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You are here: Home / Blog / Micro Preemie Monday and Stella

Micro Preemie Monday and Stella

November 30, 2015 By Shann 32 Comments

It’s Monday!

I, for one, am happy that it is Monday. The long weekend was great, but I’m ready to get back to our weekly routine. I’m especially happy to have you back here for Micro Preemie Monday. If you haven’t been here for a while, you can go back and read my post from last Monday about Taliyah HERE, and the week before’s post about Nicolas and Lucas HERE.

Today

On this last Monday of November, we meet Stella. Her mom, Shannon, tells us all about her birth and what she is up to now. At the end of the post, I will be sharing a few facts about Prematurity with you, since it is the last day of Premature Birth Awareness Month.  I hope you’ll share those facts, along with this post, to help raise awareness. You can also read my post about World Prematurity Day.

Now, let’s meet Stella.

Micro Preemie Monday

1. Tell us about your baby.

My daughter’s name is Stella Grace. She was born at 26+1 weeks. She weighed 1 lb 6 oz and was 12 inches long.

Micro Preemie Monday

 

2. How long were you in the NICU? What was the hardest part?

Stella spent 87 days in the NICU. She split her time between two hospitals. The hardest part was the wait to take her home. I really hit a wall towards the end. We were told she’d be going home, but then she’d have a setback. The last couple of weeks were very difficult.

Micro Preemie Monday

 

3. Do you know what caused your Premature Birth?

I delivered early due to preeclampsia and HELLP Syndrome. It progressed very quickly. At my six month check up on December 20, I was fine. No issues at all besides some swelling. By Christmas Eve, I was near death. On December 27, I was having an emergency c-section to save the two of us.

Micro Preemie Monday

 

4. How is your baby doing now?

Stella is doing well now. She’ll turn 10 years old in December. She is visually impaired due to ROP, not that you’d ever know it. Her left eye never healed properly after laser surgery, leaving her blind in that eye. She also has nystagmus and strabismus. She struggles with behavioral issues. She was recently diagnosed with executive function disorder. They believe that too much O2 during her first few weeks damaged her frontal lobe. Despite this, she’s smart as a whip. She loves dinosaurs and wants to be a paleontologist when she grows up.

Micro Preemie Monday

5. What advice would you give a new Preemie parent?

My advice is to find a strong support system while you’re in the NICU. If your hospital has a support group, take advantage of it. Join preemie groups on Facebook. Somebody out there is going through something similar. It’s so much easier to get through this if you have somebody to talk/vent to.

 Thank you  so much for sharing your story, Shannon, and for the great advice. Stella is beautiful.
Shannon mentioned ROP, which is a common problem for babies born premature. ROP or Retinopathy of Prematurity is an abnormal growth of blood vessels in the eye. ROP can lead to vision loss, according to the March of Dimes. My little guy also had ROP, which is Retinopathy of Prematurity, and had laser surgery on both of his eyes. We were lucky that he had no complications, but he did lose his peripheral vision from the surgery.
Stevie Wonder, who was a preemie, lost his vision due to ROP.
Here on my blog, I focus on the youngest and smallest preemies called micro preemies, but any baby born before 37 weeks is considered born premature. According to the March of Dimes, there has been a decrease in the number of premature births in the last couple years to 9.6% in the United States, however, that still means that 1 in 10 babies is born too early.
Thank you everyone for all your support and help with Premature Birth Awareness this November. Just because the month is over, does not mean I will stop fighting for healthier babies, and I hope you’ll keep joining me every Monday.

If you like what you just read please click to send a quick vote for me on Top Mommy Blogs- The best mommy blog directory featuring top mom bloggers

Filed Under: Blog, Micro Preemie Mondays Tagged With: hellp syndrome, march of dimes, micro preemie monday, monday, NEC, NICU, PDA, preemie, Preemie Problems, pregnancy, premature birth, premature birth awareness, Prematurity, ROP, Twins

Comments

  1. Liz Mays says

    November 30, 2015 at 8:58 am

    I hadn’t heard of ROP, and I didn’t realize that was what Stevie Wonder’s blindness came from. I’m glad Stella still has vision though. She’s a doll!

    Reply
  2. shelahmoss says

    November 30, 2015 at 9:24 am

    It is so encouraging to read these stories of premature birth. What a beautiful Stella is now!

    Reply
  3. Zully Hernandez says

    November 30, 2015 at 10:14 am

    Thanks for sharing Stella’s story – I definitely learned a thing or two about prematurity and how it can effect a child. Thank goodness for NICU services and technology!

    Reply
  4. Kim Munoz says

    November 30, 2015 at 10:23 am

    What a blessing she is! And a fighter too!

    Reply
  5. Dominique says

    November 30, 2015 at 10:26 am

    Awe, she is gorgeous! Glad to see she is growing into a beautiful little princess!

    http://www.writingmotherfashionista.com

    Reply
  6. Shamira West (@shamirawest) says

    November 30, 2015 at 11:10 am

    This is such a great story! thanks for sharing! She was so tiny omg and so cute! I am glad she is doing well. I have heard a lot of premature baby stories that don’t end well. She grew up to be such a beautiful little girl!

