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| Birth at 22 weeks pregnant: 'It was a strange experience to see my little one in such a critical state |
Emogen weighed just half a kilo when she was born and had less than a ten percent chance of survival. Her parents say she was born prematurely, just 22 weeks into the pregnancy, but their daughter beat all odds.
Born on September 6 at Singleton Hospital in Swansea, Wales, Emogen weighed 515 grams (or one pound and one ounce).
Now, after 132 days in the hospital, six-month-old Emogen has returned home.
Her mother Rachel Stonehouse, 28, said: 'Imogene has been through more than we will ever go through in our lives and she beat them all.'
Rachel went to a local hospital in the early weeks of her pregnancy. Her uterus began to bleed and she was taken to Singleton Hospital by ambulance with her partner Corey.
"It was so scary," Rachel said. The pain was excruciating. I just kept trying to breathe during the pain.
Imogen was born minutes after arriving at the hospital and was immediately placed in a bag and placed in an incubator.
Rachel said it was a 'weird experience' to see her new, tiny baby in the intensive care unit and in such critical condition.
He said that when he saw it, he thought, "It should have been in my stomach, but it wasn't."
Rachel and Corey were told their daughter had a grade 3 brain bleed.
During the 98 days she spent in the intensive care unit, Emogen suffered numerous complications, including pulmonary hemorrhage and multiple blood transfusions.
The hospital kept the couple close to the baby girl for 13 weeks to ensure she spent as much time with Emogen as possible.
On January 15, Emogen was transferred to the Children's Special Care Unit at the Princess of Wales Hospital where she was kept for another 34 days.
"It was the scariest time of my life but the (hospital) staff were very good to me and my family."
Imogen is now home but still needs oxygen. According to Rachel, doctors are satisfied with the baby's organs and she has no vision or hearing problems.
Rachel says the reason she went into premature labor was unclear but was told she had a 40 percent chance of it happening again.
She is currently enjoying every moment of being a new mother and said she will always be grateful to the National Health Service (NHS).
"When they say these nurses and doctors are superheroes, they are not lying," he said. We wouldn't have achieved everything we have without them.'