Our second baby, Georgia, entered the world in August 2022, after a very nerve-wracking and complicated pregnancy. The road to her birth was filled with physical and mental challenges, and our journey was far from what we had imagined. After our first daughter was born at just 25 weeks in 2019, followed by a miscarriage, this pregnancy felt like a constant uphill battle. Every day was a mental struggle, and I could never truly relax. The fear of losing her, like we had lost our first baby, haunted me every moment.
From the very start, my pregnancy was marked by difficulties. I had subchorionic hemorrhages that caused on-and-off bleeding for the first 14 weeks. This was especially distressing after the miscarriage, as the fear of losing another baby lingered. My first pregnancy had been complicated by severe preeclampsia, and I had ongoing blood pressure issues even outside of pregnancy. This time, I started with hypertension, which added another layer of concern. To help with the situation, I was given Clexane and monitored weekly, doing everything we could to keep things under control and keep Georgia safe inside me for as long as possible.
For the most part, we were hopeful. Every scan showed Georgia was growing bigger and healthier than her big sister had at this stage, and it was a comforting sign. Around 20 weeks, it became clear that we were just trying to make it week to week, and eventually, we were just trying to make it through each day. The reality of our situation set in. We had a discussion with the neonatologist who had helped save our first daughter, about the possibility of resuscitating Georgia and using all life-saving measures should she come before 24 weeks. These conversations were the hardest we had ever had. We had not had to make such decisions with our first daughter, but this time, it felt like everything was moving in slow motion, and none of it seemed real.
As the pregnancy continued, I was incredibly uncomfortable and in constant pain. I was swollen, leaking protein, and suffering from worsening symptoms that we weren’t able to control. Despite my condition, Georgia was still healthy and not showing any signs of being affected, so I pushed through. The pain was unbearable at times, but every day, I focused on giving her the best chance at survival. I held on to the hope that I could carry her just a little longer.
On August 4th, 2022, at 29 weeks, it was time for Georgia to enter the world. My blood pressure was too high during an antenatal appointment, and I was transferred from Nepean to Westmead, as there were no available beds at Nepean NICU. My placenta was deteriorating, and I was showing concerning symptoms like headaches and a rapid weight gain from fluid retention. Despite receiving only one dose of steroids due to how quickly things were progressing, we had no choice but to meet our baby girl. She was no longer safe inside me.
Georgia was born weighing 1260g, and she let out the most beautiful little cry. It was a sound I will never forget—my baby was here, she was okay, and she was fighting. I didn’t get to see her until the following day, an agonizing 14 hours after her birth. The doctors and nurses were initially surprised when we mentioned how big she seemed. After all, she weighed only 1.2kg, and most parents would be freaking out. However, we explained that we were no strangers to NICUs, having gone through it all before with our first daughter, who was born at just 610 grams. So yes, to us, Georgia was our big girl—literally double her sister’s weight.
Compared to our first daughter, Georgia had a relatively easier NICU stay. We joked that she was a “boring NICU baby,” and that’s exactly what we wanted—no drama, no major complications. She was on CPAP after birth, ventilated for just one night, and back on CPAP the following day. She had a large PDA, which resolved over a few weeks, and she also developed stage 2 ROP (retinopathy of prematurity), which resolved on its own. A grade 1 brain bleed cleared before discharge, and we were grateful for how much better things were this time. However, we still faced feeding issues, with Georgia experiencing desaturations during feeds. We started her on antibiotics as a precaution while waiting for blood culture results, which thankfully came back negative.
As Georgia continued her journey in the NICU, she was transferred from Westmead to Nepean Special Care, which was much closer to home. Being closer allowed us to be with her more often, especially as we learned how to breastfeed and manage the challenges of having a toddler at home. However, the desaturations continued during feeds, and we were told that it was likely related to reflux. We tried Omeprazole and thickening her feeds, but nothing seemed to work. The final weeks in the NICU felt like they dragged on forever, but eventually, Georgia came off oxygen for good, even though she was still desaturating during feeds.
Georgia came home after 63 days to meet her big sister, who had been eagerly awaiting her return. The moment we were all finally under one roof was indescribable. It was a dream come true, but we knew there were still challenges ahead. After coming home, Georgia continued to have issues with feeding, including coughing, vomiting, and being sick and congested all the time. As any parent in the NICU community knows, advocating for your child is one of the hardest but most important things you can do. We pushed for a VFSS (videofluoroscopic swallowing study), which confirmed that Georgia was aspirating with laryngeal penetration. It was no longer safe for her to drink orally, so she was admitted for a feeding tube the following day.
It has been five weeks since the NGT (nasogastric tube) was inserted, and we are still adjusting to this new way of life. Georgia is on a waitlist for surgery to investigate whether there’s a structural abnormality causing her aspiration. We are also waiting for her to be placed on a waitlist for a PEG (percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy) tube and fundoplication surgery to help with her reflux. Although the road ahead is uncertain, Georgia is such a happy little girl. She is now rolling both ways at 10 months old (7.5 months corrected), and we’re preparing to celebrate her first birthday in just a few short weeks.
Through everything, Georgia has shown us how strong she is, and we are constantly amazed by her resilience. She’s been through so much, but she’s happy, healthy, and growing every day. Sh