“He’s still a NICU baby, we are still NICU parents” – Lauren’s Story

In July 2025, after a fairly straightforward pregnancy with no worries about our baby’s health, we went into hospital on our due date believing my waters had gone – they didn’t think they had but we were admitted for observation.

After a scan then showed there was not enough water around him, I was induced and two days after his due date labour began well in the early morning. Throughout the day labour progressed well and despite not getting the home birth we had planned we was happy that we were about to meet our boy with still no concerns about when he would come into the world.  

Then it quickly changed...the red button was pressed and the quiet room suddenly filled. Our boy was in distress and we had to act fast to get him into the world. Our beautiful baby boy entered the room loudly and was placed on my chest.  

And then it changed again… he was taken straight go neonatal care, my husband Sam followed after him and I was waiting for any update on our boy. He had to have lumbar punctures, blood tests and was placed on CPAP to help with his breathing.  

That night Sam took me to meet our boy, in his incubator, his tiny CPAP mask, wires monitoring him and antibiotics already being administered. We didn’t get to hold our boy the day he was born and we still didn’t know why we was there. I felt lucky that I had been admitted so we could spend his first night in the same building as him. Having to walk away from him that night was never what you imagine for your first night with your baby.  

He spent the next few days in neonatal care receiving tests and being given such amazing care and the first cuddles we had with him the day after he was born were magical, but again you never imagine your first cuddles having to navigate wires and monitors. After a few days we were incredibly thankful he was bought to transitional care to spend the last few days in hospital with us before heading home.  

We came to learn that he had been born with congenital pneumonia, his little lungs had a fight and that’s why he struggled with his oxygen levels and breathing when he was born.  

The neonatal ward and team at Great Western Hospital Swindon were absolutely incredible, they held me when I cried, they ensured that Sam as Austin’s daddy was just as looked after as I was, they let us do as much of the care as possible, but not putting our boys first nappy on, or his first outfit, him not being able to try to breastfeed straight away was very tough to take.  

Austin is now home, healthy happy and thriving and his tough start has only shown us how brave and strong he is. Being full term, having to go to neonatal care was not something we ever imagined would happen, the room was filled with tiny babies around us.  

It felt a really lonely place, I wasn’t sure we should share our story because in a way we were lucky he was full term, we were lucky he had a short stay. But he’s still a NICU baby, we are still NICU parents and he didn’t join our family the way we imagined. I just didn’t know where to turn. And then I found Bliss, and I read about Full Term February and I honestly couldn’t believe 60% of NICU babies are born full term. And through some of the support pages I have managed to speak to some parents who had been in the same position as us.  

Bliss has helped me realise every NICU journey no matter what, is still a NICU journey. And you are never alone in your story. It’s given me the opportunity to have parents who have gone through similar support me but also I hope given them the opportunity to also share their story. And now it doesn’t feel so lonely.