What I Know Now

Tomorrow, November 17th, is World Prematurity Day, a day focused on raising awareness about premature birth around the world.  Before I got pregnant, I never imagined I'd end up giving birth at twenty-five weeks, but it happens far more often than anyone realizes.  To learn more about World Prematurity Day, visit the World Prematurity Day Facebook Page, or follow along on Twitter with the hashtag #worldprematurityday.

One of the things I love most about writing this blog is hearing from other preemie mothers who hear their own stories in my words.  To everyone who has ever written me since I started writing about my twins, please know that I so very much appreciate you taking the time to share a bit about your own journey.  The more mothers I hear from, the clearer it becomes - preemie stories matter.  All of them.    No matter how easy or hard a course we had in the NICU, no matter how long we were there, these stories have become part of who we are as mothers, and they deserve to be honoured.  And, of course, our amazing, tiny, warrior babies deserve to be honoured too, whether or not they are still living, whether or not they are meeting their milestones, whatever their situations look like.  And no one will understand that like another preemie parent.

Sharing Our Stories: Maja & Alexis

The more I hear from other preemie moms, both in person and through this blog, the more I am struck by the similarity of our experiences.  Each path is different, every journey is significant, but the moment you hear yourself in another mom's story - your thoughts, your fears, your feelings - is the moment you realize that you are not alone.  NICUs are filled with families fighting the same kind of fight, and yet it can feel so isolating so much of the time .  Not only do we need to hear these stories, the stories that sound just like ours, we need to tell them, too. We need to speak of our own pain, of the close calls and the sleepless nights and the magical moments our endless prayers were answered (and the moments when they weren't).  And we need to hear them, to know that, no matter how lonely it can seem, there actually are others out there who understand.