Hospital Discharge Alone When you go to have your baby, you don't expect to have your hospital discharge alone. You expect to bring a newborn baby home with you, and start your family. Prematurity robs you of that experience. There is no celebration, no flowers, and no one trying to sneak a peek of your baby as you're wheeled out. Watching other new families … [Read more...]
Blessing in Prematurity: Xavier’s Journey
Blessing When you are experiencing a complicated pregnancy or a NICU stay, it is sometimes hard to see the good. It is a scary and emotional time, but sometimes a premature birth is actually a blessing. It may save a baby's life. I know that my premature birth saved my twins' lives. If I had not been in the hospital, or heard that slow heart rate, my boys may not have … [Read more...]
25 Weeks Gestation: Ephraim’s Story
25 Weeks A full-term pregnancy is roughly 40 weeks. When a baby is born at 25 weeks, which is about 15 weeks early, they miss an entire trimester of development in the womb. It is a very scary time for everyone involved, and these babies have the odds stacked against them. My twins were born at 25 weeks, 5 days. I still remember the neonatologist giving us the statistics on … [Read more...]
Moment to Moment in the NICU: Waylon’s Story
Moment to Moment Everything can change in an instant during a NICU stay. One minute your baby can be doing fine, while in the next, alarms are going off everywhere, and things are critical. You learn to cherish the quiet moment, the uneventful hours, and the days where there are glimmers that your baby may eventually go home. But, there are those other moments that make you … [Read more...]
Caring for your Preemie in the NICU: Cora’s Story
Caring for your Preemie The nurses and doctors in the NICU have a very important job when it comes to the health of a preemie, however, the parents are just as important. Hearing your voice and feeling your touch can be just as critical as any medicine they may receive. Caring and loving your preemie in the NICU is your job as a parent. While just caring for your baby … [Read more...]
