Ollie's birthday!

Ollies first birthday. We decided to turn it into a happy occasion and celebrate the short time we were blessed with him instead of moping around. After taking his presents up to him in hte morning we went to the beach for a family day out. We all had a lovely time and Amelia was facsinated by all the lights and noises. Definately going to be a fan of the penny machines when shes a bit older.

Emergency swing shopping

At about 7oclock we decided to make an emergency trip to toys'r'us to find something other than her car seat that Amelia would actually sit in. She's been home a week and she doesn't like anything else and it's the only place she'll sleep. Me being the paranoid mummy I am along with a few alarms from her apnoea monitor will not leave her without her monitor so me and Adam are doing shifts at the moment and trying tocatch some sleep here and there. We came back with this swing which she seems to like

First night home :)

Some pics of Amelias first day home. The first is her looking confused on her playmat and the second is her cushion chair that her daddy made her, bless! Looking back now I cant believe they let us take a baby that small home. She looks so fragile, she wasnt shes been looking around and holding her head up since she was around 5 weeks. The first day I went to see her she lifted her whole body up in a sort of press up motion. I actually screamed, I thought she was going to snap. I think its because they put her on her belly alot to help with her reflux so shes had looooads of tummy time.

The first day went well after thecuffuffle of actually getting out of the hospital. I went home and had a nap while daddy looked after Amelia as I didnt get a wink the night before. Then we went visiting, came home and shut the door. We informed everyone that that night was just going to be us. After a very traumatic year I needed some family time with my husband and baby.

Update on Amelia

Amelia Jayne came home on the 22nd of June exactly 2 months after being born weighing a massive (to us) 4lb 7oz. She spent a total of 9 weeks in NICU and SCBU. She came home at 36 weeks gestation. ALthough she learnt to bottle feed and was off all monitors 2 weeks before her scbu wouldn't release her untill she was 2kg. She has no problems that we know of yet but as most of our journey has been we just need to wait and see.

We 'roomed in' th night before she came home. A horrendous experience as it was also 11 months to the day since our son was stillborn in the same hospital, same ward. We made it through although there was a hiccup the next morning when the nurses had got their wires crossed and though she was being discharged the next day. I had a hissy fit at this. They thought we were staying in another night with her. I was a bit offended as if me and Adam were older parents there would have been no question of us stayin in again. There was no way I could stay in again I was traumatised from the night before. As far as I was concerend we had proved we could look after her. And do a better job than they were. The head nurse said she would see what was happening at which point I broke down and told them I was taking her. I could not leave that hospital again thinking I was coming home with my baby and not doing so.

Thankfully they sorted it for her to be released because the mind set I was in, she was coming home wether they liked it or not. I honestly woul have walked out of there with her and probably got myself in loads of trouble in the process.

Amelia was released on her auntie Jazmyns birthday, so at the grand old age of minus 4 weeks she attended her first birthday party. Unfortunately she couldnt have any cake.

Back home :)

We went to the hospital this evening to find Amelia doing her superbaby pose. She travelled well but has been put back on CPAP for the journey and untill the nurses get to know her a bit better. We're just happy to have her closer. Travelling the 60+ miles a day was begining to take it's toll. One plus point of her being on CPAP though, is she gets her own room. It's lovely to be able to sit with her on our own withour nurses all around and other parents and babies. PCH is alot calmer and quieter than Newport. All the nurses are coming to say hi because they all know Amelia because of her unusual birth and the fact she was so small. Because they dont take babies under 29 weeks most babies and mothes are transferred before they are born. So it was unuasual for them to look after such a tiny baby. Adams being teased alot because he was rather druk when Amelia was born, but hey it was our wedding night.

Great news!

We went to the hospital today and had lots of fab news! Amelias IVH's are resolving by themselves which was the best possible outcoume for her! Shes also ready to come back to PCH!!!!!! No more travelling to Newport everyday!!! Shes first on the transfer list for tomorrowso she'll be back around lunch time.
It's a thursady though which means Adams in work and we wont be able to go up and see her untill 7ish but yay, shes coming back home to merthyr Im so excited!

