West Footscray’s Heather Riddley was looking forward to becoming a mother, but not quite so soon.
Her daughter Emma was born at 34 weeks, almost six weeks ahead of Ms Riddley’s due date.
“It was all very unexpected, I was still working at the time. I went into the hospital and was told she would be born within 24 hours.”
Ms Riddley stayed in hospital for the next nine days, spending as much time by Emma’s side as she could.
After leaving, she returned every day to feed Emma, who remained in the hospital nursery for the first three weeks of her life.
Emma was allowed to go home once she was able to regulate her own temperature.
“The whole thing was a bit of a shock,’’ Ms Riddley said. ‘‘The first week was difficult because she was in a humidity crib and you could only put your hand through a little window.
It’s something you can’t understand until you go through it.”
Now four months old, Emma is healthy and putting on weight.
Ms Riddley said the family was helped through a difficult time by friends and the Life’s Little Treasures Foundation, which supports the families of about 45,000 sick or premature babies born each year.
Meeting other local parents in a similar situation through Life’s Little Treasures has provided a chance to share frustrations and help keep things in perspective.
Ms Riddley and her family will be taking part in this month’s Walk for Prems, the foundation’s major annual fundraiser.
The walk will take place at Albert Park Lake from 10.30am on Sunday, October 26.
For more details, visit www.walkforprems.org.au
