I am posting this although I have a horrible feeling I am at a website where I might not be wanted because I am not a teenage mum. So I hope I don't upset anyone by being here, but if I do you can always delete my posts.

I had my baby girl by emergency C Section cause I nearly died with pre-eclampsia fortunately my mum saved my life by taking my blood pressure and getting me to the hospital despite being told off by midwives for meddling where she was not wanted. I thank my mum that I am alive today to tell the story. It proves that midwives don't know everything.

My little girl, Lauretta was born 6 weeks prem weighing 5 pounds 2 then dropped to 4 pounds 11. Which apparently, is a great weight for a 6 week prem baby and if I had gone full term then I would have given birth to a 9 or 10 pound baby.

Lauretta had to be resuscitated for 10 minutes of her life and then before I had a chance to hold her she was whizzed away to a special care baby unit for 3 weeks of her life. She was due to be born after Christmas, but we got her home for Christmas. Of course, at first it was difficult. I was still very ill. I had to heal from the operation which the scar kept getting infected. Plus travelling to the hospital all the time was difficult. Plus the emotional side of things with mental health problems. I also had anemia. Hardly how I had imagined my first baby to be born which I wanted my mum and husband to be my birth partners. My husband was there, but it wasn't nice for him to watch me having a major operation.

At first I swore I'd never have any more, but the smile of my daughter makes it all worth while. I love Lauretta so much she is my sweetheart. She even chose her own name, but that's a different story. She is 2 now and despite everything we are trying for another baby so she can have a little brother or sister. Lauretta wants a sister though. I thought I would include a photo of my darling.

BabyandBump is for all ages - from trying to conceive to being a parent

Thanks for sharing your story & what a little sweetheart she is x

Aw hun she's adorable!!! Having a Preemie is very scary and even though we have to go through such an ordeal with our babies it so very worth it!! My preemie was born at 24 weeks and was in hospital for 105 days. I look back at all of the heartache and everything we went through but when I look at her I'm just so happy. It just makes me love her all that much more!!

What a lovely story. She's such a sweetheart

xxx

She's so cute

Lovely story. She's a cutie.

Wow it must be something all of us premmie mums share because you sound so much like me. I think it does make you value your child more because somewhere in the back of your mind you are thinking that they might not have made it and then when they smile you remember how happy and blessed you feel that they are here.

Although saying that it sounds as though you had a tougher ordeal than what I had. I think it does make you have a stronger connection to your child. Even though we couldn't be with them in the early days when most mums' form that special bond afterwards you form an even stronger bond. I have never spoken to a mum with a prem baby before and I think it is a shame. I think a group for prem mums would be good because we do go through a lot when our babies are born and so do the dads as well. Anyway thanks for sharing your experience with me. I still feel emotional about it because I have never really been able to speak to anyone about it apart from my hubby which I am very lucky to have. Some mums' don't even have that.