Cushla between the waters breaking and labour. She lived off Thai take-aways for the next four days.
Anya was born at 5.13am on Thursday 22nd of May 2008. She was six weeks premature and started her life in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Dunedin Public Hospital. It was a natural breach birth, which left her with bruises in some very strange places. Labour took four hours. She weighed 1.9 kg.
Cushla between the waters breaking and labour. She lived off Thai take-aways for the next four days.
Cushla and her mother during labour. Believe it or not, Anya is only 90 minutes away from being born.
Cushla gets her first good look at Anya. Anya is two hours old.
Cushla is still admiring Anya.
Anya at two hours. She is connected to CPAP to assist breathing and an IV line for nourishment and antibiotics. The CPAP venting tube is also visible, it becomes a feeding tube later.
Another shot of Anya at two hours old.
Yet another shot at two hours old.
Anya has her temperature taken by a NICU nurse. She is still two hours old.
Anya at four hours old. She is about to be taken out for her first skin-to-skin session. This is the last time she wears the CPAP tubes and associated silly hat.
A close-up shot of four-hour-old Anya.
Once again: the prone Anya. The feeding tube is clearly visible and she has already received her first trial food.
Anya is prepared for skin-to-skin. The CPAP has been removed.
Finally, skin-to-skin with Mum.
A few seconds later she is slightly calmer.
Nearly there.
A blanket keeps her happy and she's asleep. Only about 30 seconds have passed since the first contact.
Dad gets skin-to-skin too, but he's less appropriately dressed.
Back to Mum. She's about five hours old now, but her parents haven't let her go back to the incubator yet.
He hair has a distinctly reddish tinge. Her mother had a similar hue at birth.
The splint for the IV line gets in her way.
Clenched fists are an Anya McKinney trademark.
Her eyes are currently grey-blue.
She is now a whole day old.
The IV line will be removed in the evening.
Back with Mum.
Another day and the IV line is gone. She's a little cold so she gets a hat (and some booties).
The hat is of course pink. We didn't choose it.
Mother and daughter.
Happy mother and daughter.
Mum is still happy with her daughter.
She doesn't quite know what a breast is for yet. She probably won't learn until next week at the earliest.
But they do calm her down.