Love, Kannika

“Dear NICU Mama, I cannot wait to see the ways you will find the sunbeams in your path this year. 

Where there are shadows, there is light. When you feel your path is so dark, I hope you are able to smile at the little glimmers of sunlight that inevitably shine through. When you see yourself comparing your journey to another, I hope you feel your immense worth. When you feel sadness in seeing other pregnancies last longer than yours did, I hope you realize how strong your body is for making it so far despite the circumstances.

When you see other babies come and go more quickly than your little one in the NICU, I hope you remember the ways in which your baby is doing so well and fighting so hard. When you feel so alone, I hope you remember 1 in 10 babies are born premature, and even full-term babies need to spend time in the NICU for a variety of reasons. 

I hope this sisterhood is your softest pillow. When you feel the tears flowing in, I hope you let them flow and then remember your little glimmers of sunlight to keep you going. Remember that one day, when time moves forward and you finally get to that place in your path you and your baby have been waiting for, I hope all the sunlight comes pouring in and all the shadows disappear.

I hope when that beautiful day comes that you are finally home snuggling your baby in your arms without all the tubes and wires, that feeling is like sunshine on your cheeks.”
Love,
Kannika

More of Kannika + Lily’s NICU Journey:

“I PPROM’d at 20 weeks and made it to 26 weeks gestation when I delivered our sweet baby Lily.  She will be 29 weeks tomorrow, marking 3 weeks so far for her NICU stay. She is doing very well, but we know we will be here for the long haul given that she was a micropreemie.  I wrote my submission based on my feelings on wishing I had stayed pregnant for longer and also feeling sad she has been the smallest and earliest gestation baby in the NICU this whole time we have been here.  Thanks for reading!  I love your page!”