Jake's Birth Story
- By Kim

Jake came screaming into the world on 22 May 1996, He was big pink and cranky.

The Doctors put him straight in a humidity crib and told me that he had a cleft pallet and clicky hips but would be fine, and that some Doctors specializing in that area would come and chat with me in the next few days.

About two hours later, a procession of Doctors started. First the ENT, to tell me Jake would be deaf at the moment, but at 6 months they would be inserting grommets and draining his ears and cross their fingers. Next a plastic surgeon to discuss rebuilding the inside of Jake's mouth, the pallet at six months and a blur of other bits and pieces they would need to do over the years, then a hips specialist to say that they had to put him in a full body splint to help with his hips for the next 6 to 8 weeks, then another guy came and measured Jake up, then there were the usual checks and measures followed by another man arriving with the most horrid looking contraption that he strapped to Jake while he screamed and screamed and I cried and cried and cried.

Within 4 hours I had to get them to come back as Jake was hanging in this thing and was in incredible pain, I wasn't allowed to bend or move the splint in anyway, so I called them in, demanded they comeback. They did and then apologised that they had fitted it wrong. Poor baby.

People ask - why did I get the baby blues!!!! On top of all that, no one in the Hospital knew how to feed a cleft pallet baby. We're not talking 50 years ago here but 11, so for the first 3 days my baby struggled on normal bottle, trying desperately to get some milk, but how do you suck when you have no roof to your mouth!! I then found a pamphlet on Cleft pallets, and saw the teat they were suppose to be using, and sent my Husband off to find some.

On the Saturday an old Nurse came in and showed me how to use the squeeze bottle and long teat, Jake feed for the first time and then slept, so did I.

We were asleep for about and hour, I had him in the bed with me, not allowed, but God try and stop me!! I woke up with Jake squirming and looked.

His eyes were bulging, his face contorted and puffy. Then I saw that he was vomiting, but couldn't move his head as he was in the splint, I rolled him on his side, and could see the pain in his eyes, shoved my finger in his mouth and cleared his airway, he screamed and cried and again so did I.

I buzzed the Nurse and told them what happened and asked what I should do, she said I'll give you a sedative and take the baby into the nursery. I said no, I don't want sleep, I want to know what to do so that doesn't happen again, she had no idea!!!

I phoned my Mum and Husband in hysterics, what can I do. Mum and Geoff pulled a bean bag apart stuffed the beads in a pillow case, stitched it closed and raced into the hospital.

We were able to snuggle Jake down into the beany pillow with a tilt to the side, so that if he vomited it would run out the side of his mouth and not choke him, but kept him totally supported so he was comfortable. It was then that I saw his first smile.

This was the first week of Jake's life, I have never been so scared so alone in my life. Information has come along way since then and I'm sure this was a one of experience, well I hope so anyway.

Kim and Roger
Jake (11KK) and Ema 3