Olivia Halvorsen-Gordon
SSCB Teddy Bears' Picnic 2022
Fundraising for Simpsons Special Care Babies
Story
While my husband and I knew that due to a few complications, our baby was going to arrive early, we had no idea how early. Before our son’s arrival, we were shown around Simpson’s Neonatal Unit at the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary to help us understand what care a premature baby might require and what we could expect. The team could not have been kinder and more supportive, and we left feeling reassured that should our baby need to spend time there, he or she would be in the best possible hands.
Our son Fredrik was delivered at 33 weeks and 6 days. While Fredrik weighed a relatively robust 5lbs 1oz, he needed help with his breathing and was taken straight to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).
While there were some setbacks and some moments that we’d both care to forget, after two days, my husband and I held our son for the first time. We learned how to change his nappy in an incubator, and the doctors and nurses guided us through every step of his progress.
After three weeks, I moved into transitional care. This allowed me to sleep in a family room attached to the unit, with Fredrik in a cot beside me. It meant that I could lean on the nurses for support, ask for help when I needed it and spend some time trusting that my son no longer needed the support of machines and monitors.
Not only did the wonderful staff care for Fredrik in the best possible way, they supported us through each step. Fredrik turned three in February this year, and I am so proud to be volunteering with Simpsons Special Care Babies, the official charity of the Simpson Neonatal Unit.
Throughout June, the charity will be fundraising by asking children and their families to host a Teddy Bears' Picnic.
