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A Dublin teenager has revealed how she thought she had appendicitis until her waters broke and she gave birth to a one pound 11 ounces baby on her family’s kitchen floor.
Milaois Murphy (18) did not know she was pregnant she told RTÉ's television series The Rotunda, which airs on RTÉ Thursday night.
Her mother Victoria was convinced she had appendicitis and called for an ambulance, but within minutes Ms Murphy had given birth on the kitchen floor. Victoria had to resuscitate the baby when she stopped breathing.
The baby, born at 26 weeks, was "smaller than a bag of sugar", according to consultant neonatologist Adrienne Foran. Ms Murphy described her mother as "a super mammy" for her heroic actions.
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The teenager told of how she had been feeling sick all night, but had no idea she was pregnant.
“I had back pain and I couldn’t sleep at night but that was my only symptom. I thought I was getting a bit chubby,” she said.
Baby Harper
Mother and baby were brought to the Rotunda hospital where baby Harper remained in intensive care for five months and underwent a number of surgeries.
Dr Foran said that the baby arrived at the hospital with no heart rate but responded very well to initial resuscitation.
“We had to ask Milaois after having that big shock to express her own breast milk, which was the best thing for the baby.
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“That’s an awful lot to ask a girl who five or six hours earlier went to bed with not a care in the world to find out she was in labour, had a baby she wasn’t expecting who is potentially very sick, very premature.”
Harper's father James Mulligan said he couldn't wait to hold her every day.
“It’s crazy how happy she can make you. She is such a strong baby.”
Ms Murphy is now planning to return to school in the coming year to complete her Leaving Cert.