Each NICU Day When your baby is born very early or very sick or both, each NICU day seems like an eternity. You live from critical moment to critical moment, while your child is fighting for their life. Whenever someone asks me how long the twins were in the NICU, I always answer in days, not months. Each NICU day was so important, and I will not take even one single day … [Read more...]
A Family Story and Journey through a Premature Birth
Family Story When I first received the email from Nicole about her experience with premature birth, she called the journey their "family story." I really loved that description because it is absolutely true. While the actual pregnancy and delivery directly involve the mother, a premature birth, and the circumstances surrounding it, affect the entire family. Even … [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...]
Micro Preemie Milestones: Hailey’s Story
Micro Preemie Milestones When our smallest and sickest babies are born, every small step forward and every ounce gained is a reason to celebrate. They may not be "typical" milestones, but that doesn't make micro preemie milestones any less important. For each tiny battle is an amazing accomplishment for someone who has the odds stacked against them. Whether it was an ounce … [Read more...]
An Experimental Procedure: Nellie’s Story
Experimental Procedure While medicine has made huge progress in the area of premature birth, there is still so much to learn and so much to understand. Sometimes, doctors don't know what the best option is and an experimental procedure is the best option for survival. In the case of my twins, the doctors could not predict what would happen. They said there was really no … [Read more...]