Love, Liz
Dear NICU Mama,
Bravery sometimes looks like waking up multiple times a night to pump for your precious little one, and they aren’t there with you. As you share your child’s story with others, your vulnerability and your heart for your baby is seen by so many. It’s not the story you thought you’d share, but you bravely share it anyways.
Cracked knuckles and dried up hands from the many times a day that you wash your hands to protect your baby from germs. Leaving those NICU doors to head home and trusting a nurse to care for your baby while you get some rest. Letting anyone besides you care for your baby is so hard, and you are doing such a good job putting your baby’s needs first.
For you mamas with more than one NICU baby, I know you never wanted to go through this again, but you bravely go through it anyways. Making tough medical decisions you never thought you’d have to make for your children, and be in that waiting room while your child is in the operating room. It’s tough to bring home many wires that you hoped would stay in the NICU, and it’s tough to receive any diagnoses for our babies. You are seen medical mamas, and you are so courageous.
Still remembering what the beeps and alarms sound like, even though you’ve been home from the NICU for a while. You were right by your baby’s side in that NICU for so long that you don’t know if you’ll ever forget the sound of those alarms.
Raising kids at home while having a baby in the NICU, and having to divide your time between the NICU and kids at home. You do what you have to do for your family and you make the best of it, even though it’s hard, and sometimes you cry on your way to the hospital and back. You are supermom.
Watching your child fight harder than they should be expected to fight, not knowing if your baby is going to make it. No matter the journey your baby is facing, you believe in your baby every step of the way. You are your baby’s biggest cheerleader and that's such a blessing for your little one to have a mom like you.
Burying your baby and having to make decisions that should not be yours to make. When your hope and reality didn't align, and you had to walk through the unimaginable, and you feel anything but brave or strong. You are loved, mama. Please know that you are seen, you are loved, and you are so brave.
You NICU mama are amazing and SO courageous. Courage is not the absence of fear, but courage is doing it afraid. It is putting your baby’s needs first, even though you have lost so much. You are mamas to miracles. It isn’t easy, but your baby’s story is beautiful. Your baby gets to be loved by you. And he or she is so blessed to have you advocating, cheering, fighting for, praying for, and loving on him or her.
Love,
Liz
