Arabella’s Story

After years of trying to fall pregnant and multiple false starts with IVF, we finally fell pregnant with Arabella on our first Embryo transfer. After so many years wanting to be pregnant, I could not quite believe it when I saw that little blue line on the pregnancy test. 

A textbook pregnancy

Our first 24 weeks of pregnancy were pretty textbook; I had a lot of morning sickness, but that cleared up at around 16 weeks. Around 24 weeks, the sickness returned intermittently, and I began to swell up. On New Year's Eve (25 weeks pregnant), I ended up at Epsom Fire Station to have my rings cut off as my fingers were so swollen.

The following week, I went to the hospital for a check-up as the swelling just did not feel like ‘normal’ pregnancy swelling. They tested my blood, and I was told my liver function was off. The doctor told me there was a 1 in 200 chance of this being early preeclampsia, so I needed to come back the following week for follow-up tests.

I returned for my follow-up tests the next week and was told I had extreme preeclampsia. I was that 1 person of 200. 

Delivering early due to Preeclampsia

I was told that it would be likely that I would have to deliver our baby in the coming days. If we were really lucky, we would make it to 30 weeks, but they needed to find me a bed in a hospital with a level 3 neonatal unit. 

Eventually, it was decided I would go to St Helier’s Hospital’s neonatal unit, even though we had not quite hit the 28-week mark.

After 4 days of the doctors trying to control my blood pressure and my body increasingly feeling the effects of the preeclampsia, we had a scan. Arabella had stopped moving. 

I was prepped for surgery, and Arabella arrived by C-section not long after. 

Arabella was put on CPAP ventilation (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure, helping premature babies breathe). Initially, she did not need too much oxygen and was on relatively low pressures. However, the honeymoon period soon ended, and during the following night, the doctors had to get me out of bed to tell me that, unfortunately, Arabella had to be intubated and was awaiting transport to St. George's Hospital, where she could receive the level 3 support she needed. 

Neonatal Transport to St. George’s Neonatal Unit

I called my husband, who, after 5 days sleeping on the floor in the hospital, had just arrived home. He rushed back to join Arabella in the ambulance transfer to St. George's Hospital. I was still an inpatient and very unwell, so I followed 12 hours later once my transport and a bed on the maternity ward could be organised.

NICU - an emotional rollercoaster

Once at St George’s Neonatal Unit, Arabella once again started to improve. She was intubated for just over 24 hours when they put her back on CPAP. She was doing really well for around 5 days. There were even discussions about being transferred back to St. Helier’s Neonatal Unit.

However, after 5 days, one of the nurses said that Arabella was not her usual ‘sassy’ self and was not telling her off as much as she normally did during mask changes. 

The nurse warned me that Arabella could be about to take a turn. Sure enough, the next day, Arabella started to go downhill. She had to be moved back from HDU to NICU.

Arabella was intubated once again and slightly longer this time, but after a couple of days, she was put on Non-Invasive Ventilation (NIV PC). Arabella was struggling to maintain and suffered from multiple Bradys and was on the verge of being reintubated again. Arabella was then diagnosed with a PDA, and once she received a diuretic started to go from strength to strength. 

Arabella was moved back to HDU and slowly had her NIV PC pressures weaned. At just over 5 weeks old, Arabella made it back onto CPAP, and after exactly 6 weeks at St George’s Hospital, we moved back to St Helier’s Neonatal Unit: a step closer to home.

Having to leave Arabella on the neonatal unit

We settled Arabella back into St Helier’s Neonatal Unit. We then had to leave her and drive home. I cried all the way; it was the first time I had been home overnight since having Arabella, as we had been staying in a mix of Airbnb and hotels to be closer to St George’s Hospital.

The next day, when we arrived in the hospital, Arabella had been moved to Vaportherm (used to help premature or sick babies' breathing by placing two fine tubes in the nostrils and having air flow through them). 

We finally saw her little face for the first time. We spent a further 6 weeks in St Helier’s Neonatal Unit, weaning Arabella’s pressures.

On Mother's Day, at around 8 weeks old, we were able to give Arabella her first bath. She had her first cuddle with her Grandma. Finally, after exactly 3 months in Neonatal Care, we were able to bring Arabella home. 

I will forever be grateful for the hospitals that saved Arabella and the staff that made our time in NICU as special as possible.

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