2009 she came off CPAP and was breathing on her own. SUCCESS….

During this time in NICU my husband and I were introduced to a world that prior to my pregnancy did not know much about. We were part of a world of machines, isolettes, CPAP, beeping, saturation levels, heel pricks, blood tests, eye infections, eye tests, aponeas, A’s and B’s plus more. By the time we left NICU my husband and I felt like we had completed a crash course in neo natal peadiatrics. I felt that this became my second language. We cannot thank the staff in NICU enough for everything that they have done watching over my babies life, they trully are angels.

On 6th July 2009 Talia was discharged from NICU and it was a short trip up the elevators to Level 7 and she was admitted into the Francis Perry Special Care Nursery. The nurseries nickname was “fattening farm”. This was a different challenge and the nursing staff were my saviours, giving me a crash course on parenting and what to expect when baby comes home. I love these women dearly and cannot thank them enough for everything they did for Talia, and when I visit Talia’s peadiatrician I always make time to say hello.

Talia finally came home on 15th August 2009 her weight at discharge wa 2.9 kilos and she know weighs approx 5 kilos. Tiny I know but slowly gaining the weight. She is on soilds, rolling, starting to sit up and soon she will take off crawling. We have so far been lucky and she has not had to be hospitalised, not saying that we have not faced the common colds and coughs. All I can say is “great things come in small packages” and Talia is my baby, my daughter and my beautiful petite package.

I hope this gives other parents inspiration and I hope you enjoy reading this.

written by
Belinda mum to Talia