Morgan Capper was 28 weeks pregnant with her first baby when she started bleeding and was rushed to hospital.
The prescribed bed rest for the 27-year-old didn’t last long. She had placenta previa and a fibroid so a natural birth was never going to be an option.
But while her husband, Brenton, was working out of town, she haemorrhaged and doctors decided she needed an emergency C-section.
“They gave me a general anaesthetic, knocked me out, and then while I was under they say that they couldn’t find Aston,” said Morgan Capper.
“So I didn’t just have the classical caesarean. They actually opened me up inside long-ways, they then used forceps to pull Aston out and fractured his left collar bone and he was not breathing for two minutes.”
Aston was born when Morgan was born ten weeks early. Image supplied.
"You've overstayed your welcome."
Aston weighed 1550 grams and was 41.5cm in length when he was born. He was blue. It wasn't until the next day that the new parents were able to see their baby together.
"Brenton finally took me down to see our tiny son and it was such an amazing moment, I got to put my hand in to the humidicrib and touch him and let him know mummy and daddy were there," said Ms Capper.
Three days after her traumatic birth and before she'd even been able to cuddle her newborn son, Morgan says she was told by a nurse that she had "overstayed her welcome" at Mater Mothers Hospital and was discharged.
Morgan was still in pain and couldn't look at her C-section cut because she felt so bad that her son had been born too early.
"I begged the hospital not to send me home because I was still in a fair amount of pain and discomfort and the fact that I’d just had this premature baby which was born at 30 weeks, as a first time mum I had no idea what I was up for," said the Queenslander.
His parents finally get to snuggle. Image supplied.
"Fluid on the brain."
After 10 days in intensive and special care in Brisbane's Mater Mothers, Aston was transferred to Logan Hospital which meant his mother could spend more time with him.
He slowly got better and was taken for a brain ultrasound to make sure everything was OK.
"When I ask what had happened and what the result was no one would tell me, eventually the head paediatrician came out while we were seeing Aston. She told me that they had found minor fluid on the back of Aston’s brain but it was that minor that we should not worry about it and it would resolve on its own," said the new mother.
Then another brain scan that was conducted four weeks later was said to be all-clear.
Top Comments
My sister has CP. Fortunately, it was noticed early (10 days actually, thankfully she was baby number 4), it still took months for a diagnosis, but at least the tests were started.
She was similar, didn't walk independently until 3.5yo. However, she got there eventually! She met milestones at the same time as me (4 years younger).
Now, she is in her late 30s, has two degrees, has traveled solo since she was 19 (goes overseas 2-3 times per year, and has lived in Canada, Ireland, France, Scotland and England).
Big Ups to the Brisbane Spastic Centre (now CP Alliance) and all the work they did over the years.
Hold your head up - CP is difficult, but not a life sentence. Bless!