June 21, 2019
Westmeadows local, Natalia O’Keeffe, knows the Neonatal Unit at Northern Hospital very well after her premature twin boys, Liam and Logan, spent over two months in the nursery.
After being born at just 32 weeks during an emergency caesarean after Natalia’s placenta ruptured, the twins were transferred to Northern Hospital a week after they were born.
Liam spent 69 days in hospital, while Logan spent 59.
Born on 22 March 2018 at only 1.3 kg and 1.4 kg, the proud mum was excited to share the news recently of an exciting milestone – their first birthday.
“They’re doing amazing – they’re hitting their points, they’ve just been signed off by the physio today. They’re happy and healthy!”
“They’re crawling and starting to say a few words – they’ve come out of hospital with no complications at all,” she says.
Liam was born first as he was the healthier baby, followed shortly after by Logan.
As they were born prematurely, throughout their stay in hospital they suffered a number of complications. Natalia tells us they wouldn’t feed properly, developed temperatures and caught colds very easily.
“Liam wasn’t drinking or swallowing properly, and when he swallowed milk, it went into his lungs and caused a lung infection,” she says.
“They were on antibiotics, which could have caused hearing problems, but they had a hearing test just last week and passed!”
As Natalia had her other son Lachlan at home, she couldn’t be with her newborns all the time and would come in at night with her husband. She says the nurses made all the difference to her experience, as they consistently kept her informed of their progress.
“The nurses would call me every four hours to provide me with updates which was really great,” she says.
Natalia says staff went above and beyond for her and her sons – “They were in hospital on Mother’s Day and, because I couldn’t be there with them, the nurses printed their footprints on a Mother’s Day card for me. They gave it to me when I came in – that was really special – I have the card stored away and will keep it forever,” she says.
Natalia says her overall experience with the hospital was fantastic – “you get nurses that really know what they’re doing, and you click with them and become friends.”
“The staff were amazing – all so positive and helpful. They also gave you your space when you needed it so you can bond with your babies, which was really nice,” she adds.
“I want to say thank you so much to the nurses, because they’ve come out healthy. I really appreciate the time and care they put into them – you can see the benefits at the end of it.”
“Also, thank you to the volunteers who cuddled them when we weren’t there!”
