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...]
World Prematurity Day 2017: Why I’m Grateful
World Prematurity Day 2017 Today is a very special day. It is a day we honor all those babies born way too soon and very sick. The littlest fighters. Our heroes. Miracle babies. Today is World Prematurity Day 2017. A Few Facts 1 in 10 babies are born premature each year. These babies are born anytime before a full-term birth of 38 weeks. World … [Read more...]
An Emergency C-Section and a Premature Birth
Emergency C-Section I had my tonsils removed when I was 19. Before that, the only thing close to surgery was when I got my wisdom teeth removed at age 17. I'd only stayed overnight in a hospital one time before my emergency c-section. Scared and alone, with the exception of those 2 small babies in my belly, I had my first major surgery. While my life wasn't in danger, It … [Read more...]
NICU Support: Cole’s Story
NICU Support The NICU is one of the toughest, most emotional experiences a person can have. Whether you have a partner or not, co-workers or friends, a nurse or a fellow preemie parent, you must have some type of NICU support to make it through. No matter how strong you are, or think you are, you can't do it alone. Some people are lucky enough to have a supportive partner … [Read more...]