A BABY who weighed less than a bag of sugar at birth will finally be allowed home from hospital after three months.

Emily Cressey entered the world 24 weeks premature on February 27 weighing only 1lb 3oz and has spent the first three months at Edinburgh Royal Infimary.

Claire Cressey, of Coldstream, Berwickshire, has revealed her daughter is now a healthier 5lb 8½oz and is due to be discharged from Borders General Hospital on Monday. It is a week earlier than doctors had envisaged.

The proud mother wrote on her social networking site: "This is an update I've been dreaming of making. Emily Grace is coming home Monday as long as everything stays the same we will have our little girl home by Monday tea time.

"She is now off oxygen and ready for her big day. I'm lost for words. It's taken a couple of hours to sink in, and for me to announce this after months of waiting and praying, it's now time, so many tears of joy."

A medical team from Edinburgh had to transport Ms Cressey from her home as she went into labour and ensured experts were on hand to give Emily the help necessary to survive beyond birth. She was first put on a ventilator, then specialised equipment was used to help her lungs develop until they could function on their own.