I had tried for years to have a baby and I did five IVF cycles. The fourth cycle was successful but I miscarried at 11 weeks. Then I did another IVF cycle straight away. I got pregnant but I started bleeding in my third week. I kept bleeding for six weeks but every time I did an ultrasound my baby was fine.

Then at 12 weeks all the bleeding stopped and the pregnancy was going smoothly. At end of the 24th week, I started getting pains but ignored them. Then in the 25th week the pain increased. I had pain like contractions but down in my pelvis.

I went to the hospital and they examined me and said that my cervix was closed. Then after two more days, I went again to the hospital because the pain increased and they scanned me and found that I was 6 centimeters dilated. They had to rush me to an emergency Cesarean section.

I never thought that my baby would survive. She was so tiny. When I went to see her the first time, she was the size of my palm. She was intubated for 19 days and she was on oxygen for quite awhile. She had a big PDA and the doctor said if she didn't improve they would operate on her. We asked all our friends to pray; then she improved and came out of oxygen completely.

Her second problem was that at 34 weeks she weighed 1 kilogram, 100 grams. They said this could be her problem. We got everyone to pray and again she started putting on massive weight. On her due date she was 2 kilograms, 100 grams.

Now she is 3 months old after her due date and she is 10 pounds, 7 ounces. She is developing normally. She is doing everything a normal 3-month-old baby would do. She had lots of desate (her oxygen saturation would go low) and I was frightened that this could have affected her brain, but we have done an MRI scan on her brain and it came out normal. She has got a great muscle tone.

Although she had a hard start, she is a very happy baby who smiles all the time to us and to strangers. She has got a loud voice although she was intubated for 19 days.

I am telling my story to tell mums who are going through similar hard times never to lose hope and to trust that miracles are still happening. Preterm babies are saved for good reasons.