Love, Carly

“Dear NICU Mama, The seasons may change, but your incredible strength and determination to push through the difficult times never will.

Even when you don’t know how you will possibly get through the next blood draw, heel poke, or weight check, you always do. Your courage and bravery is unmatched as you stand beside your sweet little baby as the work gets done, and your baby gets the care they need.

You have what it takes to get through the storm and find the rainbow. You have what it takes to endure the most difficult moments, days, weeks and months because of your unrelenting strength and determination.

Even when it feels like the darkness of winter will never go away, it always does. The light always returns. Sometimes slowly, not all at once, but always eventually.

Dear NICU mama, please know that while some days may stay dark, others will bring light, and still others may be a little bit of both… but you WILL get through all of these days because you are strong, determined, and brave.

Just as the seasons bring new growth and change, so does your story bring new chapters. New chapters will never replace the beginning of your story, but they do bring a love, joy, and happiness you never knew existed.

Though the seasons of your life may change, I hope you know that being the best mother for your child is the one thing that never will.”

Love,
Carly

More of Carly + Jonah’s NICU Journey:

“My first baby Jonah was born at 32 weeks on July 25, 2022 via emergency c-section. His birth was very unexpected—I went into the hospital on my lunch break to get blood work done, and the next thing I knew I was being told that my baby needed to come out immediately as his heart rate kept dipping. The hospital where we live (in Whitehorse, Yukon) does not have a NICU, so we were medevaced to Prince George, British Columbia, where we stayed for seven weeks. Jonah was born at 3 lbs, 0.2 oz. and he was 4.63 lbs when we were discharged home on Sept. 9, 2022. 

It has been a long and difficult journey for me to work through my birth trauma and Dear NICU Mama has most certainly been a tool I've used in my continued healing.

Jonah is now just over seven months old and he is healthy, happy and thriving! He is an inspiration to me every single day.”