Charlee was born prematurely at 23 weeks gestation on 1 June 2022. She weighed only 560 grams and had to be transferred to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at Adelaide’s Women’s and Children’s Hospital.
Charlee’s early arrival was a huge shock to us all. We had a scan at 21 weeks and everything looked great. At 22+4 I felt a little bit of pressure in my lower belly, and knew something wasn’t quite right, but I couldn’t put my finger on it. I called women’s assessment, who didn’t seem concerned based on what I was describing. As the day went I continued to feel like something wasn’t right, and like something was moving down/about to come out of me. I chatted with women’s assessment again who talked me through a home assessment and things seemed okay. Later that afternoon something actually did come down, and we called ahead but went straight into women’s assessment – where they told us that I had bulging membranes. They told us our baby could be born at any moment – but that life wasn’t considered viable in Australia until 23 weeks gestation. We were transferred to the Women’s and Children’s hospital where we were overloaded with information and told to prepare for the worst. We also had to make many decisions that no parent should ever have to make. I spent the next three days on strict bedrest, and then my overnight my waters slowly leaked, and Charlee was right down in my cervix. To our surprise she was born pink and squirming!
What hospital and how many weeks gestation were they and how much did they weigh?
Charlee was born at Women’s and Children’s Hospital, at 23+0, weighting in at 560g on the 1 June 2022 and 2:05pm. We spent 89 days in hospital. We faced lots of challenges – big and small, from life threatening infections to car parking. One of the hardest challenges was that financially, Joshua had to return to work. This was hard on both of us. He spent all day at work and then rushed home to shower and come straight to the hospital for a few hours before bed. I spent most of the day in the NICU with Charlee, coming home to make sure our dog was okay and returning to the hospital with Joshua in the evenings. Due to covid restrictions, we were the only people allowed in to visit Charlee, meaning I was sitting by her in the hospital, all day, alone. It was very isolating, but we also appreciated the fact that she was safe from any germs that visitors could potentially bring in. We were super lucky to have an incredible support system outside of the hospital.
Helpful Support and Advice
We accessed a Precious Prem Pack from LLTF, and it was so incredibly special. It was loaded with information and support for us, but also beautiful keepsakes like tiny booties and a little hat. We also received a little bag of calm from the social worker at the hospital, which was incredible because it basically gave us permission to take care of ourselves. I still carry the pocket heart in my handbag! The Brekkie Bar was also incredibly helpful. For those mornings when you just want to get to the hospital to be with your baby, but wind up starving 15 minutes after walking in, they were perfect! Charlee is doing really well! She is currently still on home oxygen (but we might be able to say goodbye to it soon. Our tiny queen just makes her own rules. She is achieving her milestones and LOVES her food! She truly is our little miracle baby! My advice to parents going through this presently –  TAKE ALL THE HELP AND SUPPORT YOU CAN GET 🤍 If people offer to cook you food, let them. If someone offers to come over and do your laundry, let them. If someone offers to clean your house, let them. The NICU/SCN journey is such a long, emotionally draining and exhausting time and shouldn’t be done alone. Also I recommend reaching out to LLTF for support as they have all of the tips and tricks necessary to help you feel supported throughout 🤍