Love, Rachel

“Dear NICU Mama, Your birth story tells the story of strength. It serves as a reminder of the fighter you have within yourself.

This may not have been the start to your motherhood journey that you originally envisioned. In fact, this may be exactly the start to your motherhood journey that you prayed every day of your pregnancy would not happen.

But here you are. Not because you want to be; but because you have to be. Because that vision of your baby snuggled in your arms has been replaced instead with the image of your baby strapped to tubes and monitors.

That little fighter that grew inside of you all those months also exists within you. For you are a fighter too. You too wake up every day and choose to fight, to persevere, to love, to hold, to nurture, to hope.

The strongest version of you is being built day by day. Each day that you delicately lift your baby from their bed as to not jostle the feeding tube. Each night as you watch your baby on a little screen while you pump alone at home. Each and every day when you choose to do it all over again and again.

You created a little fighter. But their mama is a fighter too.”

Love,
Rachel

More of Rachel + Charlotte + Olivias's NICU story:

“Charlotte and Olivia Perez (identical twins) were born on June 16, 2023. While Charlotte weighed seven and a half pounds, her sister Olivia weighed only 4 lbs 11 ozs. Due to her low birth weight and blood sugar issues, Olivia spent two weeks in the NICU before we were able to bring her home and rejoin her with her sister.”