Mum's premature baby book aims to comfort siblings

Rachael Adam gave birth to her daughter in September at Sunderland Royal Hospital

A mother from Sunderland who gave birth to her son prematurely has written a book to support siblings of babies as they receive extra care.

Hannah Graham said she hoped her story would "feed into hope" for those who may be struggling to understand what is happening.

Copies of Looking Through The Plastic will be given to brothers and sisters of premature babies at Sunderland Royal Hospital and the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle.

The story has been welcomed by mothers including Rachael Adam who said her teenage son would "take positives" from reading it.

Hannah gave birth to her son Peter in 2018. He was born three months early and weighed just 1lb 7oz.

He spent three months on the neo-natal ward at Sunderland Royal.

"We used to read Peter poems," she said.

"It was a really wonderful way of connecting. He could hear our voices."

She wanted to write a story to help other families going through the experience.

"When you're looking through the plastic it feels like it's never going to end. But it does."

Hannah Graham said it was "so special" to revisit the hospital and read her story to new mums and staff

Emily Cameron, department manager and lead nurse at Sunderland Royal's neo-natal unit, said children can be separated from their parents for days after a new baby is born, especially if the mother has been admitted to hospital before giving birth.

"We focus so much on the baby and the parents that we sometimes lose the impact that it has on siblings," she said.

Rachael Adam gave birth to a baby girl in September and said she was looking forward to showing the book to her teenage son who had not yet been to visit the neo-natal unit.

"It'll give him a little insight because I think he is worried. But there are positives he'll take from it."

Looking Through The Plastic will be released at the end of October

The charity Tiny Lives has bought 500 copies of the book to be given to siblings of premature babies at Sunderland Royal and Newcastle's Royal Victoria Infirmary.

Chief executive Kelly Blakeny said it would help that child at home to "know what to expect" when they come to hospital and to "not be frightened of the incubators and what they might see when they're on the unit."

Hannah Graham said: "It's incredible that in some way I can give back and feed into that hope."