I met my baby 16 hours after birth, and it took everything that I had not to dissolve into a blubbering mess when you, NICU Nurse, wheeled me in front of the incubator. I felt too many things at the same time— exhaustion from that morning’s two-months-too-early surprise birth; gratitude that my baby is here, and I am too; longing, painful longing, to hold my baby in my arms. All these emotions made me feel weak, but I soon learned that there is no room for weakness in the NICU because strength dissipates from each bassinet where a fighting baby survives and thrives.
MMPPSG: Bringing Home Our Preemie
What I did get to do on those long sleepless nights when I worried about my baby in the NICU was read up on preemies: what to expect, what red flags to watch out for, and what support groups I can go to for help. I also cherished the late-night conversations I had with mommy friends who also had preemies who told me about their experience in raising a preemie baby.