    Reply
  7. Joan Harrington says

    November 30, 2015 at 11:11 am

    Hi Shann,
    So inspiring and such an awesome share! Everytime I read your Monday posts on preemies and the story behind them just makes me smile because to see how they all turned out is such a blessing! Thanks so much for sharing these stories of inspiration 🙂

    Reply
    • Shann says

      November 30, 2015 at 8:55 pm

      Thank you for coming to read them every Monday, Joan. 🙂

      Reply
  8. Pearliza Paguio says

    November 30, 2015 at 11:43 am

    Oh my! I’m really glad she grew healthy and strong. She’s gorgeous like her mom. 🙂

    Reply
  9. Becky @ Disney in your Day says

    November 30, 2015 at 12:16 pm

    She looks beautiful! I love that she’s so into dinosaurs and wants to be a paleontologist 🙂

    Reply
  10. Dana says

    November 30, 2015 at 12:22 pm

    WOW!!!

    So happy to see that Stella grew up to be such a beautiful, healthy child.
    What a great story. Inspiring for others Moms.

    Reply
  11. Ashlyn @ A Mom In Training says

    November 30, 2015 at 2:25 pm

    What a beautiful post! This is my first time visiting your blog and I love this series you have! Wow, she’s a beautiful girl and I love her sense of style! Thank you for sharing her story with us. It’s always so amazing to see preemies grow into beautiful children. 🙂

    Reply
    • Shann says

      November 30, 2015 at 8:54 pm

      Thank you so much for stopping by. I appreciate it.

      Reply
  12. Samantha says

    November 30, 2015 at 4:16 pm

    Beautiful <3 She's so cute now!! Thanks for sharing this with us <3

    Reply
  13. Katie @thebrooksielife says

    November 30, 2015 at 4:23 pm

    She is a beauty!! I am always so amazed with these stories! Truly a blessing!

    Reply
  14. Clare Speer says

    November 30, 2015 at 4:52 pm

    Stella is adorable! What a miracle and thanks so much for sharing your story with us!

    Reply
  15. Jennifer C. says

    November 30, 2015 at 5:19 pm

    What a great story. Little Stella is adorable!

    Reply
  16. Erin Finnegan Soto says

    November 30, 2015 at 7:08 pm

    Beautiful little girl 🙂 It seems like yesterday I was at the NICU with my oldest…also due to preeclampsia! I wish I had gone to the support groups!

    Reply
  17. goodenufmommy says

    November 30, 2015 at 7:55 pm

    Wow! Look at that baby smile! And now she’s so grown up! Thanks for sharing her story!

    Reply
  18. Jenny says

    November 30, 2015 at 8:40 pm

    I hadn’t heard of ROP before. Also, it’s amazing how many babies are born premature!

    Reply
  19. Danielle says

    November 30, 2015 at 9:07 pm

    Thank you for sharing Stella’s story! She’s such a beautiful girl, with such a strong mama!

    Reply
  20. Corina Ramos (@NotNowMomsBusy) says

    November 30, 2015 at 9:16 pm

    I love her name! Stella Grace has grown up to be a beautiful little girl. Thanks for sharing your story with us! I wish her and her family all the best!

    Reply
  21. Bismah Abdelgawad says

    November 30, 2015 at 10:42 pm

    She is such a beautiful and intelligent looking little girl! I am so happy that she and her mom pulled through the delivery. Her mom must have been so strong to get through the early months after. Hugs to them both xx

    Reply
  22. thememoirsofamommy says

    December 1, 2015 at 1:22 am

    Great post, what a beautiful girl <3

    Reply
  23. TheLifeJolie says

    December 1, 2015 at 9:43 am

    Thank you for sharing Stella’s story- she is a gift and a blessing!

    Reply
  24. Val Jones says

    December 1, 2015 at 10:23 am

    Thanks for sharing Stella’s story. What a difficult time parents of preemies have. The pictures just melted my heart. What a sweetie!

    Reply
  25. Stefanie / The Monarch Mommy says

    December 1, 2015 at 3:53 pm

    Thank you for sharing Stella’s story. What a strong little girl!

    Reply
  26. Justine Y @ Little Dove Creations says

    December 1, 2015 at 5:08 pm

    I’m totally with you on wanting to get back to routine! And Miss Stella Grace is so sweet, what a long way she has come!

    Reply
  27. Susannah says

    December 2, 2015 at 10:53 am

    She’s so precious! Some friends from college had a daughter at 23 weeks! Her due date is in a week and they’re hoping to be able to take her home by then!

    Reply
    • Shann says

      December 2, 2015 at 1:47 pm

      That’s awesome! Congratulations to them!

      Reply
  28. Kaitie Creator of Fuchisa Freezer says

    December 2, 2015 at 1:50 pm

    what an inspirational story. It still surprises me when I read your monday posts how many preemies there are and how each family goes through different but similar struggles. I’m glad to hear everything turned out for the better!!

    Reply
    • Shann says

      December 2, 2015 at 8:04 pm

      It really is amazing. Thank you for stopping by and reading 🙂

      Reply

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Meet Shann

Shann Hi! I'm a mom, writer, and dancer. I love sharing my parenting experiences, my healthy living tips, my money saving ideas, and our travel plans. My passion to help other women inspired this blog. I hope you'll stay a while and come back often.

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