A baby born at Ipswich Hospital, who weighed less than a bag of flour when she was delivered at 23 weeks and five days, is about to celebrate her first birthday.

A true miracle baby, Sophie and Chris Partlow welcomed Magnolia Day Partlow into the world on November 15, last year, weighing just 600g. 

She spent the next 111 days, almost four months, in intensive care at both Ipswich Hospital and St Peter's Hospital in Surrey before being released on March 5 this year.

Magnolia Day Partlow was the youngest pre-term baby to be born at Ipswich Hospital on November 15, 2023, weighing 600g (Image: Sophie Partlow) With her parents told at the time that she might only have a 14% of making it, Magnolia is now a happy and healthy infant girl. 

Mrs Partlow, 42, was admitted to Ipswich Hospital at 23 weeks and five days after feeling what she described as "shocking pain".

"I was cooking dinner and I had to stop after feeling intermittent pain in my pelvis, even though I have a five-year-old, she is adopted so I hadn't experienced child birth, so I didn't know what was going on."

Magnolia spent 111 days in specialist care in intensive care across three hospitals, including Ipswich Hospital and St Peter's Hospital in Surrey (Image: Sophie Partlow) After an ultrasound showed no signs of any worry, a cervical check revealed that Mrs Partlow was ready to give birth.

"When I went into labour, they set up teams for me and deliver, and then another team of paediatricians and consultants to help when she was born.

"Everyone is telling you the odds, there is only a 14% chance she will make it and even if she does make it there is a 50% chance that she might have some learning delays or neurological issues.

Magnolia's father Chris was born in Nottingham but grew up in Ipswich - he is pictured here holding his daughter for the first time (Image: Sophie Partlow) "You're there, having contractions and still trying to take in all of this information, my husband thought he would have enough time to head home as they were giving me medication to stave off my contractions but they didn't work.

"I looked back at my records and I was only in active labour for five minutes."

After Magnolia's birth, the family visited different hospitals over the course of 111 days to monitor her growth and deal with any complications that could arise from being born pre-term.

On March 5, 2024 three days before her original due date, Magnolia was allowed to go home with an oxygen tank in tow (Image: Sophie Partlow) Mrs Partlow added: "It was a long time to wait and then you have these stints where they say 'oh she might have an infection or oh she has some bleeding on her brain or oh the ventilation system isn't working she needs to be on a different one.

"Every day you're just putting out little fires, and then you have these intermittent moments between each fire where you are waiting for the next one to pop up.

"I saw so many severe cases, we saw parents who lost their babies, we saw parents whose babies clearly were going to have ongoing situations and issues, we are very very lucky."

Sophie and Chris already had an adopted daughter, Cloud, who is five, pictured here with baby Magnolia (Image: Sophie Partlow)

Although Mr Partlow grew up in Ipswich, Mrs Partlow is originally from Charlotte, North Carolina. The couple moved to the UK a few years ago as reproductive rights in the United States became more restrictive. 

"To come from a country that does not value mothers, the maternal mortality rates are insane but also black mums, I am an African-American woman and so to come to this country and receive the support that we did blows my mind," Mrs Partlow said.

"I cannot thank the United Kingdom enough, it's incredible, she wouldn't be here without you.

Magnolia Day Partlow pictured a week before her first birthday - she was born almost four months early (Image: Sophie Partlow) "Moving to Ipswich was the best decision of my life, all our lives really."

Since being released from hospital in March, Magnolia spent six weeks with aid from an oxygen tank but has made significant progress and is now a happy infant, looking forward to taking after her father and becoming an Ipswich Town supporter. 

Mrs Partlow said: "She is going to be one on the 15th, but gestationally she is only eight months, but she is a perfect eight-month old baby.

World Prematurity Day is held on November 17 to celebrate miracle babies and provide services for parents (Image: Sophie Partlow) "It is amazing, everything going on with her brain is healed, all of her respiratory stuff her healed.

"At our last check-up, they said she ahead of schedule and is more than on target for an eight month old, she is just a normal kid."

Ahead of World Prematurity Day Magnolia and Sophie's story was featured in a video about pre-term birth made by the NHS which can be found here: https://maternity.sneewellbeing.org.uk/your-birth/preterm-birth/