A premature baby is a child born before 37 weeks gestation.
If you have had a premature baby, you and I will share a bond without any words being exchanged. Experiencing having a baby born early and stay in the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) is life changing.
There are a few things you do not expect to experience when you have a child. You do not expect to have to ask permission to hold your child. You do not dream about learning acronyms used in the hospital. You do not picture your first time seeing your child having them covered with tubes and cords. You do not anticipate waiting hours to see your child. You do not think about hearing silence after your baby is born. You do think about waiting for doctors to update you on your child's progress.
As a NICU parent, you learn to leave your child in the hands of a NICU doctor or NICU nurse. You learn to trust medical professionals at a new level because your child's life is literally out of your hands. You learn to be patient with your child's progress. You learn to accept the highs and lows of your child's health. You agree to wait for permission to touch your child because it is not about what you want, but rather what your child needs.
You do not also dream of watching your child fight for their life.
Yet, you stare for hours in awe of their strength and perseverance. "How can one little child be so strong?" I asked a nurse. She responded, "They are strong because fighting for their life is all they know how to do."
As you leave the NICU doors and go home, you learn to be comfortable with the silence. You learn to hold your child without permission. You learn to trust yourself as a parent rather than the sound and numbers on a monitor. And, you watch your preemie grow into their own person - overcoming obstacles outside of the NICU.
This MY LITTLE PREEMIE PROJECT was created for and inspired by PREEMIE babes and their families. Every individual featured in this blog are babies born before 37 weeks holding a frame with their NICU photo inside. This photo symbolizes the many moments of struggle and a visual representation of how far the preemie babies and their families have come.
This MY LITTLE PREEMIE PROJECT is to APPLAUD the PREEMIE families for continuing forward because you have no choice but to go through the NICU to have your PREEMIE go through life with you outside of the NICU doors.
The professional photos and all photo edits with the NICU picture in the frame were done by BEGINNINGS AND BEYOND PHOTOGRAPHY. Photos with the wood wall background were taken at the LITTLE WONDERS TRADESHOW in April 2022 in Saskatoon, SK.
Watch for my children's book, "ME, YOU AND THE NICU" coming Fall 2022 - which is also a CELEBRATION of PREEMIE babies and /or NICU babies.
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...to see more content about disabilities, NICU, preemies, single motherhood, etc.
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