Preemie Baby Is So Small Doctors Have to 'Wrap Her in Bubble Wrap'

A baby born over three months early was forced to spend her first days at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of a local hospital wrapped in special coverings. Luckily, her story had a happy ending.

Scots mom, Channae Kirkwood, went into labor in July this year without even realizing it as she was only 28 weeks pregnant.

Following a series of discomfort, which became increasingly unbearable, the 23-year-old was rushed to the hospital, where doctors informed her she was about to have a baby. Kirkwood prepared herself for the worst but eventually ended up delivering a baby girl, Lacey Murray, 13 weeks premature.

Despite being a tiny bundle, the little girl’s parents were simply glad she came into the world safely, given the hurdles surrounding her since conception.

The young mom discovered her pregnancy last year after making a random visit to Crosshouse Hospital to complain about her incessant stomach upset.

During the visit, she underwent a mandatory urine test while waiting to see the doctor. Moments later, a nurse approached her with some painkillers, asking if she didn’t mind taking them while being pregnant.

The accidental discovery left the woman shocked, an initial feeling shared by her partner Jamie Murray. However, Kirkwood and Murray soon got over the initial shock and spent the next months preparing for their new arrival.

At 24 weeks, the Kilmarnock native suffered serious bleeding and ended up at Crosshouse Hospital again. The clinic transferred her to Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Glasgow, where she spent the next week on admission.

The following weeks saw Kirkwood go in and out of hospitals as she fought to keep her baby alive, even giving up her job as a carer.

She lived through the excruciating moments until July 9, when her condition suddenly worsened. She kept vomiting, unable to hold in any food or water, prompting her to return to the hospital.

There, doctors discovered her water had broken. She spent the next five days under close monitoring at the Ayrshire Maternity Unit, all the while fearing she was about to lose her baby.

The thought was unbearable for the young mom, who had experienced a stillbirth as a teenager at just 19 weeks of pregnancy. She

:

“With Lacey, I was a bit further on, so I think that helped her a lot. I was just hoping and praying the same thing wouldn’t happen again. I was terrified.”

Thankfully, Kirkwood received answers to her prayers, welcoming her baby girl on July 14. The infant was so small her parents could not hold her for the first three days of her life.

None of the available baby clothes could fit either, given her size. Kirkwood had to try on some doll clothes on the girl, but those proved too big as well.

In the end, medics carefully wrapped the preemie baby in bubble wrap to keep warm and placed her in the incubator at the Neonatal Intensive Care units.

Doctors prepared the parents for the worst, informing them their baby had a low chance of survival. Miraculously, Lacey began feeding, breathing, and adding weight normally within four weeks, defying the odds.

Nine weeks later, she was certified healthy enough to return home with her family. Although still a little bundle, Lacey has proven herself a survivor, leading a life like any other tot her age, and can even fit into cloth sizes from the “tiny baby” range.