Meghan's Story

“A little bit of zen to our mayhem. For those 45 minutes of complementary therapy, I was able to switch off from being in the NICU. You’ve no idea how much of a lifeline it is.”

New mum Meghan came to hospital with suspected pre-term labour. Her family’s hospital journey then became a months-long stint when baby Blake was born nine weeks early and admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).

She says, “Having a baby in the NICU is a rollercoaster. It becomes your only focus and it’s hard to think about anything else.

“It’s difficult to disconnect from what’s happening and easy to forget that you also need to be kind and take care of yourself.

“Until Blake has his surgery, I’m currently breast expressing. Expressing at least eight times a day, 15 minutes at a time, takes it toll on your posture. I was really struggling with back aches and pains.

“My husband saw a poster for ECHC’s complementary therapy with Susie and said, ‘I think that would be really good for both of us’. He had been sleeping on a fold-out hospital bed for weeks, so was also feeling the physical impact.

“We both got massages. Susie’s magic touch makes you completely lose track of time and transports you to a calm and happy place.

“For those 45 minutes of complementary therapy, I was able to switch off from being in the NICU. You’ve no idea how much of a lifeline it is.

“Blake is due to get surgery soon so there is light at the end of the tunnel, and we hope that he will soon be home with us.“