November is Premature Birth Awareness month. I will always be passionate about premature birth awareness. It's also strangely fitting it's this month, since it was a November nine years ago that I found out I was pregnant with my twins. I actually didn't know it was twins at the time, or know what a scary, intense time was about to be our pregnancy journey. Looking back, I … [Read more...]
Happy Place: Making the NICU a Safe Haven
Happy Place When most people think about the NICU, they don't think about a happy place. It can be scary and unknown. However, it is also the place where babies' lives are saved, and where families spend a great deal of time. I'll admit, when my twins were first born, I didn't even want to go to the NICU. I was so afraid of everything about it. The tubes, the wires, the … [Read more...]
Unexpected Discoveries: From Pregnancy to NICU
Unexpected Discoveries From finding out you are pregnant to complications that arise, unexpected discoveries can happen during any part of the pregnancy. The NICU is also a place where you never know exactly what to expect. Throughout my twin pregnancy, I discovered that doctors don't know everything and unexpected discoveries happen more often than we make think. They can … [Read more...]
Strong, Yet Fragile: Julieta’s Story
Strong, yet Fragile Preemies are amazing. They are so tiny, yet so mighty. So tough, vulnerable.They are so strong, yet so fragile at the same time. Premature babies must fight to do things that full-term babies do automatically. Their systems aren't fully developed yet, including their immune system. So, even though they beat the odds that are stacked against them, they … [Read more...]
Complicated Stories: How Sharing Helps
Sharing Complicated Stories After having a baby, sharing their birth story is something many women like to do. However, if that birth story involves a preemie or NICU baby, sharing complicated stories can be very hard. Not only can it be extremely difficult for the mother to tell, but it can be hard for her family and friends to hear. Do people want to hear about your … [Read more...]