Meet Hannah, Preemie Parent Mentor
My preemie(s) was born at: 29 weeks
Days spent in the NICU: 72 days
Parent of Multiples: Yes
Our NICU Journey included: Advocating for our preemies in the NICU, multiples,
Balancing NICU babies and kids at home, Helping our babies thrive at breastfeeding
Staying connected to your spouse during the NICU trial
I want to reach out and mentor other parents because life after NICU was harder than I expected. We need those who can sympathetically understand our emotions and challenges. I want to change my trauma into a blessing by being present to others’ difficulties.
I want others to understand that:
– You can’t possibly do it all, and that’s ok, God will fill in the cracks.
-You have more say in procedures and care than you might think. Advocacy helps with bonding.
-The NICU doesn’t end at discharge. It’s good to lean into available support for the continued struggles of raising a preemie.
What I remember most about our time in the NICU was: The heartache of leaving my babies in the hospital every day, mixed with the pain of being away from my older children anytime I was tending to my preemies. The emotion of never being everywhere I wanted to be at once. We were so thankful for the steadiness of and comfort of our nurses and the power of God’s healing in our babies bodies. We were so in awe of the many miracles our twins had during their NICU stay but still had a mix of joy and fear in my heart when they were discharged.
