Premature baby born at 25 weeks gestation now living life to the Max

HE weighed barely more than a loaf of bread at birth and spent a staggering 134 days in hospital, but now few could now imagine Maxwell Giddens was born 15 weeks premature.

Maxwell, 15 months, is showing no signs of delays despite his very early start to life. Picture: Jay Town

• The long-term effect of premature birth
• Premature babies catch up by their teenage years
• Midwives cut premature baby risk by a third

HE weighed barely more than a loaf of bread at birth and spent a staggering 134 days in hospital.

But now at the age of 15 months few could imagine Maxwell Giddens was born 15 weeks premature.

The brave youngster — who has survived surgery and being put on a machine to breathe — is walking, talking and eating on his own.

“He’s very curious and hitting all his milestones,” mum Tayla Murphy told the Sunday Herald Sun.

Baby Maxwell was born on June 25, 2016, 15 weeks before his due date.

It’s a far cry from the life-or-death situation the Frankston mother was confronted with when pregnant.

She was put on bed rest just 20 weeks into her pregnancy to stop her from going into labour — an event that would have catastrophic outcomes for her baby.

For five weeks she lay in bed at the Royal Women’s Hospital, only getting up to use the toilet and shower.

“I only really relaxed once we made it to that 24-week mark where I knew that something could be done to save my baby,” Ms Murphy said.

At 25 weeks and three days, Ms Murphy went into spontaneous labour and her baby Maxwell was born via an emergency caesarean.

Baby Maxwell was on a ventillator for seven weeks. He is pictured here at just a day old.

“He was so tiny and red, like a little bird that’s just been born, but with lots of hair,” Ms Murphy recalls.

It would be four long days before she could cradle her newborn, all 826g of him.

Being born 15 weeks early — a result of a condition called preterm premature rupture of membranes — meant Maxwell’s tiny body was not yet prepared for life outside the womb.

When they should have been putting the final touches on his nursery, Tayla and her partner, Joshua Giddens, were watching a machine breathe for their son.

When they should have been packing their hospital bags, they were listening to doctors explain that Maxwell would need more blood transfusions, surgery for a hernia and antibiotics for an infection.

Tayla and Joshua had to watch a machine breathe for their son.

For her, breastfeeding was expressing every 2-3 hours, and just seeing her newborn meant driving from Frankston to Parkville.

“The hardest thing was saying goodbye to him each night and counting down the hours to seeing him again,” Ms Murphy said.

“But you don’t realise how strong you are until you have to be. There’s a lot to be said for the power of positive thinking.”

After 134 days in hospital, his parents were delighted to take Maxwell home.

Tayla Murphy and Josh Giddens say the Royal Women’s Hospital saved their son’s life. Picture: Jay Town

Now 15 month’s old he’s walking, talking and eating on his own.

“He’s very curious and hitting all his milestones,” she said.

In addition to receiving expert medical care at the Royal Women’s Hospital, which the couple credit with saving their son’s life, families like theirs are supported by Life’s Little Treasures Foundation. Next Sunday, October 29, is the charity’s annual fundraiser: Walk For Prems at Albert Park Lake.

walkforprems.org.au

[e-mail]

@Lucie_VDB