All children are blessings, but when you’re a parent of a preemie, you really appreciate life and your kids because of the incredible journey to have them. Many parents are proud of their children’s milestones. I remember just being proud that Little One survived. I was proud that she struggled so hard to live.
Here she is, five years later. She is a happy, funny, healthy, clever kid.
The road getting her to where she is now wasn’t the easiest at times. She came out of everything with very minor issues. She just has asthma and a very mild heart murmur, which she will likely outgrow as she gets older. She suffers from bronchial and pulmonary issues in the Winter, and whatever nasty bugs that go around, she happens to catch. We are just so thankful that she is healthy and happy.
For Parents of Preemies
There’s one thing I have to say and it is that having the support of the medical staff and fellow NICU parents at Mount Sinai really helped me get through those long days, weeks and months in the NICU. I honestly do not know how I would have survived without my fellow NICU parents.
Some have said, “Oh, preemie awareness…that’s your schtick, right?”
I wasn’t sure if I should have been offended by comments like that, but if offering comfort and support to others who have or are going through the emotional roller coaster of life in the NICU helps them, then I am happy to have this as a cause that is close to my heart. People who haven’t experienced the feeling of fear — of losing your baby, of your baby not surviving another day, or needing blood transfusions, spinal taps or surgery to keep them alive, have no idea of how emotionally challenging this is. If you’re a parent with a baby currently in the NICU, your new “normal” is spending days and nights in the NICU beside your baby’s isolette, learning what all the alarms and numbers on the monitors signify, learning what Bradycardia, Tachypnea, Bilirubin levels (and other terminology you probably would never even need to learn about) mean. You learn the proper questions to ask the medical team when they’re on ’rounds’ and learn to become your baby’s advocate.
Our story can be read here. I’ve chronicled Little One’s life in the NICU. I’ve also included some Must-haves for parents with babies in the NICU or Level 2 Nursery.
Today is Parents of Preemies Day and I would like to take the time to give a shout out to all my fellow preemie parents out there.
Join the convo on Twitter with @premieparentday and share your preemie story. #ParentsOfPreemiesDay
What a moving story! It’s wonderful that you’re ‘giving back’ to others going through similar experiences. I can’t imagine how difficult it is.
I appoaud you for helping out other parents of preemies. You are showing compassion as all of us. claiming t o be human. should do our fellow men in their distress. I am proud of you and those people are to be pitied.
My husband was premature (3 and 1/2 pounds) years ago when his mother looked after him at home. He was born in July so the heat probably helped. He was a fighter and had a devoted mother and I guess that is why he survived.
I watched the progress of ‘Josie” the premature baby on ’19 Kids and Counting’ and that was an eye-opener for anyone. It showed the amazing dedication of the health professionals in the NIC Unit and it was so inspiring to watch. Hugs.
What a time that must have been. I know when my grandson was in Sick Kid’s in Toronto, for other reasons, we were the same. We did research and more research and tried to reach out to parents who also were dealing with what we were. It was difficult, he had such a rare condition… I know more about hypopituitarism then I ever wanted to..and don’t even need to know anymore since he grew his Angel wings.
It’s been a rough few days around here… my heart aches for that baby these days I just don’t know what to do with myself anymore. I feel drained & very tired.
I learned things that I never thought I would nor wanted to. I felt guilty after the death of my son that I didn’t know enough. That if I’d just asked that one little question, he would be alive today.
Unfortunately, there are no retakes. You do the best you can with the information you can in the time you’re given. Even though I was on borrowed time, I never thought that I would go into (such) preterm labour.
Even though there is more time inbetween The Kids birth and today, I will never forget. I feel for every parent that has to go through the sickness of a child.
You are an incredible support system for so many. Present company included.
Besos, Sarah
Christine,
I totally agree, although we have to owe our little ones health and safety mostly to all the professionals who cared for them (and us too) I definitely did my share of information gathering, venting, sanity checking, shoulder leaning on the parents and now friends that I met during our stay. I wouldn’t have gotten through it without them!
Shout out to all of you.(husbands included)… Charlene, Isabelle, Reshman, Suzanne, Rachel, Erum, Amy and of course you Christine ❤️
Lisa, miss you guys! Yes! Thanks to all the husbands too. I remember spending the holidays in the NICU with you and Lorne! Thank you for letting me stay with you on New Year’s after we rang in the new year in the NICU together. You (and our NICU family) will always be special to us.