A premature baby girl who was born at only 27 weeks’ gestation has gone home from the hospital after nine weeks, finally getting to spend time with her big sister who was also born prematurely.
Baby Millie was born prematurely, weighing only 2.3lb, in August. Due to her early arrival, her parents were unable to properly hold her when she was born, as she was immediately placed into an incubator.
Her father, Alistair, said, “You could kind of put your hands in and sort of hold her a little bit but it was weeks before we were able to do that. But for a proper cuddle it was a good few weeks”.
At the beginning of October, mum Tayla and dad Alistair were finally able to bring their daughter home from the hospital for the first time. Baby Millie spent 20 days at the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle before being transferred to the Northumbria Specialist Emergency Care Hospital in Cramlington for the remainder of her nine weeks in hospital.
Tayla is also doing well, with Alistair saying she “feels fine now, just a relief”.
“They were long days for her at the hospital because she was leaving the house at eight every morning”, he said.
Millie is not the couple’s first premature baby
Going through such a difficult time with a premature baby was not Alistair and Tayla’s first time doing so. The couple’s first child, Maya, was born prematurely in November 2022.
She was born weighing only 3.13lb at just 31 weeks’ gestation.
The Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle did not have enough space for baby Maya at this time, so she had to stay in James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough, meaning her parents had a gruelling 130-mile round trip between their home and their baby.
Now, Maya is “over the moon” that her baby sister is finally joining her at home, and has been helping her parents care for the tiny baby.
“She wanted to [..] help do the bottles, help put her in the bath. She’s been doing really good”, Alistair said.
“It’s been a roller coaster but last night it was great having the two of them and Tayla back home. It was amazing. She still sleeps half the time really, just gets up for her bottles”, he added.
Father is running long distances to raise money for the charity that helped during his premmies’ early days
Alistair has been raising money for the charity Tiny Lives, which he says helped support their family through the difficulties surrounding premature births.
“As a family we experienced first-hand the incredible care and support provided to premature babies and their families. The incubators, monitors, uncertainty, long days and nights, and the incredible people who look after babies when they are at their most vulnerable”, the father said.
Alistair said that the charity helped them out by giving them helpful things like a care package and parking passes for the hospital.
“They provided lots of little things that make it easier and reassure you, as the first time we had a premature baby, we didn’t really know anything whatsoever”, he said.
In 2025, Alistair ran 62 miles to raise money for the charity, and last week he completed an impressive 100-mile run fundraiser.
“There were some incredibly tough moments, both physically and mentally, but every single mile was worth it”, he said.
Spokesperson for Right To Life UK, Catherine Robinson, said “We are so glad that Millie and Maya are finally home enjoying their lives together, having overcome their own troubles as premature babies”.
“Both Tayla and Alistair are inspirational, and we are sure that the charity Tiny Lives is very grateful for such an impressive fundraising effort on their behalf”.
