Here in KC, we're having a March for Babies sponsored by the March of Dimes. Most of us have heard of the March of Dimes and know that they help research premature birth and help support families going through having a preemie. I've always been a fan of the March of Dimes, but this is the first time I'm actually doing something more than just being being a fan.
I don't make it a habit of talking about PG's stay in the NICU. I'll share the basics, but it's still difficult to talk about the emotions involved. I also know that I have friends whose babies went through so much more than PG did, so I feel guilty for sharing her story when it was relatively easy compared to others. I do believe that even though PG didn't struggle as much as other babies that her story still important, and what we went through matters. Maybe our story can help someone else.
Our PG is, for the most part, a healthy little girl. The health issues she does have may or may not be a result of her being preemie. But like other girls, she loves to dance and sing and dress up. She's learning to read and recognize her letters and numbers. Sometimes she's a best friend to her little sister and sometimes she's her enemy.
Usually I don't think a lot about her early arrival until her birthday comes around, but the March for Babies has made me think about it. My beautiful little girl who struggled to eat, stay warm, and gain weight. Who, even less than 24 hours old, looked at her daddy with so much love in her eyes, we knew she was going to be okay. A shot I had been given helped her lungs develop so she didn't need help breathing, but she did need a feeding tube and the help of an isolette to gain enough weight that she could come home.
I still don't know what my husband told our son, or the questions MB asked about his baby sister. I do remember his excitement when he got to see her and hold her for the first time. He was even happy just getting to stick his hand in the isolate to touch her and talk to her. Whatever Daddy said to him, it seemed to help MB through what could have been even more difficult.
I still keep some of my most private thoughts and struggles private, but maybe some day I'll feel more comfortable sharing those inner most feelings. For now, I would ask that you remember those women who are pregnant and give them encouraging words, especially women who have previously had a preemie. The worries of these parents never really go away when the mom is pregnant again. Even when precautions are taken and reassurances are given, it's still a worry that's sits in the back of their minds and comes out often.
I'm thankful for how far medicine has come and how much the doctors and nurses can do for these little ones now. Just hoping that it's something that our family doesn't have to go through again. If we do though, I know we'll be okay.
