When her first son spent 21 days in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at Swansea's Singleton Hospital following a premature birth, Rhiannon Hodgson was happy to put the entire experience behind her. She never for one moment expected to be there again for the birth of her second son. Her first encounter with the NICU was in June, 2021, when her son, Xavier, was born eight weeks early via an emergency caesarean section, weighing just 3lb 8oz.
Xavier's heart rate was low and he spent 21 days in the NICU before Rhiannon and her husband Rhys could take him home. Recalling Xavier's birth, Rhiannon said: "I was already in hospital due to my blood pressure being high consistently for four days. Just after midnight on June 8, a midwife on ward 19 placed me on the monitor due to concerns I hadn't felt my son move and couldn't remember the last time I did.
When placed on the monitor we discovered my son was unhappy and had a low heart rate." For the latest Swansea news, sign up to our newsletter here READ NOW: The mum desperate for a water birth who needed her baby to hold on just a little longer to make it possible READ NOW: The smallest baby ever born in Wales celebrates her first birthday in hospital She added: "It was decided an emergency C-section was the best option. I called my husband and we were being prepared, signing consent forms etcetera," she added.
"After a very difficult pregnancy, being back and forth to hospital due to having high blood pressure, our son, Xavier,.