Blackpool miracle baby: Mother was told to terminate when waters broke at 22 weeks, now her child is happy healthy toddler

When Emma Whittaker’s waters broke at 22 weeks, in October 2020, she was told by doctors that her baby would either be stillborn, or at best, would not survive past a few weeks.

But now Emma and husband, Andrew are celebrating their first normal family Christmas with their healthy and ‘cheeky’ two-year-old, Evie-Rae Wendy Whittaker, at their home in Poulton.

Emma, 29, said: “this year will be our first Christmas at home together, and we can actually have friends and family round. We’re gonna let the kids enjoy all their toys and have a really good day.”

Although Evie-Rae was doing well last December, as she was still under care of the paediatrics team they still had to go for frequent hospital visits.

But she was discharged from their service on Sept 27, 2022 – which was a relief for the couple, who also have a four year old daughter called Ella-Mae.

“She’s just a miracle and we will forever be blessed. Doctors said she’d never breathe by herself, now she’s walking, talking and getting ready to start pre-school in January.”

A baby develops inside a bag of fluid called the amniotic sac. This breaks when the baby is ready to be born but if waters break sooner, it can often trigger an early labour.

When Emma’s waters broke at 10pm on Oct 07, 2020, doctors warned her that the baby had very little chance of survival if she gave birth before 24 weeks.

Babies born after only 23 or 24 weeks are fragile and their lungs, heart and brain are not ready for them to live outside the womb without intensive medical treatment - which could cause further suffering and harm.

“Doctors said she'll come within the next 24 - 48 hours so I should terminate. They said I would get sepsis and would be very poorly if I carried on with the pregnancy. But I could still feel her in my belly so I said we're not doing it.”

But with expert treatment and care, she was able to get to 32 weeks before Evie-Rae was born via C-section, at Blackpool Victoria Hospital.

As a precaution, the couple travelled to Oldham, which was the nearest hospital that had a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit that could provide the right care for the baby if it was born before 24 weeks.

“We didn’t know what to say to each other. We knew even if she came that she probably wouldn't make it, but at least if she was born in Oldham and she was breathing then she would have a chance.”

During an ‘emotional’ chat with a paediatric doctor, Emma started to realise that every hour she went without going into labour was a sign of hope.

“The neonatal doctors thought she would be very poorly and probably wouldn’t make it, but they actually gave us a glimmer of hope.”

She was discharged on Oct 10, 2020 as she hadn’t gone into labour after 72 hours.

Relieved to get past the 24 week mark, Emma gradually started to feel ‘more and more hopeful’.

The longer she went before giving birth, the better the outcome was likely to be for her baby.

“I cried for around four weeks and then every day and week we made it to was like a milestone. We kept thinking she was coming.”

She continued to go in to Blackpool Victoria Hospital to have blood tests and scans to monitor her water levels, which were likely to deplete and affect the baby’s development in the womb.

But doctors were ‘amazed’ that this wasn’t the case.

“Somehow the water had retained, which they couldn't understand. Even at the end it was still at a normal level.”

Evie-Rae was born at 32 weeks by C-Section, weighing 3lb 7oz.

“The room was full, and everyone was panicking because they knew she might not make it. When they tested her and they were just amazed that her breathing was fine and I literally got like a 2-minute cuddle before she was then wheeled away in an incubator.”

But Emma was warned that her little girl who was ‘too tiny for even the smallest baby clothes’ could deteriorate.

She spent 23 days in neonatal unit, and then went home on Monday 11 Jan, 2021 but remained under the care of outreach neonatal.

“We were kind of always waiting for her breathing to dip or something, but she never needed any oxygen. We bought a breathing monitor just to make sure she was always breathing, for peace of mind.”

They got rid of the breathing monitor a year ago, and she was discharged from paediatrics in September 2022.

Having been told that the baby would ‘never breathe by herself’, Evie-Rae is now a healthy, happy girl.

“She’s so cheeky and does her own thing. And her big sister lets her get away with everything, she’s so caring. They’re thick as thieves together.”

And apart from a sickness bug and bronchiolitis, she’s hardly been ill.

“They have confirmed they can not find anything wrong with her and she really is a little miracle. When she had a sickness bug she had to go on a drip because she's so little she struggles to fight it, but they said that’s normal for children her age. I just thank god everyday we did not terminate her at 22 weeks and 1 day when we were told to. She’s just a miracle after what they were expecting.”

Blackpool Victoria Hospital were approached but declined to comment.