A mother who was told she had suffered a miscarriage just weeks into her pregnancy has taken her 'miracle' baby home for Christmas.
Rachel Lennard had to endure an agonising three-day wait before a scan finally showed the baby was actually still alive.
Baby Faith had to face another battle for survival after she was born 13 weeks premature weighing a mere 1lb and 14oz - the same as a bag of sugar.
It was seven weeks into her pregnancy that doctors told Rachel Lennard to expect the worst.
For three days she and husband Pete believed she'd had a miscarriage.
But when Rachel went for a scan to confirm the diagnosis the couple were stunned when medics spotted a glimmer of life.
Now their baby girl - who they named Faith - has headed home to Audenshaw, Manchester, for Christmas with her mother and father and three-year-old brother Calum.
After being born Faith was given steroid injections and oxygen treatment and battled back to health at Tameside Hospital.
She was allowed to go home on the exact day she had originally been due to be born.
Rachel, 27, said: 'It's going to be the best Christmas ever. There have been plenty of tears - but now they are tears of happiness.
'Faith has really made our Christmas and having her and Calum at home together has made this the perfect happy ending.'
Rachel told how her happiness at falling pregnant turned to dismay after she thought she had miscarried.
'It was awful,' she said. 'I thought she had gone, and I had to wait three days for the scan which would confirm it.
'Incredibly, that scan showed she was still alive. Pete jumped up and punched the air, I just cried.'
But at 25 weeks Rachel's waters broke when she was picking up Calum from nursery.
She was rushed to a specialist centre at the Royal Preston Hospital. Faith was born a week later.
The tiny baby was transferred back to Tameside's neonatal unit a month later - and after another two months she was finally sent home.
Community nursing staff check on Faith most days at home and yesterday they turned down her oxygen pump - to start weaning her off it.
Rachel, who works as a fish importer, said: 'She has always been a little fighter.
'Even when my waters broke early and then during a horrendously difficult labour, Faith's heartbeat stayed strong.'
Community nurse Jackie Leonard said: 'Our aim is to help get these babies home from the neonatal intensive care unit into an environment in which we are fully trained to deliver excellent quality care as well as giving the parents of these babies the confidence they need.
'It's a very exciting new chapter for us which has allowed us to expand as a service.
'But more importantly, it allows families to benefit from a better bonding process by being at home which is a better environment for both parents, siblings and, of course, the baby.'
Rachel Lennard had to endure an agonising three-day wait before a scan finally showed the baby was actually still alive.
Baby Faith had to face another battle for survival after she was born 13 weeks premature weighing a mere 1lb and 14oz - the same as a bag of sugar.
 |
| Rachel Lennard had a three-day wait before a scan showed baby Faith - born 13 weeks premature - was alive |
It was seven weeks into her pregnancy that doctors told Rachel Lennard to expect the worst.
For three days she and husband Pete believed she'd had a miscarriage.
But when Rachel went for a scan to confirm the diagnosis the couple were stunned when medics spotted a glimmer of life.
Now their baby girl - who they named Faith - has headed home to Audenshaw, Manchester, for Christmas with her mother and father and three-year-old brother Calum.
After being born Faith was given steroid injections and oxygen treatment and battled back to health at Tameside Hospital.
She was allowed to go home on the exact day she had originally been due to be born.
Rachel, 27, said: 'It's going to be the best Christmas ever. There have been plenty of tears - but now they are tears of happiness.
 |
| Baby Faith is now well enough to spend Christmas with her family after being given the all-clear to leave hospital and now only needs community nursing staff to occasionally check on her at home while she builds up strength |
Rachel told how her happiness at falling pregnant turned to dismay after she thought she had miscarried.
'It was awful,' she said. 'I thought she had gone, and I had to wait three days for the scan which would confirm it.
'Incredibly, that scan showed she was still alive. Pete jumped up and punched the air, I just cried.'
But at 25 weeks Rachel's waters broke when she was picking up Calum from nursery.
She was rushed to a specialist centre at the Royal Preston Hospital. Faith was born a week later.
The tiny baby was transferred back to Tameside's neonatal unit a month later - and after another two months she was finally sent home.
Community nursing staff check on Faith most days at home and yesterday they turned down her oxygen pump - to start weaning her off it.
Rachel, who works as a fish importer, said: 'She has always been a little fighter.
'Even when my waters broke early and then during a horrendously difficult labour, Faith's heartbeat stayed strong.'
Community nurse Jackie Leonard said: 'Our aim is to help get these babies home from the neonatal intensive care unit into an environment in which we are fully trained to deliver excellent quality care as well as giving the parents of these babies the confidence they need.
'It's a very exciting new chapter for us which has allowed us to expand as a service.
'But more importantly, it allows families to benefit from a better bonding process by being at home which is a better environment for both parents, siblings and, of course, the baby.'
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