[PHOTOS] Tiny tot’s miracle survival after being born at 25 weeks
After over 100 days in hospital, she was discharged.
MIRACLE baby, Carla De Coning will sleep in her own cot today (Thursday, 6 August) at her Athlone Park home, after spending 116 days in the neo-natal ICU unit at Kingsway Hospital.
Mom, Ansie is delighted at her little daughter’s recovery – as she weighed a mere 580g at birth on Monday, 13 April, having arrived way before her actual due date of 28 July.
“I had a perfectly normal pregnancy. On the day of Carla’s birth, which was at 25 weeks, I was planning to go to hospital to book my bed. In the morning, after I dropped off my son at school, I realised my water broke and so I drove straight to hospital,” said Ansie.
After a check-up, she was told she was 4cm dilated and that all her amniotic fluid had leaked. Ansie had no indication that anything was wrong prior to her rush to the hospital. “On Saturday, I was at the mall, everything was okay. I had a bit of backache, but no contractions. The only time I crunched forward in pain was on the Monday, when I got to the hospital.”
She was taken to the maternity ward, where Carla’s heartbeat was monitored. “I was told I had to undergo an emergency C-section. I realised it was too early.” The reason for Carla’s early arrival is unknown.
At birth, Carla was so tiny her eyelids had not yet opened.
“Everything was traumatic and intense, but I was at peace because I knew she was going to make it,” said Ansie.
A team saw to Carla’s care around the clock in the neo-natal ICU unit, among them nursing sisters, Sisters Darlene Bremner, Segree Naidoo, Jennifer Justin, Thoba Dimba, Lesley van der Merwe, Christa Prinlsoo and paediatrician, Dr Camilla John.
“Our biggest fear was bleeding on the brain as the blood vessels are so small. We had to carry out a number of ultrasounds of the brain, especially after setbacks. We lost her a few times, but she pulled through after each episode,” said Sr Darlene Bremner.
Carla was on a ventilator for 90 days and her organs were kept stabilised with life-supporting drugs. “From day one, she was tube-fed breast milk, which at the beginning was 1ml every three hours. As she continued to progress, we increased her intake.”
On Monday, 13 July Carla ‘became wireless’, according to Sr Bremner, as all her life-supporting tubes were removed. “She was breathing on her own and was waking up every three hours for her feed.”
Ansie was able to pick her up and administer ‘kangaroo nursing’, keeping Carla warm, comfortable and giving her a bigger fighting chance to fully recover. Carla was breastfed, which she had no trouble learning and now drinks 50ml every three hours. “She has a good pair of lungs and lets me know when she is hungry,” said Ansie.
Having steadily picked up weight, she now weighs 2.52kg – more than four times her birth weight.
Throughout Carla’s road to recovery, Ansie did not let negative thoughts influence her. “God promised me a healthy girl. At times when I looked at the nurses’ faces when things were bad, I made up my mind that I would not accept defeat and I felt that from the beginning.” Big brother, Zander and dad, Jacques also played a critical role in her recovery, visiting often.
Once home, for the first three months, Carla will be in isolation to prevent infections or complications.
Ansie had nothing but praise for the hospital staff. “The staff have been amazing. They all have been warm, friendly, caring and loving from maternity to the ICU. They made me part of their family. It’s a bittersweet day today.”
The size of the baby’s nappy:
