Love, Emily
“Dear NICU Mama, Life after NICU may feel lonely, but know that this will not last forever. The grief, loneliness, and pain will not last forever. You have a sisterhood of women who have come before you, stand with you, and know and empathize with your feelings.
When the nights are long and you can't bring yourself to call the NICU to check on your baby, you are not alone.
When there's yet another setback, you are not alone.
When you immediately tear up at a diaper commercial because you were robbed of the birth experience you longed for, you are not alone.
And yet, when your baby goes home with you, you are not alone.
When they smile at you for the first time, you are not alone.
When they crawl around on your floor and you sob because you never imagined this moment, you are not alone.
NICU mama, you can do this and we are with you.”
Love,
Emily
More of Emily + Eleanor’s NICU Journey:
“My NICU story is one I never thought I'd walk. Eleanor was due July 4, 2021. It was my first pregnancy. I was over the moon excited. I had an uneventful pregnancy until I had a headache that wouldn't go away. I was teaching and had my school nurse take my blood pressure- 160/110. I was hospitalized 4 separate times, put on home bedrest in between, and ended up on hospital bedrest for 12 days. I was diagnosed with preeclampsia. I was supposed to make it to 34 weeks- at 32+6 Eleanor's heart rate decelerated at 4 am and they decided it was time. She was born at 5:48am, on May 15, 2021. She was 3lb, 6 oz and 16 oz. Looking at her tiny body was too much for me to bear. I couldn't hold her because I was on a magnesium drip. Luckily I had an amazing midwife who advocated for me and I got to be wheeled up to the NICU, IV and catheter still connected, and hold my tiny baby for the first time. The same day, our fur baby Sandy died. It was an incredibly difficult day.
Thanks to my amazing doctors who gave me 3 rounds of steroid shots, Eleanor never needed breathing support. She was a feeder and a grower and she went home on May 31, 2021 at just over 4 lb. She has quickly caught up and is the most precious, fun-loving, 20 lb 11 month old you've ever seen. We are so blessed.”
