World Prematurity Day

*I am not a medical expert, even though this post mentions many medical things, and there might be mistakes. I am the mother of a premature baby and this is the knowledge that I have gained through living my life for the last two years.

Today is World Prematurity Day. It is about letting people know the effects of prematurity. I think this blog is a testament to it. Prematurity is not simply having a baby early and putting them in an "incubator" for a few months to grow. Yes, that happens, but living outside of the womb when they should be inside, comfy and warm, causes a host of problems, that are often times not easily overcome. To name a few that we deal with: feeding issues, gross motor development issues, sensory issues, GIRD, fine motor development issues, possible neurological issues affecting gross motor development, PFO, PDA...And I am sure that there are more that we aren't aware of yet. But there are so many other issues that we haven't had to deal with, at least yet: respiratory issues, ADD, ADHD, ROP, poor immune system, obesity (yes, preemies are prone to obesity), NEC...

*If you don't know these acronyms, be thankful.

If as a parent, you've had to deal with long-term issues stemming from being a preemie, you are actually very fortunate. Why is that? Well, if you are dealing with these issues it means that your premature baby survived. Today I have read so many stories over at the March of Dimes page about preemies who didn't make it. My eyes are opened yet again to what could have happened...the unthinkable. I know many, many women who are living their lives after the death of their premature baby/babies. The grief is unfathomable.

Most women have premature babies because their water broke, they went into labor, they had an incompetent cervix, or they had an infection. Many often get pre-eclampsia which could lead to HELP syndrome which could lead to death of both the mother and the infant.

Prenatal visits are so important, in order to make sure that your pregnancy is progressing as it should. It is also important to go to the hospital if you feel that something is wrong: you are cramping, you might be leaking fluid, you are bleeding, if your belly is not growing, or if you feel weak or sick.

Of course, most women do go to the hospital when these things happen, and often times they do still end up with a premature baby. But with more research and time, organizations like the March of Dimes can find ways in which to stop prematurity, so no more infants or their parents would have to feel the effects of it.

I often wonder where Sweet B fits into this prematurity business. I never went into labor or felt a contraction. My amniotic fluid was fine and I didn't have gestational diabetes (even after stuffing my face  for months and months in hopes of getting her to grow). I'm actually glad that Sweet B was a preemie and that she had a chance. Years ago, without the ultrasound machine or people trained to find IUGR, I would have never known that she was not growing properly. Without testing the diastolic flow through my umbilical cord, they would never have known that her nutrient supply was about to run dry and that they needed to get her out at the perfect time. Her diastolic flow reversed at 32 weeks-any longer and she would have died. My perinatologist said that you have anywhere from a few days to 13 days in order to get the baby out before they die. Without their knowledge, she would not be here today. Not to mention my complete placenta previa that would have complicated things even more.

Sweet B's story is so different because you hardly ever see babies who are 32 weeks gestation and 1 pound 11 ounces. You never see them because they die in utero. But what if that didn't have to happen?

Did you know that 1 in 8 babies are born prematurely?

Did you know that if a baby is born at 24 weeks, they have about a 50% chance at life? Did you know that some 23 weekers can make it? It is an extreme rarity, but it can happen.

Did you know that there are a whole host of problems that a premature baby in the NICU can face that can be deadly? They thought that Sweet B had NEC, which is where part of the bowels die, and this can cause death. When I heard the word "NEC" it made me ill.

If you stand in the NICU for three minutes you will hear beeping and alarms and see nurses tending to tiny, frail, mouse-like infants, and you will immediately see just how frightening prematurity is.

These images that I have put on this post might be shocking to some, but to me, they make my heart sing. They are reminders of a very tender time in our lives, in which we were given the greatest gift, unlike any gift I will ever receive again.

Now that I have been touched by prematurity, I promise to never be quiet about it, and to keep up the hope that they will find a way to keep babies in longer, no matter if mom has gone into premature labor or if her baby has a case of severe IUGR.

With the modern equipment and knowledge, they were able to save Sweet B. I have high hopes that they will continue to gain more knowledge, so that prematurity is a thing of the past.