Love, Janelle

“Dear NICU Mama, In this season of motherhood, I hope you find peace.

Mama, I hope you find peace in the loss of planned experiences and foregone expectations. I hope you find peace with the circumstances in which you first held your baby. I hope you find peace in the overwhelm of NICU life.

I hope you find peace in the aftermath of navigating your new normal at home. I hope you find peace with your baby’s pace of development. I hope you find peace in the face of others’ unintentional ignorance. I hope you find peace with your body. I hope you find peace with your memories.

I hope that in the midst of the challenges, in the midst of the chaos and in the midst of the understandably heavy emotions - I hope you find peace with your story.”

Love,
Janelle

More of Janelle + Her Kids’ NICU stories:

“In 2015, after bedrest following premature rupture at 28 weeks, our eldest son was born at 31 weeks. I blinked and he grew into a healthy, active young man! Our second child, a sweet little 39 week baby girl born in 2018, left us naively unprepared for the potential of another premature baby. In 2023, my water broke at 29 weeks with our third and I was admitted for bedrest until she arrived at 30 weeks. We were able to face this second nicu journey with far greater peace than the first time we experienced it. Every mama deserves peace over her baby’s story. I hope other mamas can find theirs.”