Bristol baby Olivia Wells is the picture of health now but when she was first born she could fit in her mum's hand.

She arrived two-and-a-half months early, 30 weeks into mum Natalie's pregnancy.

Natalie, 27, who with husband Scott, 27, also has two sons, Maison, eight, and Harrison, 20 months, was very ill during her pregnancy.

She began having contractions on July 24 but thought they were Braxton Hicks or false labour pains.

Natalie, a full-time mum of Gill Avenue, Fishponds, said: "I was 29 weeks and three days into the pregnancy. I went to Southmead Hospital and was taken to a delivery suite where I was given a drug to stop the contractions but that made me collapse so I couldn't have it any more.

"Southmead didn't have a neonatal bed free at the time so at 6pm I was taken to the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital."

Even the journey was dramatic with the sat-nav in the ambulance leading the driver astray. Scott, a maintenance engineer at BAe, arrived at the hospital before his wife.

Natalie said: "I got there in the ambulance at midnight. I still didn't believe I was going to give birth then as I had had two false labours with Harrison."

Drugs were used to try to stop labour but by Tuesday morning it was obvious that Olivia was going to make her entrance into the world and she was delivered by caesarian section.

She weighed just 3lbs and 5oz and was whisked away to the special care baby unit. She screamed as she was delivered but later stopped breathing. As doctors struggled to put in a tiny tube to get oxygen into her she began breathing on her own again.

Natalie saw her six hours after she was born and was with her in the Exeter hospital for six days until a place became available at Southmead Hospital. Mother and baby stayed there for another month before Olivia was well enough to come home.

Meanwhile Natalie's parents Julie and John Piasecki helped look after the two boys, Maison and Harrison.

Now Olivia is home with the family she still keeps everyone on their toes. Natalie said: "She keeps stopping breathing and has been in Bristol Children's Hospital, so I don't get much sleep."

But every day Olivia is getting stronger and on Saturday the family were thrilled when she smiled for the first time.