Premature baby finally goes home for Christmas
THE perfect Christmas present arrived early for Mt Waverley’s Strahan family. Esther Marguerite Strahan will join her family at home for the first time on Christmas Eve.
She was due to be born on Christmas Day, although she entered the world three months ago.
The placid little princess is the much-longed for second child of Rebecca and Brendan Strahan, and a little sister to Owen, 7.
The Strahans welcomed Owen into the world in 2000.
The couple hoped a second child would quickly follow, and although they tried for six years, it was not to be.
They married in March and conceived Esther on their wedding night.
“We shared our honeymoon with Brendan’s sister, her husband and their two children,” Ms Strahan said.”But we had one night, our wedding night, on our own before that in a love shack,” Mr Strahan said.
Having enjoyed an easy pregnancy with Owen, Ms Strahan expected she would have the same with her second child.
But just 26 weeks and four days into the pregnancy, Ms Strahan had problems and Esther was born by emergency caesarean section.
Esther has spent every day since her birth in Monash Medical Centre’s neonatal intensive care unit, relying on medical experts to help her breathe, eat and survive.
Born a tiny 810g, she has almost reached her natural delivery weight of 2.5kg and is raring and ready to join her family.
“All Owen wanted for Christmas was a remote control car and a baby sister,” Ms Strahan said.
The excited boy has already taken photographs of his sister to school for show-and-tell, and he looks forward to welcoming her into her freshly painted nursery.
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Having been in the situation of having a premature baby in hospital for 3 months is exhausting & long but when they finally come home the feeling is just amazing. To have your premmie home for such a special time of year, i can only imagine the Strahan families emotions.
I am sure they have a beautiful Christmas!
http://www.lilaussieprems.com.au
Our son was born at 800 grams (1 lb. 12 oz.) on January 6, 1983. At that time, he was the smallest baby born at this hospital. He came home at 5 lbs. 9 oz. on April 8, 1983. He is almost 25, has mild to moderate cerebral palsy, but is doing well. He was the easiest child to raise!
The hospital months are long, exhausting, scary, but what else would you do? We lived about 2 hours away from the hospital where I had my son. I went back to work but we traveled every weekend and once during the week weather permitting, and I spent every waking moment that I could at the hospital until my son came home. It’s an experience you do not ever forget.
Congratulations on having your special baby home for this special holiday!
Oooh! I love stories like this, they always get me teary. And 800g is fabulous for a 26weeker, isn’t that pretty average weight for that gestation? I know Talia at 700g was about the weight of a 24weeker.
I’m so glad this family got their baby girl home for Christmas, it’s just the best feeling and even with the sleeplessness would have been the best Christmas present. Thanks for sharing the article!