Woman who suffered SIX miscarriages in 14 years finally has a baby girl - who's defied the odds to be healthy despite being born at 23 weeks



Kim Cruickshanks had six miscarriages before the 12th week of pregnancy

The miscarriages were caused by her polycystic ovary syndrome

Daisy was born at 23 weeks weighing just 1lb and 1oz

She spent three months in intensive care and wasn't expected to survive

She has now been allowed home and is expected to make a full recovery



A woman who suffered six miscarriages in 14 years has spoken of her joy of finally becoming a mother.



Kim Cruickshanks, 32, gave birth to Daisy four months early and was warned the baby would not survive.



After the agony of losing six unborn children she could not bear to look at her first-born child when she arrived at just 23 weeks, weighing 1lb 1oz .



Kim Cruickshanks, 32, gave birth to Daisy four months early and was warned the baby would not survive. She had already suffered six miscarriages in 14 years

But to her delight, her husband Anthony Slaughter, 32, turned her round and told her: ‘Look, she’s moving.’



The couple faced further trauma as Daisy battled for survival at Medway Maritime Hospital in Kent.



The couple were not allowed to hold her for the first 18 days - and she spent three months in intensive care.

She was finally allowed home on August 1 after reaching 4lb 8oz.



Mrs Cruickshanks said: ‘It feels like it’s a miracle - I can’t believe I waited so long have a baby. I didn’t think it was going to happen.



‘I still keep checking on her. I’m forever looking over at her.



Mrs Cruickshanks, and her husband Anthony Slaughter, were not allowed to hold Daisy for the first 18 days after her birth and she spent three months in intensive care

‘She’s lifting her head and doing things you would expect of a four-month-old baby and she smiles a bit.



‘We were told it was highly unlikely she would make it.



‘They said when she was born she might breathe a little bit but that might be it.



‘I thought we were going to lose her - we had a bit of hope but were prepared for the worst.’



When Daisy was born 16 weeks early she weighed just 1lb 1oz and had numerous problems including low blood pressure, respiratory distress syndrome, acute renal failure and jaundice

Mrs Cruickshanks, from Sheerness, Kent, was always at risk of miscarrying because she has polycystic ovaries and her six previous pregnancies all ended before 12 weeks.



Her hopes were raised when she passed the three month landmark with Daisy and she rushed out to buy baby clothes.



But her joy turned to terror when she went into labour at 23 weeks, 16 weeks before her due date - and still a week before the official abortion limit.



Daisy (pictured with her cousin, Lily) was finally allowed home on August 1 after reaching 4lb 8oz. Her development is expected to catch up with that of other children by the time she is five

She admitted to Medway Maritime Hospital on 17 April and went into labour on the morning of 20 April.



She gave birth to Daisy who was in the breech position later that day.



Daisy was rushed away and her parents were warned her chances of survival were slim.



Doctors managed to get her breathing through a tube but the premature baby had numerous problems including low blood pressure, respiratory distress syndrome, acute renal failure, jaundice, feeding problems, hyperglycaemia and metabolic bone disease.



Daisy (pictured with her mother, Kim, her grandmother, Bev, and her cousin, Lily) will have to have regular check ups until she is two-years-old to ensure that she is developing normally

Mrs Cruickshanks was discharged four days after giving birth and went back to visit Daisy every day before she was finally allowed to take her home.



Daisy will need to be monitored closely until she is two-years-old, but her parents have been told she is expected to have caught up with other children by the age of five.



Mrs Cruickshanks has since discovered that her great-great-grandmother, Dolly Boakes, weighed exactly the same as Daisy when she was born in 1910.

