In a 2003 study that explored “ambiguous loss”, American researchers Tamara Golish and Kimberly Powell affirmed how “parents of premature babies underwent various grief emotions as they mourned the loss of a full-term pregnancy and feared for their child’s life and health. However, they were often unable to allow themselves to feel their grief and were unsure how to communicate it because their baby was still alive.” In an environment where more devastating loss easily happens to other families, it seemed almost disrespectful to even acknowledge pain points here and there, and yet they were real, looming menacingly.
MMPPSG: Dear NICU Nurse
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.
MMPSG: What to Expect in the NICU
No matter what the reason for a baby being admitted, being a NICU parent is not easy. It is difficult to know what to expect in the NICU. Every baby is a little different so the specifics might be different, but for most first time NICU parents, whether it be for a preemie or a full term baby, there are certain things that can be expected, and they are easily remembered by the acronym CHRISS.
Pregnancy Mystified: Rachel
Pregnancy Mystified is a new series by and on Mommy Mundo. The series seeks to shed light on unusual pregnancy and birth stories by sharing the unique experiences of moms in the community. These are real moms and real stories that all moms can learn from.
In this story, we learn about PPROM, a pregnancy complication that occurs in only 3% of pregnancies.
A Mom’s Guide to “Premies”
Premies or preemies are the term used for babies that are born before 37 weeks of gestation. There are a number of reasons why babies may be born prematurely. Hypertension, heart or kidney problems, diabetes, an infection in the vaginal or urinary tracts, or stress are just a few of a host of reasons that lead to the statistic that approximately one out of every 10 babies will be born before their mothers can carry them to term.
