Now an advocate for preterm birth awareness due to her experiences, Yasmine welcomed Sage, who was born at 37 weeks.

Yasmine Phillips experienced a previously smooth pregnancy until severe rib pain and vomiting led to an emergency visit to a hospital in Geraldton during Christmas 2024.

Doctors initially suspected food poisoning but quickly diagnosed Yasmine with HELLP Syndrome, a severe form of pre-eclampsia, which necessitated a life-saving emergency cesarean delivery.

Her daughter Ava was born 15 weeks premature, weighing only 580 grams, and faced a daunting 101-day stay in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).

Yasmine described the early days in the NICU as terrifying, filled with uncertainty as Ava struggled with the help of a ventilator and numerous medical wires.

Despite planning for a safer delivery, Yasmine found it emotionally challenging to have her second daughter, Sage, taken to the NICU shortly after birth.

In Australia, over 26,000 babies are born prematurely each year, with one in twelve pregnancies ending before term, highlighting the prevalence of preterm birth.

Professor John Newnham, chair of the Australian Preterm Birth Prevention Alliance, emphasizes that preterm birth is the leading cause of death and disability in children under five in developed countries.

Early identification of warning signs and timely interventions are crucial in preventing preterm birth and improving safety for mothers and babies.

In response to these challenges, the Australian Government announced a $5.3 million investment in March 2025 to expand the Every Week Counts National Preterm Birth Prevention Collaborative.

This collaborative program involves health professionals, First Nations leaders, and individuals with lived experiences working together to improve pregnancy outcomes.