Little did Amanda Fleming realise when her son was born three weeks premature that it would lead to a business venture in handmade baby clothes.

Amanda had experienced severe headaches during her third pregnancy and decided to phone the midwife after taking a couple of painkillers. The 30-year-old, from Eynsham, was told to go straight to the John Radcliffe Hospital where she was diagnosed as having dangerously high blood pressure, a potentially fatal condition.

Two weeks later her blood pressure rose so severely that doctors decided to carry out an emergency Caesarean three weeks early. Her third son Taylor was born weighing just 3lb 14oz. "He was minuscule, like a tiny dolly. His blood sugar levels were down and he had no sucking mechanism so had to be fed by syringe, but otherwise he was fine," said Amanda. Not only did he have to be rushed to the special care baby unit and placed in an incubator, but none of the baby clothes fitted him.

When she bought special premature clothes, at great expense, she discovered they too were far too large.

Luckily he was released from hospital after only a week, but for many mothers, whose babies were in the unit for prolonged periods of time, the problem was much worse.

Premature clothes did not take into account the wires and tubes used to keep premature babies alive.

That was two-and-a-half years ago. Taylor is now a fit and healthy youngster, and while he has been growing up his mum has been busy in her sewing room-cum-office.

Amanda set up her own premature baby clothing company, Little Gems, which is taking off in a big way. "It suddenly dawned on me that I could help and I set the wheels in motion," she said. She has earned a living by sewing since she left school at 16 and has worked with some top London designers such as Jean Muir.

With help from the Princes Youth Business Trust and the Thames Business Advice Centre, her venture was soon up and running.

She hand-makes the garments to fit the baby in question's weight and her prices range from just £5.50.

"The cost of premature babywear was astronomical. I was a single mum of three and I just couldn't afford it. I want to make sure other mums in my position can." The results are so sweet they make the most unmaternal person broody. Little dresses and pyjamas, padded jackets and nightshirts in the softest cotton are all made up from Amanda's home. She has now taken on two other seamstresses to cope with the demand, but admits that to start with the going was tough. "It took about nine months to get the idea off the ground. There was so much involved I hadn't catered for.

"The marketing is the hardest part and I've had to learn all the business side. I can even fill in my own tax returns now."

But with orders coming in from New Zealand, Australia, Oman and Cyprus, via e-mail and mail order, the word is obviously spreading.

And she recently came third in Oxfordshire's Young Entrepreneur of the Year awards.

"What's great is that I'm still a full-time mum and have managed to combine the two passions in my life, my children and my sewing."

Little Gems can be reached on 01865 883465.

Story date: Wednesday 17 March

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