Language
  • English
  • French
  • German
  • Italian
  • Portuguese
  • Spanish
  • Swedish

Insurance Funding Request

Did you know Firefly products may be funded by your insurance?

Learn More
Back to Firefly Blog

When a Baby Comes Earlier than Expected

When a Baby Comes Earlier than Expected

It all starts from when those 2 little lines pop up on a stick - you’re pregnant! (You even go buy a few more pregnancy tests just to make sure!)

You call and make your midwife appointment, you go on google and search everything and anything baby related, you join baby groups on Facebook and a birth board online for the date you are due.

You do everything you can to hide the fact you have started growing a tiny little human until that first scan.

You’re 12 weeks pregnant and you see your baby on the screen at your ultrasound for the very first time and feel emotions you have never felt before and plan how you’re going to share the news with all your friends and family.

You take all the right supplements and eat healthy along with drinking plenty of water (meaning plenty of extra toilet trips!) you google some more and start talking with your midwife of how you want to give birth, you dream of a minimum pain relief water birth while contemplating whether to breast or bottle feed.

No one mentions that you could have your baby early and not once does that thought enter your mind.

You’re not prepared, you haven’t packed a bag!

You’re getting rushed in for an emergency c section or getting steroid injections to try and give your baby the best chance possible at survival, the words “best chance at survival” words you never thought you would hear when thinking of your unborn child.

You have professionals surrounding you with so much medical equipment beeping while you’re being asked to sign something that you don’t have a minute to read.

And it’s all over in a minute.

Your baby is rushed away.

You’re put into a different room.

Suddenly it’s gone quiet...

You’re in pain and you don’t know where your baby is or if he’s even ok, you didn’t hear him cry when he came out so is he ok!?

Or did you hear him cry? You can’t quite remember, it was over so fast that it’s all a blur.

You think back to how you had seen social media posts telling you that yes, it’s painful but when your baby is placed on your chest it’s all forgotten but you didn’t get that...

Finally, someone comes to see you but they can’t tell you if your baby is ok, just that he is in intensive care and that’s all they can say right now.

But you HAVE to express. You may have never wanted to breastfeed but for your baby’s best chance at survival you have to try and get that precious colostrum for him.

There it is again, “baby’s best chance of survival”

You finally get to see your baby hours later but you’ll have never seen anything like it before in your life. This isn’t a baby surely?

He’s too small, there’s not an ounce of fat on him, his skin looks different and you can’t even see his face for breathing equipment.

Can you have a cuddle? Not yet...

Day 2, can you have a cuddle? Not yet...

There are things you can do to help though, trying to express as much milk as you can being the main one, even though your baby probably isn’t even having any yet down that tiny little tube...

You go home to an empty house, a quiet house, your hospital bag maybe half packed on the floor and a few baby bits that you had started to buy.

No matter how much you try to sleep, every time you close your eyes all you can hear is the beeping from all the machines surrounding your baby, plus you have an alarm set every 3 hours day and night to remind you to get up and stick a machine on you to try get some milk for your baby.

You feel guilt, sadness and almost as if the experience of having a new-born has been taken away from you, and then you feel more guilt again for feeling that way.

The hospital becomes your second home, where you spend more time at than your actual home, there’s nothing you can do there other than sit by your baby and doing his cares when it’s time.

When people think about premature babies they think of babies that are super cute because they are tiny!

The reality is so much different, there is a reason they are supposed to be in for 40 weeks and when they come earlier than they are supposed to they aren’t fully developed, inside and out.

There are so many difficulties and challenges that those tiny little bodies need to go through in order to survive.

When people say their premature baby is a fighter, they are absolutely right. They have been through so much without even knowing it themselves.

If your friend, family member or maybe even just someone on your online baby group has just had their baby prematurely, they might say they are fine and they don’t need anything but let me tell you right now, they are probably not fine, they need your support, they need your understanding, patience...

If you’re looking for a gift to give then hand moisturiser is a good one! As a parent of a preemie, you will never put so much hand sanitiser on your hands in your life!

Even just a hug (real or virtual!) to know you’re there for them if they need you goes a long way

Firefly Blog

Real life stories, issues and experiences of day to day life by special needs parents and
healthcare professionals.

Amy Sweeney

Meet Our Blogger

My name is Amy and I’m mum to Wilson aged 3 and Ava aged 4. Wilson has cerebral palsy affecting all 4 limbs along with CVI but it doesn’t let it stop him! He loves playing with his big sister.

View Amy’s Profile

Become a Firefly Blogger

Would you like to write for Firefly? Join our blogger network of parents, therapists and professionals.

Get In Touch

Become a subscriber today

Join over 40,000 subscribers to our weekly newsletter with insightful articles just when you need them.

Join Mailing List

By using our site you agree to our use of cookies. Click here for more info.

Accept & Close

No Interest if paid in full in 6 months on

Purchases on $99+

US Customers only. Subject to credit approval. See terms below

Paypal Credit

Pay now or pay over time with PayPal Credit. Just use PayPal Credit in PayPal checkout.

Subject to credit approval.

Purchases of $99+:

No Interest if paid in full in 6 months on purchases of $99 or more.

  • A minimum monthly payment is required and may or may not pay off the promotional purchase by the end of the 6 month period.
  • No interest will be charged on the purchase if you pay it off in full within 6 months. If you do not, interest will be charged on the purchase from the purchase date at the Purchase APR applicable to your account.
  • For New Accounts: Variable Purchase APR is 25.49%. The APR is accurate as of 6/1/2018 and will vary with the market based on the Prime Rate (as defined in your credit card agreement). Minimum interest charge is $2.00.
  • Individual items that are less than $99 qualify for special financing when combined for a total of $99 or more in a single transaction.
  • Multiple separate transactions of less than $99 per transaction cannot be combined to meet the minimum purchase amount.

Purchases of $98.99 or less:

Buy now and pay over time with PayPal Credit when you spend $98.99 or less.

  • If you pay your balance in full each month by the payment due date that is on your statement, you can avoid paying interest.
  • Or, make minimum monthly payments, or any additional amount of your choosing, until you've paid off your balance according to your standard account terms. Please note, interest charges may apply.
  • We'll send you email reminders when your payments are due. You can also keep track of your account and view your statements online at any time.

About PayPal Credit

  • PayPal Credit is a reusable credit line available on purchases at thousands of stores that accept PayPal. It's also available for purchases on eBay and exclusively at thousands of other online stores. Plus, it comes with the same security and flexibility you trust from PayPal.
  • If approved, we start you off with a minimum credit line of at least $250. See FAQs for more info.
  • For New Accounts: Variable Purchase APR is 25.49%. The APR is accurate as of 6/1/2018 and will vary with the market based on the Prime Rate (as defined in your credit card agreement). Minimum interest charge is $2.00. See Terms and Conditions tab for more info.
  • If you miss a payment your late fee could be up to $38, even less if it's your first time. See FAQs for more info.

Please wait...