Big day for tiny babies
City’s hospitals host events for their youngest patients
FOR dozens of parents in Toowoomba, yesterday was a day to exhale and celebrate.
World Prematurity Day was marked at Toowoomba Hospital and St Vincent’s Private Hospital by nurses as well as mums, dads and babies who have spent days or weeks in the hospitals’ special care nurseries.
Once-tiny babies who previously lay in humidicribs side-by-side yesterday smiled and gurgled as parents congratulated each other on their little ones’ chubby cheeks, remarking on ‘‘how much they’d grown.’’
Among those at the morning tea held at Toowoomba Hospital were parents Emily and Ryan Blackford, who welcomed their fourth premature child, son Ryley, on November 16 at 32 weeks and four days’ gestation.
Mrs Blackford said there were no known reasons for her preterm births, and each had brought with it a different experience.
“It is always a stressful time because you never know how your baby’s condition will change from day to day,” Mrs Blackford
said.
“We like that the special care nursery allows us to be involved with our baby’s care and even though he is in an enclosed cot we can touch, cuddle and do things
like change his nappy.
“It is very hard to see your baby struggling and my advice to other parents of premature babies is to try not to get let down if they take a step back, because
there are many steps forward and back on the journey and they will get there eventually.
“You just have to be very patient and not beat yourself up.”
❝ It is very hard to see your baby struggling.— Emily Blackford