I'm also a bit sad to be leaving Newport though. As much as I hate the travelling the nurses are all lovely and we've got into a routine of coming down here. Also PCH has some very bad memories for us as Ollie was stillborn there. I never wanted to go back there after that so I'm not sure how I'm going to cope. Hopefully her being closer will make up for it.

Amelia is 3 weeks and 5 days old and 31+1 weeks gestation. Shes still weighing in at 2lb 14oz

Back on low flow

Amelia seems to have perked up no end since her blood transfusion yesterday! Shes back on the low flow today and also wearing her very first outfit. I ordered it from a special premmie website and it fully opens out. Makes changing her so much easier!

More bad news!

Amelia had to go back on high flow during the night. Her sats were lovely but her blood gases werent very good so they've put her back on before it becomes a problem. They've also found out shes anemic so shes having a blood transfusion today. A full 5 teaspoons of the red stuff lol! They've also ordered a heart scan for her incase it's her heart thats causing the oxygen problems.

Trying out low flow

Amelia has been trying out low flow today as shes still only on a litre of high flow. Her sats are staying so well that they've put her down to 0.02 litres. If she stays on low flow then she can come back to PCH!

Eye Smell!

I love this photo! It was taken ust before her nappy got changed. I think she's learned sign language!
We are having lots of cuddles with Amelia these days as shes doing so well. Shes still only  3 weeks but she has come so far!

First vest!

Amelia is wearing clothes!! We went into hospital today to find Amelia dressed!.Shes 2lb 14oz now and her vest is up to 5lb and shes swimming in it. She's starting to look like a 'normal' baby now though. Although it's making nappy changes alot harder. She has hardly any wires now. A week ago they had to take out all her IV's because she kept pulling them out so all shes got is her NG tube for feedin her sats monitorand her high flow. Which is nearly low flow as she's only on 1litre.

Shes 31 weeks gestation and 4 weeks old

Eyes open!

I love these photos of Amelia thefirst one is the first time we ever managed to get her with her eyes, well eye open and the second is her being typical Naughty Amelia Jayne and fighting the world lol

A promotion!

We had a shock today. We walked into the NICU only to find Amelia gone! After a brief panic they told us she'd been promoted out of intensive care and into high dependency. Very exciting! This means shes alot closer to coming back to PCH where it will be so much easier to see her. She looks very at home and relaxed in her new room :)

We have been in every day so far but it's costing us a fortune and Adams back in work so is permanently shattered. Amelia is exactly 3 weeks old and 30+3 weeks gestation.

Off the cpap!

Amelia came off the CPAP today. She is 2 weeks old and 29 weeks gestation. Shes on high flow air support which is the next step down. Shes doing amazingly well and we are all so proud of her. In her two short weeks of life she has achieved so much.

First infection

Amelia has now been in NICU for nearly 2 weeks. Shes 29 weeks. Today we have been told she has a suspected infection. It's only from where her long line has been so it's not serious. They have started her on antibiotics and her arm is very swollen but it could be alot worse. Shes up to 7mls of breast milk every 2 hours no and its increasing rapidly. Shes lost some weight and is now 2lb 4oz.

Bad news.

Amelias doctor called us into the quiet room to talk to us today. Amelia has a PDA. We were already aware of it but obviously being called into the quiet room shook us up a bit. We were expecting the worst. A PDA is basically where the duct in the heart doesn't close. In normal full term births this usually closes immediately but in premmies its quite common for it to stay open. Amelias is moderate so it could be worse, it could be better. It's not effecting her at the moment so they arent going to treat it unless it starts causing problem because it could still close on its own.


shes also got IVH's on both sides of her brain. Which the doctors are all surprised about because it normally happens within the 3 days after birth and her previous scans had been clear. IVH stands for intraventricular heomarage which is basically a bleed on the brain. The doctor explained to us that in a third of cases they heal themselves with no damage a third stay the same with minimal damage and a third get worse and require treament. Its just a waiting game for now as they cant tell which third she will be in. She has a grade 2 on the right side and a grade 3 on the left.

