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Image / Self / Health & Wellness / Real-life Stories / Parenthood
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SELF

Baby Jack let out one cry and went silent. He had inhaled meconium, a baby’s first stool


by Amy Lynch
29th Dec 2022

Baby Jack O’Shea had a life-saving dash to Sweden during the pandemic

When Ali O'Shea delivered her full-term baby boy, things quickly turned from dream to nightmare. Baby Jack was born, let out one cry and went silent. With his first gasp, he had inhaled meconium - a baby’s first stool and amniotic fluid - into his tiny lungs and struggled to breathe. An emergency passport, flashing blue lights and a dash to Sweden followed.

Giving birth to your first child during a pandemic sounds tough enough, right? No partners were allowed to attend check-ups, you didn’t get the baby shower or any coo-ing visitors armed with home-made dinners for mum. But if you add in an event that would leave your infant fighting for his life, you’ve got the toughest experience imaginable. When Ali O’Shea and her husband Daniel delivered their full-term, 9-pounds-8-ounce baby boy last year at the National...

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