Most people expect a new baby will turn their life upside down, but Josh Potter and Kristy White had no idea of the turmoil they would experience after their daughter was born six weeks early.
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The couple, who live in Colac, found themselves traversing all over the place after Frankie Lee made her early appearance.
They returned for an appointment at Warrnambool Base Hospital recently – where Frankie was born – to ensure she had made steady progress.
Ms White was at a holiday house in Peterborough on a Friday morning when she realised she had gone into labour.
Mr Potter, who had been working in Colac, arrived to drive her to hospital “just in the nick of time”.
Ms White gave birth within two hours of arriving at Warrnambool Base Hospital, and a decision was quickly made to fly the duo to the Mercy Hospital in Melbourne for neonatal care.
She said the rapid labour and her concern for Frankie’s health left her feeling overwhelmed.
“She was on my tummy for about 10 seconds then they had her and I didn't get to hold her for about five days,” Ms White said.
“I didn't know if I'd have a bed or if I'd be able to get on a plane with her. That was all a bit daunting, thinking I'd have to go to Melbourne and find my baby in a hospital.
“It’s very scary when they’ve got machines breathing for them.”
The couple spent almost a fortnight in Melbourne as Frankie received specialist care.
They praised the staff and the set-up at the special care nursery at Warrnambool, where Ms White spent more than a week after returning from Melbourne.
She described it as “awesome” and said it gave her an opportunity to meet her baby properly.
Mr Potter described the arrival of Frankie – his first child – as “surreal”.
“It’s really hard to fathom it all and it’s still settling in now,” he said.
Frankie has two siblings, including a sister, 16, and a brother, 10, who are “very much in love” with her.
