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After suffering six miscarriages Kim Cruickshanks, who has polycystic ovaries, had almost lost hope of ever having a baby.
All her other pregnancies had ended before 12 weeks so when she reached that stage on her seventh try, she says it was brilliant and she went out to buy clothes and things straight away.
But then she went into labour 16 weeks early and was terrified of losing another.
The 32-year-old and her partner, steel mill security guard Anthony Slaughter, also 32, were prepared for the worst and told their daughter she was unlikely to survive.
Kim was admitted to Medway Maritime Hospital on Wednesday, April 17, and went into labour on the morning of Saturday, April 20.
Daisy Grace was born naturally, weighing just 1lb 1oz at 4.46pm that day – four months before her due date which is actually today.
Kim, of Broadway, Sheerness, said: “We were told on the Saturday morning it was highly unlikely she would make it.
“They said when she’s born she might breathe a little bit but that might be it.
“I thought we were going to lose her – we had a bit of hope but were prepared for the worst.”
Daisy was breech and was rushed away to be worked on by medical staff as soon as she was born.
Kim said it was upsetting and very emotional as she didn’t know what was going on, then Anthony said ‘look over - she’s moving’.
Fortunately their daughter took to the breathing tube straight away.
Daisy was treated for a range of conditions including hypotension, respiratory distress syndrome, acute renal failure, jaundice, feeding problems, hyperglycaemia and metabolic bone disease.
She spent 60 days in an incubator in intensive care, five days in the high dependency ward and then another 38 days in special care.
The first time Kim was able to hold her baby was when she was 18 days old and she said she really struggled with the minimal contact.
“I was really tearful about that – it was horrible,” she said.
Kim was discharged four days after giving birth and spent every day after that travelling to the hospital to see her daughter, who was cared for by the Oliver Fisher Special Care Baby Trust.
She and Daisy were eventually allowed home on Thursday, August 1, and since then Daisy has grown – she now weighs 4lb 8oz and is 38.5cm long and both are doing well.
Daisy will have to have further tests and be under her consultant until she’s two, but the family has been told any learning and growth catch up she has to do should level out by the time she’s five.
“It was so nice but strange when we got her home,” Kim said.
“It was a bit scary and I still keep checking on her. I’m forever looking over at her.
“It feels like it’s a miracle – I can’t believe I waited 14 years to have a baby. I didn’t think it was going to happen" - mum Kim Cruickshanks
“She’s lifting her head and doing things you would expect of a four-month-old baby and she smiles a bit.
“It feels like it’s a miracle – I can’t believe I waited 14 years to have a baby. I didn’t think it was going to happen.”
Kim thanked everyone for their support and said people have been very kind with knitting clothes and things as Daisy is still too small even for tiny baby outfits.
She also said the team at Oliver Fisher were brilliant.