First Cuddles with Mammy and Daddy!

Today 29/04/11 we got our first cuddles with baby Amelia! It was totally unexpected and a lovely surprise. Amelia is 1 week old and 28+3 gestation. We held her for about 10 minutes each before putting her back into her fish tank because we had visitors waiting to see her. It was amazing! It was also the royal wedding so the NICU was in a festive mood. All the nurses were wearing tiaras and there were flags and photos of Kate and Wills everywhere. As Adams family were visiting her I left them too it and went to phone my mother to tell her the good news. In the Nicu we were only allowed 2 visitors per incubator and one of them had to be a parent and there was only4 visitors allowed per day so it as aways a bit of a struggle to get everyone who wanted to see Amelia fitted in. She had a very full diary!

Off the ventilator!

Amelia was on the ventialtor for only 4 days. so she was 28 weeks gestation when she came off. Which is pretty impressive considering she was also transferred 30 miles to a different hospital in that time. This is one of my favourite photos of her from her time in Newport. Shes got sunglasses on to protect her eyes from the phototherapy lights, for her jaundice. I think she looks pretty cool in her sunglasses!

She only ever had mild aundice and require only atop light for her incubator wice for 24 hours. Around about this time she also started taking feeds through her NG tube. Which is the thin wire you can see going into her mouth. She started of on 0.5 mls of breast milk every 2 hours. This increased pretty quickly with only one blip where she was aspiraing green. They put her from 0.5mls to 2mls in the space of 12 hours and it was oo much for her tiny tummy to handle. They stopped her feeds for 12 hours then started back on 0.5 mls increasing it by a ml every 12 hours untill she was on full feeds. I think stopping the feeds scared her,she loves her food and never aspirated again.

My first visit to Newport

The day after Amelia was transferred a nurse came to speak to me. They were waiting for a doctor to come and check me over then I would either be discharged or transferred to Newport with Amelia. I wasn't expecting this because its noramlly at least 3 days in hospital after a section and this was after onyl 24 hours. I decided that I was going home no matter what. I forced myself to get up and have a shower and walk around as much as possible. I gritted my teeth through the doctor examining me, even when she kept pushing down on my belly. Absolutely horrific after a section! They let me out late morning with alot of tablets and the advice that there was a place down Newport with me and I should stay there. The only reason I wasn't transferred is because they knew I wouldn't wait for the ambulance, I'm a stubborn cow lol.

I went home to my mothers to rest a little bit before making the trip down to Newport. I was planning on sleeping but Adam and I opened our wedding presents instead. I was worried I'd feel worse if I let myself nap. We went down to Newport at around 6:00pm. It was the most uncomfortable journey of my life. I was in absolute agony and felt a massive sense of relief as we approached the hospital. Then the speed bumps came OH MY GOD, I have never felt pain like it even though the car was crawling over them I felt like my stomache was actually being ripped apart.

Luckily we got a space right outside the hospital and Adam went up to get a wheelchair for me. We eventually found special care and were greeted by the nurse who was looking after Amelia. We were quite famous down there due to her unusual birth. Having a baby at 27 weeks pregnant on your wedding night is apparently quite uncommon lol. Amelia looked very settled in her new incubator and they had turned her steam off so we got a go look at her for the first time. They said she'd had a good night and discussed expressing with me. Apparently it's easier for them to digest.

Amelias nurse wanted to keep me in hospital. She didn't believe that I'd been discharged as it was only 3 hours after my section. Luckily I had brough tmy dischatge notes down with me. She took them to the maternity ward then came back to say that she reccomends I stay in but they can't make me becuase I've technically been discharged. Upon hearing that I made my escape quickly! I didn't fancy being on my onw on the ward while Amelia was In SCBU and Adam was at home. In fact I dont think Adam would have gone home he would have stayed with Amelia and we both needed our rest.

