Meet Vi, Preemie Parent Mentor
My preemie was born at: 22 weeks and 6 Days
Days spent in the NICU: Wyatt lived 14 days and Carter spent 154 days in the NICU
Parent of Multiples: Yes
Our NICU Journey included: IVF, Pregnancy after miscarriage, Micropreemies, Loss within multiples, Withdrawal of care, PDA, ROP, Hydrocephalus, Adrenal Insufficiency, Bilateral Inguinal Hernias/Surgery, VP Shunt, IVH, Cerebral Palsy
The thing I remember the most about our NICU journey was feeling isolated. I was pregnant during COVID. My husband could not come with me to prenatal appointments, and my family could not come to visit my babies in the NICU. I want to reach out to other parents because the isolation was difficult. I had amazing mentors from Graham’s, and I would like to pay it forward.
I want other parents to know it is okay to feel all the feelings. Every feeling is valid. Do not be afraid to ask questions. Do not be afraid to repeat the same questions over and over again. There is so much going on mentally, emotionally, and physically. It’s okay if you didn’t understand or hear the answer the first time. Advocate for your baby. You know your child best and if your instincts tell you something is wrong, let the doctors and nurses know. The doctors work hard, but you could see something that they missed because they aren’t around your baby as much as you.
Losing a Premature Baby
Having to say goodbye to a preemie far too soon is a tragedy that no parent should ever have to face, but sadly loss is a part of the prematurity journey, too. Nothing can ever ease the pain of losing a child but even so, many organizations, websites, and groups exist to help moms and dads cope.
