Hi, I am hoping to raise money for stepping hill neonatal unit in stockport, greater manchester. On the 18th febuary 2018 I went into labour with my third child. My other two pregnancys and births were normal and to be honest quiet fast. My last birth was to my eldest son Henry in april 2016 and it was rather perfect. So I felt confident that this birth was going to be as perfect which it wasnt it was to Fast. Due to my contractions coming so fast but my waters not breaking at once my sons head was very low down he had a head ache for several days and fluid from my sac got in his lungs, which I was told is very common for fast deliverys and c-sections. I realised after two hours after Thomas being born he wasnt feeding from me properly and grunting, struggling to breath On his own. I informed the midwifes and they took him down to neonatal as soon as they realised his oxygen levels were low and placed him in a incubator reassuring me this is very common yet again and not to worry. The doctors then put him on antibiotics to cover any infections as a precaution and placed thomas on a drip and began blood tests. A day passed I was put on the maternity ward in a private room so I wasnt near other mothers and their babys as this was causing me distress. Day two and My little boy was put on oxygen through his nose still in incubator but the oxygen turned off inside the incubator as he has had a temperature and due to him being so big compared to premature babys he was getting too hot inside the incubator therefor oxygen direct through his nose was better for thomas. Day three he was struggling to breath yet again due to his little body doing all the hard work his oxygen level was really low and the doctors Decided to put him on what is called a C-PAP which helped his lungs open up like what they described as the first breath into a new balloon. The next day and a half thomas was Taken of The C-PAP and back on oxygen. As the days progressed they continued the oxygen which was up and down and then began feeding thomas my milk I had been expressing through a tube into his stomach it started at 1mm an hour and then progressed to 6mm and so on and on day 5 they suggested trying thomas on the breast, as everyday I got skin to skin with him for 20-40 minutes depending on how he managed not being in incubator, with his oxygen near by coming through a mask which i placed near his precious head. You beggin to become used to all the beeping noises coming from the machines and learn what all the numbers mean and lines. At first it is frightening and every beep u look, tremble and pray to god everything is ok. At one point when his dad came to visit with his brother and sister an alarm sound came from thomas machine which we never heard, I freezed for that 5 seconds it felt like time was in slow motion. His dad ran over frantically and didnt know what to do. The midwife came over and reassured us everything is ok. Thomas progressed and no infection was found on scans or blood culture test. He began breast feeding but with a nipple shield as he was so frantic to feed and he had thrush from the antibiotics. I moved from the maternity unit to transitional care which is based on the neonatol unit steps away from my son. Day 6 they took thomas off oxygen after weaning him off and I was aloud to take my son next to my bed by day 7 and a half after all his checks I was aloud to take my son home. I want to raise money for the neonatol unit to thank them, in a time of my life I didnt have no control no knowing if i would be able to take my son home. Not knowing what the future holds, I had crazy thoughts of what if and what next. I had to keep it together for my family and my little boy. Thomas’s daddy would come with the kids everyday and I could see the tears he holded back and the ones he just couldnt. But for them times when I didnt have him or his mum close by who worked at the hosiptal and would visit me daily not to mention other family member trying to help any way they could, and my brother daniel always on the other side of the phone at times when no on else was 1 am phone calls after my regular visit to check on thomas, reassuring me it will be ok and to stay strong for thomas. for the timesI was sat beside my baby not being able to cuddle or feed him hearing him cry in despair inside his incubator me feeling useless the only people I had to turn to were the amazing women in the neonatal unit who were caring for my son 24/7 and all I can say is what amazing and loving women every single one Is. I would watch them caring for my son and the tiny babys, the love they had for my son and the other babys was glowing from them and what they do is more than a job. I am not religous, open minded before and after these life events but these human beings the midwifes and doctors are amazing. I genuinely cant think of the write word to decribe them. There was a book in the visitors room from previous people that have raised money from when their children were looked after in the intensive care and special care and the money raised. Heaton moor golf club bought breast feeding equipment which I used daily to express for my son and other women used for their babies and I am so grateful for. Anything raised would be grateful for them at such a time with cuts on the NHS I find It shocking. Before this I never really thought deep about the NHS until me and my son was cared by them but now I think about them daily and how lucky we are to have a free health care system

Thomas Daniel Potts now and below with his big brother Henry and his big sister katelyn at the bottom ❤️

and below Thomas the day we were leaving the hospital xx