When Annika had to give birth by emergency C-s.e.c.t.i.o.n in the 25th week of pregnancy, her life changed dramatically. Her son was born extremely premature – and the following months were marked by hope, fear, and countless hours in the intensive care unit. Between fear, gratitude, and the strength of her family, Annika learned how precious every single moment can be.
“I’m Annika, mother of three boys. My youngest son was born extremely prematurely in the 25th week of pregnancy.
The birth came very suddenly.
The CTG was still normal in the morning, but two hours later it became abnormal, so they immediately got him out. Everything resembled a scene from a movie. It wasn’t until I was already headed to the s.u.r.g.e.r.y room and the emergency C-s.e.c.t.i.o.n was about to start that I truly understood it.
I saw him for the first time that afternoon when they wheeled me in bed into the intensive care unit.
I was simply relieved that he was there – and alive.
The time afterwards in the intensive care unit was an emotional rollercoaster.
We received excellent medical care at all times. We always believed in our son – and never doubted that he could make it. It was a constant cycle of hope and fear . One of the hardest moments was when a doctor told us we should expect the phone to ring in the middle of the night – with the news that he hadn’t made it. We carried this fear with us every day.
We were in the hospital for over 3.5 months. I didn’t have a typical postpartum period – I just had to function. In the mornings, I was at his bedside, and in the afternoons, normal family life awaited us. It was especially difficult to leave him there again and again. But our two big boys were a tremendous source of strength. They were and are so incredibly proud of their little brother.
And they have shown us that they need us just as much.
This was very grounding for us – and at the same time, we knew that our little one was being well cared for in the clinic.
When we were allowed to bring him home, it was a strange moment. We had settled back into being a family of four – and suddenly there was a baby in the house again.
But the best thing was to finally have him with us.
In the initial days following the birth, I was particularly troubled by the external responses. Rather of offering congratulations, many people responded with despair. You think everything should end happily, therefore it was hard to take the obvious hostility from other people. We were fortunate to have family and friends at our side who helped and encouraged us through everything.
Today, many months later, there’s hardly anything left of our little one. Only the small scars on his stomach are a reminder of his time in the hospital. He’s a bright, cheerful little fellow who knows exactly what he wants – and that’s a good thing, because without that determination, he might not have been such a fighter.
He is our sunshine.
A completely normal baby who impresses us every day with his strength.
This experience has profoundly changed my perspective on life. I no longer get upset about every little thing. I enjoy life more. I now know that having a healthy child is by no means a given. We witnessed many fates on the ward, and it touches you deeply.
You always think something like this won’t happen to you – until it does. And then you suddenly realize that health is the most valuable thing.
I’ve also learned not to judge too quickly.
Because you can’t judge things you haven’t experienced yourself. I now know how quickly everything can change – and that you should often be much more understanding of other people.
To inspire other parents, I’m sharing our story. These kinds of success stories kept me optimistic in the past, and I want to do the same now.
Today I’m letting my feelings run free.
Sometimes I cry like a baby – and at the same time, I’m so grateful. Especially to the hospital staff, with whom we’re still in close contact. I’m just so happy for that.
What I would like to share with other premature baby parents:
Hang in there. Believe in your dwarves. Keep hope – and don’t forget yourself.”
