Every new mum looks forward to holding her newborn in her arms as soon as they're brought into the world. But sometimes fate has a different plan and unexpected complications quash this dream. Just as it happened with lifestyle blogger Melissa Koh.
Koh welcomed her second child on June 17, and was over the moon to meet her newborn baby – Asher. But right after his birth, the new mum's time with him was cut short as he was immediately placed in NICU.
"It Was A Bittersweet Moment" Says Second-Time Mum Melissa Koh
On Thursday (24 June), Melissa Koh broke the news of her newborn son's condition.
She took to Instagram and in her recent post shared that shortly after giving birth to baby Asher, she was faced with a "daunting reality."
"I had a natural delivery without epidural, it was smooth but definitely painful. Yet it was nothing compared to the emotional ordeal that was to come," she wrote.
While she still had the chance to give skin-to-skin contact to baby Asher, he was brought back to the nursery for what was meant to only be a quick check-up. Koh was even informed that her son was "all feisty and good."
But at around 9.30pm, a nurse updated Melissa that her son's oxygen levels were dropping and was advised that he be put in NICU for "better one-to-one care." His lower oxygen levels were suspected to be due to a "wet lung" or "infection."
Koh Took To IG Stories To Further Explain The Situation
In her Instagram story, Koh shared that baby Asher's little fingers were gripping hers "so tightly" when he was brought to NICU around midnight.
An X-ray was then conducted which reveal that he has a heart condition that requires immediate surgery.
Baby Asher Transfers Hospitals For Surgery
As a result, Melissa Koh and her husband made arrangements to transfer their son from Mount Alvernia Hospital to Gleneagles Hospital.
Melissa also asked for an early discharge from the hospital to tend to her baby.
She shared that during the whole ordeal, she didn't "really feel much pain or discomfort post-birth." Adding, "Didn't need painkillers or any drugs. Just needed my baby by my side so that we could kickstart our breastfeeding journey."
The open-heart surgery was performed on June 18.
Talking about the night of the procedure, Koh revealed, "It was a sleepless night for James and I as the surgery took place until sunrise the next morning. We were heartbroken to see our 2 day old baby with so many tubes going through him, fighting for his life."
The couple has since then been holding tightly to each update from nurses and doctors. Koh has even mentioned in her post that baby Asher has made positive progress so far.
"He’ll be home soon and we can’t wait to welcome him when that time comes," Koh wrote.
We wish baby Asher a speedy recovery.
More Support For People Born With Congenital Heart Defects
In Singapore alone, there are about 12,000 adults living with congenital heart disease which refers to heart defects that affect the structure of a newborn baby's heart.
According to the birth defect registry from 1994 − 2000 as per Mount Elizabeth hospital, it was found that congenital heart disease is actually a factor in 0.81% of live births.
The Singapore Heart Foundation also have data that shows 17 people die every day from cardiovascular diseases which accounted for 29.3% of deaths in the country back in 2019.
Since almost 1 out of 3 deaths occur due to heart diseases or stroke, this figure brings to light the need for more awareness on heart diseases in Singapore.
If you or know someone who is facing a heart condition, here are a few support groups for heart wellness:
- Caring Hearts Support Group (CHSG)
A voluntary initiative by parents National University Heart Centre, Singapore (NUHCS) to provide a support group to help each other remain heart healthy.
Contact: Email them at mchia@kucinta.com - Singapore Heart Foundation (SHF)
SHF has a Cardiac Rehabilitation and Heart Wellness programme for recovering heart patients as well as to help those at risk of developing a heart disease to manage their health.
Contact: +65 6354 9340 - Cardiac Rehabilitation Support Group
For those caring for a loved one with cardiovascular disease, this Cardiac Rehabilitation Support Group can help you in developing better caregiving.
Contact:
Bishan Park: +65 6481 4051
Hougang Sports Stadium: +65 6287 1578
Bukit Gombak Sports Stadium: +65 9620 4128
Lead image source from Instagram / melissackoh.
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