Love, Sarah

“Dear NICU Mama, As another year comes to a close, I hope you celebrate your perseverance. Your plans for the year did not include the NICU or the trauma from the experience, and yet you persevered.

When you were told your baby was coming, you endured the heartache of watching doctors hold your baby instead of placing your baby in your arms.

You persevered through the new world of medical terminology, pumping, an emergency c-section, and magnesium sulfate. You persevered through holding your baby’s ng-tube, changing diapers through an isolette, inquiring about oxygen stats, and so much more.

You persevered both when discharging from the hospital without your baby, and when you brought your baby home for the first time without a medical team to guide you.

Each day, week, and month of this past year you persevered through the unknown with unimaginable strength.

Dear NICU mama, although this year is coming to a close, your healing journey can continue as long as you need.

And as another year opens and you continue to love your NICU miracle, I hope you know dear mama that you are so worthy of this same love.”

Love,
Sarah

More of Sarah + Her Daughter’s NICU Journey:

“On 2/10/22 during a routine growth scan, we found out that our baby had IUGR. I felt totally fine and had actually planned on going to work after but was quickly taken away to triage. I was showing some signs of early preeclampsia. I was only 32 weeks and 3 days at this point. Suddenly our goal was to make it to 34 weeks for her lung development. I did steroid shots for her lungs. I left triage and did the 24-hour urine test at home, was on strict bedrest and blood pressure monitoring. I was in total shock because I wasn’t expecting any of this. We weren’t even supposed to have the growth scan at first but when insurance said it was covered we thought, sure why not? I believe now it was fate that we had the growth scan.

Three days later on February 13 things escalated very fast. In the middle of the night severe chest pain lead me to triage again. I was in total shock. My body was showing signs of not only preeclampsia but HELLP. I had an emergency C-section and our sweet baby girl was born only weighing 2 lbs. 15 oz. I don’t remember a lot of this day.

I was completely devastated and my health was very poor. I didn’t get to meet our daughter for 24 hours and then I wasn’t allowed to hold her for an entire week.

She spent 25 days in the NICU and I spent a week in the hospital to try to regulate my blood pressure. After NICU discharge we persevered through intense colic and reflux for several months.

Now, months later, we are both happy and healthy. I am amazed by her strength each and every day.”