Love, Breanne

“Dear NICU Mama, Sometimes in order to heal, we must allow ourselves to just be.

You don’t always have to have it all together or put on a brave face. When you’re hit with grief, allow yourself to feel it. To really feel, acknowledge, and validate it. What you went through was traumatic. We need to show ourselves self-compassion. There is no “right way” to heal, but never invalidate yourself. Remember how strong you are.

Healing is not linear, and it is not the same for everyone. Show yourself grace, you are doing the best you can.”

Love,
Breanne

More of Breanne + Her Daughter’s NICU Journey:

“At 32w + 6d, my water unexpectedly broke at home, and in less than 24 hours, my beautiful baby girl made her arrival. To say I was in shock is an understatement. I had a textbook pregnancy up until that point and she is my first, so I could not believe it. We didn’t even have a hospital bag packed! While the best moment of my life was the moment I looked my daughter in the eyes when she was placed on my chest, the day of her birth is still a very traumatic memory for me, which I am working through. The days that followed still don’t feel real. She had a blood infection, which caused a lot of concern and fear of what was going to happen. The first few days were extremely scary. Luckily, the infection had not made it to her brain, which would have caused meningitis. She was having trouble breathing, had to be intubated, and was on a breathing tube for a couple days. After a few days on and off CPAP, the bilirubin light, and a strong course of antibiotics, our little girl was showing huge signs of improvement. She went from being so lethargic to throwing her hands and trying to pull out her tubes, our nurses often calling her “feisty.”  While it was the most difficult time in my life, seeing my baby become healthy right before my eyes was the most incredible thing. She is the strongest bravest person I know. After the longest 16 days of my life, we got to bring our baby home and nothing will compare to that.”