On the way back we stopped in mcdonalds as we realised we hadn't eaten all day. For the first time in my life I didn't fancy a burger. I had some fries which I couldn't eat. When we got home I went straight to bed as I felt so sick and after the section that would have really bloody hurt! Adam sayedup and had a pint with my dad before coming to bed. I woke up the next morning feeling a million times better. A good rest and seeing Amelia was just hat I needed.

The picture at the top of this post is the very first one I took of my baby girl shes 36 hours old in it and looking comfy in he rnew home.

Transfer day!

I first saw my daughter at about 10am. I thought she was absolutely perfect just very small. She was the only baby in intensive care as PCH doesn't take tinies. People are normally transferred to different hospitals before their babies are born. Obviously there wasnt time with Amelia.

I could only stay for about 10 minutes. It was less than 10 hours after my section and being sat in a wheelchair was too painful for me. I then got transferred to the ward, which was very surreal seeing all these mothers with their babies when mine was fighting for her life. I was on cloud 9 though. Compared to my previous birth this was a doddle. She was alive!

At this point they were still trying to organise a transfer for Amelia. The options were Swansea, Cardiff or Newport. I didn't care which one, I just wanted her to be somewhere that had experience looking after extreme premmies. It was originally decided that the Heath in Cardiff would take her but an emergency came up so she went to Newport. A 60 mile round trip.Once it was decided where she was going we ust had to wait for the transfer team. While they were getting Amelia ready in her travel incubator her 2 nans, mine and Adams mothers got to go and see her for 5 minutes. Adam stayed by my side.

There was a hold up with Amelia being transferred as they needed some of my blood to take down with her. I still dont knwo why, I never thought to ask. In the end one of the SCBU nurse came to do it personally as we were waiting more than an hour for the doctor. Adam and my dad  and Adams dad had gone down to see Amelia off. They were down there for about 2 hours beofre she was finally wheeled out. My mother was waiting with me but I insisted she went down to wave goodbye to Amelia.

After Amelia had gone I was sent to a sideroom. Which I was so thankfull for because it meant Adam could stay with me, although I dont think he ever had any intention of leaving. My mother and father followed Amelia down to Newport to see her in her new home. There was a bit of a fuss as they didn't want to let htem in without me. They made an exeption though after I'd spoken to them and they were allowed to see her. They got another photo taken for me. When they brought it into hospital I couldnt believe the difference in her already she looked so much healthier.

They also brought our wedding cards in for us to read while we were in hospital for the night. I was absolutely drugged up to the eyeballs on morphine so I dont remember what most of them say. It's on my to dolist to go back through them lol

First photo

After I woke up from my section I was in alot of pain. The morphine hadn't kicked in and it had been such a rush I had literally been ripped apart. I had a button to medicate myself with morphine and I remember staring at the clock counting down the seconds untill I could use it again. After having a natural birth previously and thinking a section would have been easier I was WRONG!

Meanwhile Amelia was doing just fine. Adam saw her briefly when she was born. She had breathed on her own for a bit and had a tantrum with the doctors. They finally managed to ventilate her. It seems weird to say it but I was never worried about her not making it. I knew she was going to be just fine. After what happend with Ollie in my opinion she was safer out than in.And if my placenta hadn't abrupted that day I'd be telling a very different story as we wouldn't have made it to the hospital in time.

This photo was taken when Amelia was about 4 hours old. After she was stabilized Adam was allowed to see her for a couple of minutes. He wasn't sure about leaving me but I made him. I had a photo that the SCBU had taken but I need him to make sure she was really ok. He came back with more photos of Amelia. I stared at them all night. My baby girl was here!

I drifted in between sleep and consciousness but I was in too much pain to really get any rest, if I was asleep I couldnt press my button lol. Amelia was due to be transferred to The royal Gwent hospital in Newport as soon as the was an ambulance free to take her. She was 27 weeks gestation and our hospital doesn't take babies under 29 weeks. At about 6 am someone came in to do my obs and I asked to see her before she went. They looked at me like I was crazy (ummm of course I wanted to see her!) They did agree though and said they would come and get me when they had time. I was too scared to go back to sleep then incase they sneaked her away without me getting to see her. So I spent the rest of the morning watching Adam sleeping. I don't think he got much though the chair didn't look very comfy. Surprisingly enough he woke up without a hangover!

