A young West Lothian mum has given birth to a baby boy at just 25 weeks pregnant after a ‘traumatic labour’.
Kat Lauren Stone was diagnosed with preterm premature rupture of the membranes (PPROM), which causes early birth and can bring a higher risk of infection.
The 23-year-old new mum gave birth to Elijah James Michael Tait on September 21 at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, almost four months before his due date, reports Edinburgh Live.
Elijah was described as a micro preemie baby, due to being born before 26 weeks. Since his birth, weighing just 1.9 ounces, he’s remained in neonatal intensive care.
Kat and her partner Graham Tait, 28, have two other kids and home and have admitted they “don’t know how to feel.”
Kat told Edinburgh Live: “I was 25 weeks pregnant, at 19 weeks I was diagnosed with PPROM, so my waters had burst.
“When my waters burst, by rights the baby is meant to come within that week. We were told to prepare for the worst. I was going to St John’s Hospital in Livingston for monitoring. The baby hung on to 20 weeks, with just 25ml of fluid. At 20 weeks, he lost all fluid. There was no protection around him, both him and me were at high risk of infection.”
Kat gave birth five weeks later. On Friday, September 13, Graham rushed Kat to St John’s – after an hour she was blue-lighted to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh.
She continued: “They were preparing to deliver at the Royal because I was in labour. They managed to stop labour, and I was let out on September 15. I was going to my usual appointments. Then on September 20, I was blue lighted to the Royal again. I was in labour all night, 24 hours, and they couldn’t see any sign of dilating. They had me on everything, but nothing was working.”
Kat then visited the toilet and was able to feel Elijah’s head. Her partner checked and rushed to get the midwife.
She continued: “The midwife got me back on the bed and checked, turns out my cervix wasn’t dilated or open.
“After being checked I turned to get some sleep, I put my hand down and there was the head. My partner panicked, before I knew it there was around eight doctors in the room.”
Kat and her partner tried to remain as calm as possible as the newborn was delivered. Elijah was born “sunny side up”, also known as the occiput posterior (OP) position, where the face is looking up, and only around five per cent of babies are born in such a way.
She added: “As he was born, he was rushed away to resuscitation. I unfortunately had retained placenta, the cord had snapped in half. I lost 1500ml of blood, and was rushed into surgery.
“I had to have a blood transfusion due to losing 40 per cent of my blood. I can’t remember that much, but the baby was completely critical when born. He had flatlined and his heart had stopped. He came back around, Wednesday came and the baby was showing he was just too weak and giving up.”
Kat and Graham were again told to prepare for the worst. She told us: “He was in a really bad way.
“Within five hours he managed to bring himself around a bit. It has been touch and go since. Saturday was the first good day he has had. Now he’s critical, but stable. He’s opened his eyes slightly for the first time.”
While dealing with her emotions, Kat is also trying to keep her two other children safe and calm.
She continued: “Jay, he is six years-old, he isn’t taking too it too well. Delilah, who is 10-months-old has just been really unsettled due to the situation.
“I don’t know what to feel. I am quite low and emotional, and it was a traumatic labour. I just want to cry. It’s a lot to deal with, I still haven’t managed to get any midwife check overs after having the baby due to being with him, as he is more important. I’m terrified. We come all the way from Livingston, as St John’s doesn’t take baby’s under 32 weeks. He deserves every prayer, and credit for his fight already.”
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