by Britain’s Smallest sᴜʀᴠɪᴠɪɴɢ ᴘʀᴇᴍᴀᴛᴜʀᴇ Baby – Born At 25 Weeks Weighing Just 11oz
THE parents of Britain’s smallest sᴜʀᴠɪᴠɪɴɢ ᴘʀᴇᴍᴀᴛᴜʀᴇ baby have enjoyed their first cuddles with her.
Hannah Stibbles was born at 25 weeks weighing just 11oz.
Mum Ellie Paton, 17, and dad Brandon Stibbles, 21, were told their daughter had just a 20 per ᴄᴇɴᴛ ᴄʜᴀɴᴄᴇ ᴏF sᴜʀᴠɪᴠᴀʟ. Hannah ʙᴀᴛᴛʟᴇᴅ through collapsed ʟᴜɴɢs but after six weeks weighs 1lb 3oz and has opened her eyes. The couple have finally been allowed to cradle tiny Hannah — who still must be fed via a ᴛᴜʙᴇ.
The couple have also started reading her stories and have watched with delight as Hannah responds to their voices.
Brandon said: “She gets dead relaxed when we hold her. Hannah absolutely loves skin to skin contact. We got to hold her for about three and a half hours.”
Hannah had to be delivered by ᴇᴍᴇʀɢᴇɴᴄʏ C-sᴇᴄᴛɪᴏɴ on December 30 as mum Ellie had ᴘʀᴇ-ᴇᴄʟᴀᴍᴘsɪᴀ. Her parents spend every hour by her ɪɴᴄᴜʙᴀᴛᴏʀ at Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, in Glasgow. They know it could be weeks yet before she is sᴛʀᴏɴɢ ᴇɴᴏᴜɢʜ to be moved to a hospital closer to their home in Newmilns, Ayrshire.
The couple have had to stay at a nearby hotel and a kind-hearted stranger set up an online Fᴜɴᴅʀᴀɪsᴇʀ to help with ᴄᴏsᴛs.
Labourer Brandon said: “Hannah’s eyes have opened and she’s pretty aware now. She was waving at us and we wave back.”
Ellie added: “We get to change her ɴᴀᴘᴘɪᴇs ǫᴜɪᴛᴇ often as well now. She’s done amazingly well.”
