Today was a strange day for me…it’s a very special day, Wear Green for Premature Birth day. Being a mum to twins born at 29+2 weeks, I try to take every opportunity I can to give thanks for the fact that my babies are home and this day makes me stop and think about how far they’ve come.
Pineapples, green singlet and green shoes…happy Green for Premmies Day!
A friend and I hosted a morning tea at the hospital that cared for our premature babies today. We decided that we would do it a year ago and was fantastic that our schedules were good, my sister could look after my five kids and that neither of us were sick so that it all came together. It was so nice to go in, bring coffee and tea, snacks and lollies, and see the doctors and nurses who looked after our twins for the time that they were in hospital.
Walking in the door, seeing the NICU units and hearing the all too familiar ‘beep beep’ of the machines brought back a flood of memories. Seeing some of the nurses again made me teary. Thinking about and talking about how far they’ve come with those that remember us was a happy feeling. It was like I was riding that roller coaster all over again.
I’ve been back a few times since the babies were born, my little guy has had many follow up appointments since his birth but for some reason today felt a little different. I think I felt a little more in tune with what was going on around me as I didn’t have the twins with me to take up my attention. The weirdest feeling was hearing a tiny prem baby cry and feeling like I was getting ready to feed, it’s been almost a year since I did that but I sure recognised the feeling! They brought in a new mum to twins to come have a talk to me today, I made sure I said congratulations as it’s, amazingly, something that people are afraid to say to someone going through NICU. It’s such an overwhelming feeling for everyone involved. I assured her that her milk output was enough, told her how I helped increase mine, that eventually things would be more ‘normal’ and that she was doing a wonderful job. All I wanted to do was give her a hug, I didn’t even know her but, well, I just can’t describe what I felt looking at her and seeing myself when I was in her shoes.
So, if you can, pop on some green or just spare a thought for the parents and families going through a very stressful time at the moment with their babies as well as the doctors and nurses who care for them.
A few quick stats…
– Approximately 25,000 babies are born prematurely in Australia each year, and
– About 44,000 babies will require care from a NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) or SCN (Special Care Nursery) in Australia each year.
– Please visit http://www.lilaussieprems.com.au for information or to contribute.
Yummy treats for the doctors, nurses and parents at the hospital.
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