Up date

Our baby, Christopher, was born 12 weeks early. I wrote the Clock Ticks a month before he was concieved. As you can tell there were many hold ups in our attemps to have him including a miscarridge a 16 weeks. The effects of a late miscarridge on the person having it should never be under-estimated by others arround them. It will probably make them cry for a very long time afterwards.

His birth was normal except that it was so early, it started with the waters breaking at 2.30 in the morning and ended with his birth about 8 hours later.

He was then transfered straight to the special care unit, where he has been ever since. It is important for all babies to have breast milk but this is espesially true for preterms. This means expressing regularly and being tied to a breast pump except for short and well planned outings to get back in time.

So we managed to get a trip to a local baby store and buy his pram, which is really bright and cheerful and extremely versitile. He still needs a matress for his cot and a moses basket for his first 3 months or so at home.

His progress in pictures can be viewed at www.papageorgiou.e7even.com.

He started having a go at suckling on Monday last week and has been getting stronger at it. This is quite impressive as they are not supposed to develope the sucking, breathing and swallowing co-ordination untill they are 34 weeks of gestation and his gestational age was 32 when he had it.