AISLING Burns knows all too well how vital Tinylife, the premature baby charity for Northern Ireland is to local families.
Since her son Myles made an unexpected entrance into the world at 34 weeks’ gestation earlier this year, she has been receiving vital support from the local service.
And as a special thank you, she and fellow mum, Julie O’Shea are organising a festive Afternoon Tea Party on Monday, December 11, from 12 noon to 5pm at Eden Hair Studio, Enniskillen, to raise funds for, and awareness of, the charity.
“Tinylife might not be well-known in the local area unless you have had a premature baby,” says Aisling, “But to me it has been such a huge support.
“The Tinylife Support Group meets once a month in McArthur Hall in Enniskillen. It is open to any family of a baby who has spent any length of time in a neo natal ward.
“Catherine, our Family Support Officer, does a visit once a week to South West Acute Hospital (SWAH) to meet families and parents of babies in the neo natal ward.”
Tinylife offers advice and support to families once the baby has been discharged from hospital.
It also offers a breast pump service which, according to Aisling, is essential for breastfeeding mothers who are away from their baby while they are still receiving care in hospital.
“These kinds of pumps aren’t like any you could buy yourself,” explains Aisling, “They would be very expensive but they are a Godsend. With normal pumps you could be expressing for an hour and maybe not even get enough for one feed. These pumps make it a lot easier.”
The charity also offers a home based family support service where volunteers are matched to families in the local area and provide practical and emotional support to mum, baby and the wider family circle.
“Mums of premature babies may need an extra bit of help at home when dad has gone back to work,” says Aisling, “That is why this service is so important. Tinylife is looking for more volunteers to come forward for this service too.”
Aisling says Tinylife’s Support Group has been a particular source of strength for her.
“For most other mother and toddler groups, their babies are reaching milestones at different stages to premature babies,” says Aisling, “So it is great that when you go to the Support Group, all the other babies are generally reaching the same milestones at the same stages as yours. And when you go, you know that everyone else there understands exactly what you are going through because they have gone through it too.
“It is great to go and have a chat and share experiences -- that group has been invaluable. You can go and get a coffee, and a scone, and some days that might very well be my breakfast that day because I haven’t had time to get something at home!”
Aisling and Myles had the opportunity to take part in a baby massage course through Tinylife.
“The free programme funded by Tinylife was such a lovely experience because it provided the opportunity to communicate and bond with your baby, verbally and non-verbally,” says Aisling.
“Mothers of premature babies lose that initial one-to-one skin contact, so this is a lovely time to catch up. It definitely helped me as a mum and I found I was going home armed with a lot of new techniques to try.”
Determined to raise as much money as possible for the charity, Aisling says she owes them a debt of gratitude.
“I just want to do my best to give back to a charity that has done so much for me. Without them over the last seven months I would not have met the wonderful friends that I have through the Support Group.