A woman who was born prematurely has become a neonatal nurse to work with babies who have also made their arrival into the world early. The nurse was born prematurely more than 25 years ago. Inspired by her own entrance into the world, she is now working with babies just like her.
Nearly 28 years ago, the mom of Stacey Hamilton rushed to a hospital in Edinburgh when she was 31 weeks pregnant. Hamilton’s mother had a low-lying placenta, a condition called placenta previa, and was bleeding heavily. The condition can be extremely dangerous for mom and baby, even potentially fatal. Doctors knew they had to act fast, so an emergency C-section was performed, and Hamilton was taken to the neonatal intensive care unit where she would spend the next seven weeks in an incubator. Now, at almost 28 years old, Hamilton is a senior staff neonatal nurse at Royal Hospital for Children in Glasgow; a dream she has had since she was young. She has been working in the field for seven years. Because of NICU Awareness Month, she shared her story with Daily Record.
Her early birth, she says, was attributed to her mom’s placenta previa and the heavy bleeding that occurred afterwards. With placenta previa, the placenta is found lying extremely low in the uterus, which can cover all or a part of the cervix. If the condition is found during labor, the risk of danger is high for mom and baby. Hamilton recalls the obstetrician who delivered her that night had went home only to be immediately called back in. She may not be here today if it were not for the team of doctors and nurses who helped save her and her mom’s life.
As she got older, she realized she knew that she wanted to have a career as a neonatal nurse. She drew inspiration from being a premature baby herself, and from the doctors and nurses who helped at her birth. The hospital posted about Hamilton on its Facebook page, with several Facebook users saying they also had placenta previa or that Hamilton cared for their babies while they were in the hospital.
When she’s not at the hospital helping tiny babies, Hamilton enjoys exercising, like lifting weights at the gym, even after a nightshift. Or, she can be found at a dart board, and says she has actually met quite a few famous dart players.
Source: Daily Record