Tag: NICU
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I Didn’t Truly Understand Fear Until We Faced Losing Our Child
Get Pregnant Fast As I hurried down the hospital corridor, my heart raced to keep pace with the nurses moving swiftly past me. They placed my daughter, Ava, into a large incubator with multiple access points. The hours that followed felt like a whirlwind of medical professionals, each one delivering urgent updates. The two questions…
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A Message to NICU Babies from a Breast Milk Donor
Get Pregnant Fast Dear NICU Baby, I may not know your journey or your name, and it’s possible that our paths will never cross. Yet, I have faith that you are destined for greatness. All you need is that fighting chance, so keep pushing forward, little one. No matter how tough it gets, you must…
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The NICU Experience: Lessons Learned as a NICU Parent
Get Pregnant Fast It only takes a fleeting moment—a beeping alarm or the unmistakable scent of antiseptic—to trigger a wave of memories from my time in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). For 116 days, my family lived in this unfamiliar world. At just 22 weeks gestation, my triplet daughters entered the world, their eyes…
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How I Advocated for Pregnancy Loss Leave After My Miscarriage
Read more Every nurse in my unit now has access to the same essential benefit I needed. When I experienced a miscarriage at five weeks along, it felt like my world had shattered. I knew I needed time off to heal—and I believed that others facing similar losses would also benefit from support. A brief…
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Hospital Hosts Heartwarming ‘Graduation’ Ceremonies for NICU Babies
Get Pregnant Fast In a touching initiative, a hospital in North Carolina has introduced ‘graduation’ ceremonies for infants transitioning out of the NICU, bringing joy to families during a challenging time. The emotional journey of welcoming a newborn is often amplified when that baby requires specialized care in a NICU. To alleviate some of that…
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The Vital Role of Healthcare Access from the Perspective of NICU Parents
Get Pregnant Fast When it comes to the significance of accessible healthcare, few can speak to it as profoundly as parents of NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) babies. Recent discussions around healthcare have brought to light the experiences of families facing this reality, and the stories shared are both heartbreaking and inspiring. Take, for example,…
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Understanding the NICU: A Guide for Parents of NICU Babies
Read more When you find out that your baby will spend time in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), it can be an overwhelming experience. Approximately 78 out of every 1,000 babies born in the U.S. each year require care in these specialized nurseries, with many being premature. Since 1 in 10 newborns arrive before…
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I Ran 147 Miles to Honor My Son’s NICU Journey — And Raised $50,000 for Premature Babies
Read more When my son Caleb was born at just 23 weeks into my pregnancy, the odds were stacked against him. His survival seemed unlikely, and yet here we are, celebrating him as a vibrant and curious 6-year-old today. During the early weeks of my pregnancy, I experienced significant bleeding and even thought I had…