Christmas joy for family as baby Ethan home after 109 days in hospital unit

Sophie Thompson and Matthew Hart, both 25, have spent 109 days at New Cross Hospital’s neonatal unit after their first child, Ethan, was born 13 weeks early.

Baby Ethan was born on 26 August this year, weighing just 2lb 5oz, and has now finally been able to go home to Coseley.

Sophie said: “Having a baby on the neonatal unit has been the biggest challenge in our life because when you’re expecting you only visualise giving birth to a full-term baby who you can go home with straight away, not having to go home every night without your baby.

“The journey has definitely been a test on our relationship because it’s such a stressful and confusing time, but in the long run it’s made us stronger both as a couple and as individuals."

Both parents are delighted to be able to spend a special Christmas at home with baby Ethan.

They added: "Knowing we get to bring Ethan home in time for Christmas gives us so much joy especially because it will be his first Christmas.

"If he was still on the NNU we wouldn’t be able to make it feel as special as it will be with him being home surrounded by his loved ones and not just his mummy and daddy."

On reflection of the experience, Sophie advised any parents who have a baby in neonatal to make sure they are caring for themselves too.

Aspiring engineer Matthew added: “We’ve also learnt a lot of things when it comes to Ethan which we don’t feel we would have learnt without the neonatal staff.

"The staff have been amazing, at the start of Ethan’s NICU (neonatal intensive care unit) journey I found it very hard to go home of an evening and leave Ethan at hospital.

"But the staff made it very easy and comforting, which after the first few days reassured me that he was in the best hands and that I had no reason to worry about him."