Browsing all posts in July, 2009.

Melissa’s Story: Part 1

This is the first of five posts dedicated to sharing one young mother’s experience with severe preeclampsia and an ultimate delivery of a 27-weeker to save her own life.  This is Melissa’s story. Wow, so I can’t believe it’s been a year since we welcomed our little angel into our family. Thinking back on the experiences [...]

A Funny NICU Story

So, I was just thinking about how serious and maybe depressing so many of my posts are.  I know that it can’t always be helped simply because of the subject matter of this blog, but I wanted to take a moment to share a funny story from NICU life. Most of the rooms in the [...]

Help Parents Get Sleep

Preemie parents need to get good sleep.  The biggest reason for this is to keep their immune systems strong so that they don’t get sick and are then unable to visit and care for their preemie baby.  It is a terrible thing to not be able to visit your baby because you’re sick. How can [...]

Help Parents Find Shelter

Shelter is an important need, for obvious reasons.  If your friend or loved one has a preemie in a NICU near where you live then please, please open your doors to them!  Offer to let them move in for a few weeks if need be, or let them know that they can stop in any [...]

Help Parents Eat Well

The basic needs are where you, as family and friends, can actually provide the MOST help for the parent of a preemie in the NICU.  In review, the basic needs I described in my previous post were food, shelter, and sleep. When I was in the NICU with my daughter, meals were the hardest thing [...]

A Call for Help

HEEEEEEEEEELP MEEEEEEEEEE! That’s the shout out that’s in the heart of every parent who has a tiny preemie baby in the NICU, but you as family and friends may never hear it.  You need to answer the call even if you don’t hear it directly from their lips.  They shouldn’t be on their knees every [...]