You Know Your Baby Best. Don’t Be Afraid to Take Charge in the NICU!

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Sam came into the world at 30 weeks—10 weeks early and weighing in at 3lbs 5oz. Although he was not in real danger, he required 8-10 weeks in the NICU before he could go home. The Doctors said he’d need to gain significant weight and continue developing while in the NICU. He was given a feeding tube and was put on a 2-hour feeding schedule. Everyone on the staff said, “Not to worry”. They assured us that he would do fine and before we knew it he’d be coming home with us. For the next 7 weeks my wife Petrina went to the hospital at least twice a day, sometimes three times. I worked, took care of the dog and cat, maintained the house, and visited my new son, Sam, as much as I could. I offered to relieve my wife on the weekends so she could get some rest, but she wasn’t having any of that. So we spent the weekends with Sam in the NICU, together.
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Advice for Comforting Parents of Preemies: Respect their Feelings

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My sister is a mother of a girl who was born prematurely. I guess my sister is what you might call a preemie parent. I’m pleased to say that the little girl is growing normally and she is a healthy and happy baby, but the experience that my sister and her husband shared is one shared by many preemie parents. I’d like to tell of their experience with the hope that it will help future preemie parents.

The Parental Impact of Premature Birth

When you realized that your baby had decided to enter your world way ahead of schedule your initial feeling was concern, which quickly changed into fear and panic. The final month of pregnancy, even under normal conditions, is fraught with anxiety for both parents, but especially the mother. As a father, my brother-in-law was busy with work and not thinking about the baby 24/7. My sister, on the other hand, was becoming a mother, and worried about every cramp or kick.
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25 weekers: William & Aaron Conley

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Meet William & Aaron Conley, born 6/27/11 at 25 weeks, 5 days,
weighing just under 2 lbs each. They spent 93 days in the NICU and
battled almost every obstacle possible for preemies, but are now
thriving at home. Read their birth story.

Have your own preemie twins story? Share your story with us!

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