For most mothers, giving birth is a process that’s terrifying, exhilarating, and ultimately joyous.
But births, as most moms will tell you, are rarely quick and easy. Most often, they’re messy and complicated, with fear high on the list of emotions.
That’s certainly the experience of moms who have complications with labor, don’t respond to treatment, or who realize at some point in the pregnancy that something isn’t quite right, as we saw with this mom who realized her baby boy was coming three months early.
For one mom in Australia, the birth process was especially nerve-racking when, just 24 weeks along, Lilly Munro started to feel that something wasn’t quite right.
She and her fiancé are already parents to three kids, so she obeyed parental instinct and headed straight to the doctor’s office. There, she was told that she wouldn’t be heading back home again anytime soon, due to a surprising complication with her little one.
Read on below to learn more about Munro’s story, and the incredible aftermath of her baby’s birth.
[H/T: DailyMail]
For Lilly Munro, a mom of three in Melbourne, Australia, her pregnancy was 24 weeks along when her instincts—and her fiancé's—kicked in, with a portentous dream.
As she described it to LittleThings.com, "He had a dream that there was something wrong and a baby that appearred [sic] underdeveloped and skin and bone. He said "I had a nightmare of a sick baby and I want you to go to hospital" I listened and went for a check up."
Sure enough, the baby was already on the move. They held off labor until 25 weeks, but shortly after mom's appointment, little Lennox came into the world.
Warning: Some readers might find the following photo a little disturbing. To view the image, please click it to reveal.
Munro and her fiancé Brodie Moles fell in love with their little bundle of joy instantly, but that love was tempered with fear.
Born at just 25 weeks, little Lennox was so minuscule that doctors had to pack him into a plastic bag, essentially a run-of-the-mill oven bag, in order to regulate his body temperature.
His skin was still so thin and fragile that he appeared nearly bright red, and he weighed just 1.7 lbs.
Baby boy Lennox had just a 50 percent chance of survival at such a young age, but he proved himself to be a fighter from the very beginning.
According to the GoFundMe page set up by his mother, Lennox, or "Lenni" for short, started breathing on his own right away.
While the hospital put him on machinery as well, to make the process easier on his tiny lungs, Lenni had clearly decided which side of the 50 percent he wanted to be on.
Over the course of 111 long days, baby Lenni fought the odds.
He grew and thrived, despite the terrifying circumstances of his birth and his early challenges.
As Munro put it, he was incredible tough, despite,"facing open heart surgery whilst not even weighing 1 kilo, bleeds on the brain and 2 blood transfusions." She adds, "This little brave dragon kept going, stronger than any warrior we have seen before."
Though Mom and Dad couldn't stay with him in the hospital long after the birth, they were there as often as possible, breathing life into their youngest and getting as much time together as possible.
The parents and their three other young children threw everything into taking care of their newest member.
They put their savings into moving closer to the hospital to help protect Lenni, and got financial help from Munro's parents.
Both Mom and Dad put their careers on hold, focusing all of their energy on staying by Lenni's side.
The two parents have had beautiful cherished moments in the hospital with their little one.
Munro has had the opportunity to feed her youngest son, and has enjoyed the bonding of skin-to-skin contact, even though she couldn't have him at home with her.
Still, for the parents, the relief of seeing their baby boy thrive is tempered by the dire financial straits they have found themselves in.
Little Lenni is finally home from the hospital with Mom, Dad, and his two older brothers and one older sister.
Now, the young family is doing what they can to pay off the expenses accrued while working on getting Lenni well again. If you'd like to contribute, you can find their GoFundMe here.
In the meantime, the most important thing is that Lenni is a happy and healthy baby despite his scary start, and he's safe at home with his loving family.
Watch the video below to see Mom explain exactly what Lenni and the family have gone through.
If Lenni's incredible struggle for survival touched your heart, make sure to SHARE his story with friends and family!
