Jasmine keen to arrive

By Paul Dunlop
BABY Jasmine’s short life has already been a rollercoaster ride.
Born almost two months premature, the tiny tot weighed just 1.7 kilograms (3lb 14oz) when she came into the world on Australia Day.
Jasmine’s sudden arrival was the climax of a nerve-racking and emotional week for parents Camille and Troy Tillotson of Beaconsfield.
Camille went to her doctor with a sore ear on the Monday only to discover her blood pressure was sky high. The next day, she was in hospital.
Pre-eclampsia, or pregnancy-induced hypertension, is characterised by elevated blood pressure and is a leading cause of foetal complications, including low birth weight, premature birth, and stillbirth.
The next day, Camille was in hospital.
“Everything had been fine, no problems,” she said.
“But my blood pressure did not go down. I thought it might have been because of the hot weather, it was all a bit of a shock.”
Pre-eclampsia’s cause is unclear and the only way to cure it is to deliver the baby.
Camille and Troy’s first child Bryce, 3, had been born without a hiccup, but this time the dramas were only just beginning.
With her blood pressure still high, doctors were concerned for the wellbeing of both mother and child.
At 27 weeks pregnant, Camille was on her way to have a caesarean when she began to have contractions.
One way or another, Jasmine was coming.
“They were wheeling me down to the operating theatre when she decided she wanted to come out naturally,” Camille said.
“Because she was so small she came very quickly. I had her in the hallway.”
With Jasmine’s birth came joy and relief but also the fear of not knowing how she would cope.
Camille and Troy suffered an anxious wait while doctors got their fragile baby breathing.
“It was all of a minute, but it felt like forever,” Camille said.
Fortunately, all has been well.
She may be frail but Jasmine already has shown she has a big heart. With her family’s love and hospital staff’s care, she is steadily adding weight to her tiny frame.
Jasmine is likely to remain in hospital for three more weeks.
Back home, Camille said the first few days away from her baby were a real “up and down” time. The worst is over, but life won’t be normal until their little one is home.
“She’s a precious little dot, her room is already full of pink,” she said.
“We just can’t wait until she can come home.”
On a lighter note, Jasmine’s proud parents can be thankful they had a baby girl.
“We had her name picked already but we hadn’t given any thought to a boy’s name,” Camille said.
“With seven weeks to go, at that stage we still thought we had plenty of time.”