A mum in Singapore was finally able to hold her newborn in her arms after her little one fought for her life in the intensive care unit for eight days.
It was a different reality for the first-time mum just a week ago. Her daughter Ariana Aaleeyah Binte Arif came into the world without a heartbeat on 29 September.
While the little one was resuscitated by the PD, according to Fareena, she spent subsequent days in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at the KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital (KKH).
And even until just last Friday, the neurologist told Fareena that "there was minimal hope" for Ariana who had not shown improvements in her brain activity.
Doctors had even repeatedly told the family to prepare for the worst themselves, according to Fareena, as Ariana had passed the maximum two-day window for showing a response.
However, baby Ariana proved everyone wrong and "progressed so much, so fast" updated Fareena in a Facebook post (7 Oct).
The mum who did not have skin-to-skin with her little one or even provide her with the first feeding said she was finally able to take her little one in her arms on Wednesday.
"Everyday, I yearn to hold you - every single day. And today, Allah SWT answered one of my prayers, I finally got the chance to carry you in my arms!!!" wrote Fareena.
"Thank you so much for fighting hard, even though I kept whispering to you to take your time because we will wait for you patiently.
“I will never want to give up on Ariana, even if you give me an option to do withdrawal of care, I will never opt for that.”
Birth Story Of Mum Who Gave Birth To Baby Without Heartbeat
Taking to theAsianparent app on 29 September 2020 to share her birth story, Fareena said she woke up to a continuous “gush of fluid” on 28 September morning.
That prompted her to call her husband, Arif who was working at that time to return home. They proceeded to the hospital thereafter and was admitted to Thomson Medical Centre on the evening of 29 September.
“Gynae came to see me at 12PM and told me I was not dilated yet but [it was] confirmed [that the] waterbag broke. She asked me if I would like to speed up the process (something like induced) or go home and wait for contractions, otherwise to come back at 7AM the next day (sic),” wrote Fareena, who then chose the latter.
Towards the evening on the same day, Fareena was once again rushed to the hospital after her contractions grew consistent. Still, she was only 2cm dilated according to her gynae.
As Fareena’s contractions intensified, so did her fever which she said had reached a high of 39.7 degree celsius.
“Contractions [were] 2 mins apart and I started groaning in pain. Laughing gas was given but I got too high and nauseous. I asked for epidural,” she wrote.
“They kept checking my cervix and I was only 3 CM dilated then. Tried to sleep but kept [getting] woken up every hour to be sponged and given all sorts of medicine. By drip, by pill in the bum, by mouth.”
On top of that, both Fareena and Ariana were recorded having a high heartbeat rate. When morning arrived, Ariana’s heartbeat fluctuated, once returning to a normal rate before plunging to a low.
Furthermore, with no progress in her cervix, Fareena said she was told to be “prepared for an emergency [C-section] but the gynae will make the call”.
“They kept checking me every 30 mins and kept changing my position, gave me [an] oxygen mask to ensure baby’s heartbeat goes back to normal but nothing improved,” lamented Fareena.
However, a couple of hours later, Ariana’s “heartbeat stopped” and Fareena had to undergo an emergency C-section.
Birth Of Miracle Baby Who Was Brought Back To Life
“[Ariana] came out with no heartbeat and [was] not breathing but was resuscitated by the PD,” wrote Fareena who shares that her baby girl was born at 3.5 KG on 29 September 2020.
“The nurses who operated [on] me cried along with my husband after the operation and said that our baby is a miracle baby that was brought back to life!”
Still, the mum’s heart ached for not being able to hold her newborn who was whisked off to the NICU in the KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital (KKH) “where it is better equipped to handle [Ariana]”.
“I cried and broke down so hard.. not only did I not get to have skin to skin to her, I haven’t got the chance to even see her or [provide] her [with the] first feeding. Ya Allah, my heart was in so much pain. So much that nothing else hurts more than not being able to hold her!
“Still in the ward, I kept hearing the newborn crying and each time I yearn for her. All I had is just her beautiful photo and her shivering like her mummy when I was in [the] Delivery Suite.
Although her heart was still aching, Fareena shared that she felt better from the support she received from her loved ones who came to visit. Her husband too had been out and about to settle everything that was related to mum and baby.
“[Ariana’s] health is more important than anything else. I just can only pray that she will recover,” said Fareena who calls her a little one a fighter.
In her post, Fareena also addressed her newborn directly: “Thank you Ariana sayang for battling to breathe again. Mummy loves you soooo much. I am so sorry you had to go through this. I want you in my arms so badly. (sic)“
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