Eleonor Collins

Tonight my husband and I welcomed our baby girl Gillian Eleonor Dorothy Collins into the world! It was a very unexpected delivery at 12:07am, when doctors confirmed that I needed to undergo an emergency caesarean. I had been in hospital for about two weeks prior to her delivery as I had to be monitored closely for pre eclampsia and gestational diabetes. It was only a matter of time before my health worsened and our baby had to be delivered. It was a concerning time for us, as we weren't prepared for such an early delivery. I was overwhelmed by the amount of support from family and friends who came to visit me whilst I was in hospital. Thank you to my family and friends for being there for me. It was definitely the hardest part of my journey as a mum so far. Gillian was born 10 weeks premature and has to be in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. She's doing well and is healthy despite being born early. The doctors and nurses will continue to monitor her over the next

So it's been a few months since I've posted and a lot has happened since then. Really exciting events have unfolded and I'm proud to say I'm definitely looking forward to the next adventure! In June, I travelled through parts of Europe with my husband Daniel. We did a driving holiday through Germany, Italy and Switzerland which was picturesque and exhilarating; particularly driving on the autobahns through Germany at 210KM/hr! We then visited Berlin and flew to London where we celebrated my father-in-law's 60th with the UK side of the family. We also visited Singapore on the way back to Australia. Before we left our home in Sydney, Australia I was nervous about driving through Europe. The thought of driving a manual and on the other side of the road was the least of my worries though, as we found out the day before we left that I was pregnant! We knew it would be a challenging holiday but a rewarding one! Apart from feeling sick almost everywhere we went, w

I've been home for two weeks now after some extended time away for some much needed health treatment. I'm miles ahead of where I was a few weeks ago and I'm feeling a lot stronger. It feels good to be home...to be surrounded by my family again. I'm on a new journey and it's been good so far. Mingling with family and friends again has been really nice and I feel so grateful to know so many kind and generous people. I'm hopeful for what my future entails and I'll face it with a stronger mindset and with a fierce determination to try my best in everything I do.

So the start of this year saw me focusing on my health, there were some signs of improvement but in the most recent days my health has plummeted. There's a multitude of reasons contributing to my health problems but I'm prepared to face them with the right support from family and friends. Thankfully I have the right medical doctors helping me also. I'd like to acknowledge the support from my husband Daniel who has never failed to be by my side. He helps me find strength when things aren't looking so good. We'll face the next stage together, even when it feels heavy. Watch this space, I will be back!

So a few years ago I made some New Year Resolutions. I probably didn't follow through with many of them but this year I'm hoping will be different somehow...life changing even...I have the support of good friends, family and most importantly my loving husband who has stuck by me no matter what. This year I'd like to focus on my well-being and overall health; physical and mental. So last year was probably one of the toughest years of my life but certainly not the worst. They say what doesn't kill you makes you stronger and I know how that can feel. To start the 2017 with a real focus on my health was an active decision I took today and I know I will be in good hands, even though I'm a bit far from family and friends. To my husband Daniel, thank you for all your support, love and patience. I will be thinking of you and missing you very much. To my friends and family, see you again soon.