Sylvia Chambers with husband Richard Chambers and their 16-month-old son Jett, who was born 23 weeks premature. Photo / Michaela Gower
Sylvia and Richard Chambers’ parenting journey began much earlier than they were expecting.
At 23 weeks and three days Sylvia gave birth to Jett Chambers, who weighed slightly more than a block of butter at 700g.
The Hawke’s Bay couple’s pregnancy path was filled with complications, the first of which came at 10 weeks when Sylvia had a miscarriage, losing a twin.
“On that same day, we were grieving the loss of the miscarriage, and then bam, we are pregnant still.”
At 13 weeks, she developed a 12cm by 8cm subchorionic haematoma, then at 20 weeks, she had a velamentous cord insertion, while combating antepartum haemorrhaging through the pregnancy.
Then, on July 8 last year, Sylvia was flown to Wellington Hospital from Hawke’s Bay Hospital as a precaution after she passed a blood clot and experienced what she believed to be contractions.
“On the flight, it was terrible, it was turbulent, I was having contractions, I thought, ‘please don’t let this baby come on this flight’.”
Later, Sylvia, who surprised everyone when her waters broke, was taken to give birth, where she was stalled long enough to set up the incubator.
“They basically put me upside down, legs up, head down ... just to hold him in.
“They pulled the bed down and said ‘okay you can push now’, and I’m like ‘I haven’t been to that class yet, we were meant to go to these antenatal classes next month’.”
Jett was born naturally an hour into labour.
Sylvia said she was not aware if the baby was alive or dead, or even what gender the fragile newborn was, and was able to first hug him a long three days later.
What followed was 134 days in Wellington Hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), which included but was not limited to 339 blood tests, swabs and cultures, multiple lung collapses, a hernia operation, and a bowel obstruction with 5cm of bowel removed and two stomas put in, the need for 13 blood products, eight eye checks and six ultrasound heart checks.
“He fought to be here, and he was very strong and determined from the beginning.”
Richard, who arrived after the birth, said his son’s skin appeared translucent as he lay in the incubator and described the first two weeks as a blur.
“The monitors were so big on him, his chest was tiny.
“They said it would be easier to cuddle him when he only has the tube down his throat, when he goes to the mask, it will be harder to move the cords around and cuddle him.”
Both parents said the days in NICU and 20 days in the Special Care Baby Unit (SCBU) at Hastings were tough, but they threw themselves into learning how to care for tiny Jett.
The couple shared their story with Hawke’s Bay Today as part of the Little Miracles Trust Neonatal November fundraiser.
Each year, about 5000 babies are born prematurely in New Zealand, facing a challenging journey through an NICU or SCBU.
The not-for-profit organisation’s appeal aims to raise money to install specially designed bookcases in every NICU and SCBU across the country.
They were grateful for the trust, which has launched the Neonatal November campaign to help parents of premature newborn babies create meaningful moments with their little ones.
Each will be filled with easy-to-clean storybooks, from Kiwi classics to modern favourites, with the project backed by international research showing babies who regularly hear their parents’ voices display stronger neurological and language development.
A $30 donation buys one book, with additional funds going towards the trust’s cot-side support in every New Zealand neonatal intensive care unit.
Chief executive of The Little Miracles Trust, Dr Sarah Rusholme, said the early days in neonatal care can feel isolating and overwhelming.
“You are surrounded by machines, wires and tubes, when all you want is to hold your baby.”
She said reading gave parents the ability to do something proactive and connect with their child through their voice.
“We want to make sure that opportunity is there for every whānau. Through our team’s work with families at some of the toughest times in their lives, we know it can be the little things that make all the difference.”
Michaela Gower joined Hawke’s Bay Today in 2023 and is based out of the Hastings newsroom. She covers Dannevirke and Hawke’s Bay news and loves sharing stories about farming and rural communities.