A mum whose waters broke at just 13 weeks went on to deliver a 'miracle baby' who doctors had said would be stillborn.
Kirsty Mizon was sent home and told she would miscarry but the tot survived for another 16 weeks and defied medics by being born alive.
The mum-of-three, who had already planned her funeral, said she realised she had a little Christmas miracle when 'little fighter' Lacey was born and she heard her cry, Derbyshire Live reports.
The 23-year-old said when she went into labour she expected the worse as she had been told continuously by doctors the baby would be stillborn.
They has also told Kirsty and her 26-year-old partner Lewis Peach that the baby was a boy when she was a girl.
She said: "I had pains all day and by the time I got to the hospital I was 10cm dilated. My sister and mum were with me but I felt emotionless. I wanted to block it out, to run away.
"And then I heard my baby cry.
"It was the best feeling ever, the greatest sound I have ever heard.
"The midwife turned to me and said "he is a she, you have a little girl.
"I couldn’t believe it. I had kept her in there without fluid for almost four months.
"The doctors, nurses and surgeons quickly got into action and stabilised her as she needed a little bit of help.
"Nobody could believe how well she was doing.
"She was given 100 per cent oxygen but she was trying."
The 16 weeks that Kirsty carried Lacey around with little or no amniotic fluid was a troubled period.
She said: "When I found out I was pregnant I was so excited and started buying stuff right away.
"I was 13 weeks pregnant when I woke up in the night. I thought I had been sweating because it was hot so I changed my pyjamas and got back in bed.
"That was at 4am. At 8am I was walking to work when I thought I needed the toilet and I started dripping blood.
"I rushed home and called an ambulance. When I saw all the blood I knew it would be bad news. It was horrible.
"The doctors at the hospital said my waters have broken and said my baby will pass away within 48 hours.
"They told me to go home and wait for it to happen.
"I was devastated.
"I went home and I waited for the inevitable to happen. But it didn’t. My baby’s heartbeat was still going strong."
Throughout her pregnancy Kirsty was offered a termination by doctors who also claimed Lacey would be severely disabled if she did survive.
"All the way through the pregnancy they were offering me terminations and saying he will be handicapped and won’t be able to use his limbs," she said.
"They gave him a one per cent survival rate, because I was constantly losing amniotic fluid.
"Every scan I had I only had 1cm or 2cm of fluid and sometimes I had nothing at all.
"Doctors said with no fluid the baby wouldn’t have any lung capacity or be able to move. It was awful.
"They also told me I was at high risk of sepsis , I thought I have got two kids at home.
"I was blood tested constantly."
Kirsty, who is mum to Leo, three, and Logan, two, began to accept that her baby would die and made plans for her funeral including an outfit to bury her in.
She said: "I expected the worse and it was very traumatic.
"I planned his funeral and I couldn’t be in public places as being near babies just filled me with fear and sadness.
"At times I felt like I was breaking.
"The bleeding was so bad, I was passing 10cm blood clots.
"I didn’t know if I was strong enough to go through it but I couldn’t give up on my baby.
"I had been in touch with a bereavement midwife before and I cried so many tears for the baby I thought I was going to lose.
"I was even put on antidepressants."
Kirsty was scheduled to undergo a Caesarean section at 34 weeks pregnant but at 29 weeks she started to feel pains and she went into premature labour.
She said: "The doctors had already told me that if the heartbeat dropped they wouldn’t help her because of the previous complications but she was a little fighter and we were transferred to Leicester NICU.
"She is doing really well.
She will probably be in the hospital until the New Year but she only has one problem which can be fixed with physiotherapy.
"I am still in shock.
"I just can't believe have a by.
"A beautiful baby girl
"My eldest is so happy. He keeps touching her leg and every time she moves he gets so excited.
"I know it doesn’t happen to everyone and there is not always a good outcome but hang on if you can because there can be a happy ending.
"She is my Christmas miracle."
