First-time parents Launceston's Kerry and Gerard Scheurleer have revealed the emotional toll of having one of the smallest babies in Tasmania, after their newborn son William arrived into the world three months early.
William, a 711-gram baby, measured just 23 centimetres at birth and is just a few days old, but is going great according to his dad, who said the experience of seeing his newborn son for the first time was something he would never forget.
"We saw him this morning, he is still on a machine, which is a machine that just puts pressure on his lungs, and he's on a few drips. It's quite a lot to see, but we are just taking it day by day," Mr Scheurleer said.
Mrs Scheurleer said she was very overwhelmed.
"It's quite a daunting experience being a new parent, you are hanging on to every word the doctors say, but you are also not wanting to work ahead and think too far," she said.
"It's challenging. You want to hold on to the hope that you can get, but at the same time you have got to be very realistic, it's tough, that's a juggle.
"I got to see him first, because I had a caesarean section so Gerard got to cut the cord and he got to see him, and I got to see him once he was stable, it was a very moving experience, a heart-wrenching experience.
"Because he gets taken away to the natal ICU you do feel a level of disconnect and that overwhelming sense of 'this is my baby' and I should be near him.
"It's a weird feeling, it's this protective feeling, but also that you need to let the doctors do what they need to do."
Premature babies often struggle with breathing on their own as part of their central nervous system that controls their breathing is not yet mature enough for non-stop breathing.
This can cause large bursts of breath followed by periods of shallow breathing or stopped breathing.
The Scheurleers said they were thankful for all the help they had received from the Royal Hobart Hospital and outlined some of the things that would happen in the next couple of months.
"The big thing is for them to get on top of his breathing, he forgets to breathe. He's just too small to have those neurals already built up," Mr Scheurleer said.
"He gets a shot of caffeine every morning, and the caffeine establishes his breathing and heart rate and keeps it consistent.
"It was unexpected to see the sheer size of him, but from our side, the hospital and staff have been absolutely brilliant and held our hands throughout the journey.
"It's definitely a non-standard situation to go through, we wouldn't wish it upon anyone, but we have been given a lot of support.
"It is a unique experiences because of the risks involved, having a baby come out three months before it's designed to come out.
"Our little boy has a lot more growing and a lot more ups and downs ahead," he said.
While most people named William are nicknamed Will or Bill, young William has already adopted a nickname given by the RHH - "SPIT".
The acronym stands for smallest person in Tasmania.
"I thought that was quite unique" Mr Scheurleer said.
Satria Dyer-Darmawan
Satria Dyer-Darmawan is a journalist for The Examiner and considers himself to be an all rounder. Originally from the Central Coast of NSW, Satria has worked in Alice Springs and North Queensland and isn't afraid to immerse himself in regional communities.
Satria Dyer-Darmawan is a journalist for The Examiner and considers himself to be an all rounder. Originally from the Central Coast of NSW, Satria has worked in Alice Springs and North Queensland and isn't afraid to immerse himself in regional communities.