Amelia Jayne Bates arrives!

It was nearing the end of the wedding. I was shattered and wanting to bugger off. Me and my dad were in the kitchen sorting the presents out to be picked up in the morning. I hadn't seen Adam in about an hour, he was having a great time and had sneaked off somewhere (I suspect for a fag lol). I asked my dad what the time was and was delighted when he said 11:50pm. The club was closing at 12, the end was in sight ( I did enjoy my wedding was just very ready for bed) I decided to pop to the toilet quickly before the mini buses came. There I started bleeding.

Luckily Adams father was sober and able to drive us to the hospital which was only10 minutes away due to the location of the reception. He drove like a bat out of hell, the only thing I remember about that journey is him nearly killing us on a roundabout. A less competent driver would have.

When we got to the hospital I was bleeding really badly, they managed to find Amelias heartbeat and the doctor performed a scan. I obviously didn't have my notes with me and I wasn't even supposed to be at PCH. Due to what happened with Ollie I was registered at Royal Glam. Because I had no notes the doctor suspected pacenta previa was the cause of bleeding. Thankfully the midwife working was the same one who had been there with Ollie ao she could explian my history. Adam was getting annoyed by this point and shouting for them to get the baby out, I was in a daze that there was so obviously something wrong yet I wasn't in theatre .

It seems like Amelia heard her daddy because at that exact moment the doctor said to call the crash team. Amelias heart had stopped. I was rushed into theatre and Amelia Jayne Bates was born weighing 2lb 8oz.
Amelia had to be resuscitated at birth but she came back screaming and fighting with the doctors trying to intubate her. In the end she was put on CPAP.
Amelia was born at 12:18 am so although she was born on our wedding night she has a different birthday. The whole thing from starting bleeding to Amelia being out took only 28 minutes

The wedding

I carefully selected the date for my wedding. I wanted a bump, so I didn't have to squeeze into a non maternity dress. That way I would be pregant not fat! I decided on 21/04/11 when I was 27 weeks pregnant. I didn't want to go past 30 weeks because I knew there was a chance the baby could come early after what happened with Ollie and I didn't want to do it before that as I wanted to be sure everything was ok with Little Missy.

We really lucked out with the weather, it was a beautiful day. The sun was shining and we had clear blue skys, perfect wedding weather. We got married at 3pm done some photos and got back to the reception quickly so the party could begin. At about 9pm I was too hot and uncomfortable in my dress so my aunt took me home to change out of it, got back to the receptionto find Adam absolutely blotto drinking shots with my little sister! I was shattered and wanted to go back to the hotel but Adam was clearly enjoying himself so I decided to man up and stay till the end. A decision that inadvertantly saved my baby girls life.

Lets start at the begining.

In December 2009 I got pregnant with my son Ollie. It was an easy pregnancy apart from the constant morning sickness. When I was 32 weeks pregnant my placenta abrupted causing Ollie to be starved of oxygen. He died in minutes. Ollie Christopher Bates was born on July the 22nd 2010. The most beautiful baby boy I have ever seen.

After being totally against marriage, didn't see the point in all the fuss just to sign a bit of paper, I did a Uturn and decided that I did in fact want to marry Adam. I wanted the same name as my son. We didn't officially get engaged or anything we just decided that at some point next year we would get married before we had another baby.

Adam and I decided to try for another baby straight away as we felt something was missing, we were parents without a child. Nine weeks later I found out I was pregnant with Amelia. I hindsight I should have given my body a chance to recover from Ollie's birth. I was very ill after having him. I lost over half my blood, had no coagulants so I couldn't stop bleeding in short I very nearly died myself.

We were all very nervous throughout my pregnancy with Amelia, rightly so it turns out. I had blood pressure problems from the start and my supposedly 'high risk' care ended up with me seeing my consultant only once at 8 weeks.Amelia was born on my wedding night when I was 27 weeks pregnant.