The NICU is a different world, a terrifying one: What to expect if you deliver your baby early

The birth of a baby is one of life's best gifts, but when that gift arrives too early, it can be scary.

I was over the moon when I finally fell pregnant after seven long years of trying. We hoped that everything would go smoothly. We attended weekly antenatal classes and sucked up every bit of helpful information.

Unfortunately, at 30 weeks, I contracted gastric flu. Due to the diarrhoea and vomiting, I lost so much body fluid that when the flu was over, we discovered that my amniotic fluid levels were lower, and it didn't increase with time either.