You’re in labour… Not the words you want to be hearing when you are just over 25 weeks pregnant. This happened to my best friend and I remember exactly where I was when I got the phone call. I was at home with another two of my friends at the time. The call came in and after hearing that she was in labour I remember turning to my friends and saying ‘no, she can’t be, it’s way to early…’.
My best friend had her baby at 25 weeks and 5 days, ridiculously and dangerously short of the 40 expected weeks of a full term pregnancy. I’ll compile a long emotional story short here as it’s not my story to tell, but what I will say is that as a friend, all we were able to do is watch from afar and help out with coffees, meals and support when we could.
She spent three months practically living at the hospital to be by her new baby boy’s side with only herself and her husband allowed to visit.
The miracle of the story is that he is a perfectly healthy strong 7 year old boy who kicks a mean footy, towers over my sons and is very cheeky to his Aunty Rayne.
I have been asked to support an initiative that raises funds and awareness to help prevent stillbirth and complications from babies being born prematurely, complete no brainer for me.
Complications from premature birth and stillbirth are tragedies that are far too common in Australia. In fact, around one in 130 Australian pregnancies end in stillbirth. I had no idea! And worldwide, premature birth remains the number one killer of children aged under five. Greater awareness and funding are essential in order to reduce this heartbreaking reality.
Pram Jam is set to return in 2017 from Monday 20 November to Sunday 26 November. It’s a walkathon-style fundraising initiative calling on new mums and dads, their family, friends and colleagues to push their pram, walk or run any distance, and ask others to sponsor them online.
Pram Jam is a national campaign with participants clocking their distance all over Australia. With no set location or time, its easy to get involved. You can walk or run, pram or no pram, wherever and whenever you choose over the course of the week.
Your participation in Pram Jam will support the most vulnerable and complicated pregnancies, those where there is a major risk of death for the mother, her baby, or both, just like my girlfriends.
To participate simply set your goal, register as an individual or team at pramjam.org.au and share your personal fundraising page to ask for donations.
If this has touched you or a friend or family member in anyway please share this blog post and the event. The more awareness we can create the better for these beautiful bubs and their parents.
Would love to hear from you below if you have a story you would like to share.
Happy Pram Push everyone!
R.É. xx
