A little inspiration for today

Just wanted to write a quick post of encouragement for NICU families today. Preemie Prints mission is to share hope, and I think many of these little pictures, quotes, and sayings will do just that. As you sit in the NICU today with your baby please remember that we're out here praying for you and thinking about you. You're not alone. Please visit Preemie Prints anytime you need a little pick me up, anytime you'd like to read about another family's NICU journey, and much more. May the Lord give you the strength you need today to carry on and help you to remember that "this too shall pass". Be in the moment with your preemie or NICU baby - they need your comfort - they need to hear your voice - they need to feel your touch.

 

For this child I prayed & the Lord has given me what I asked of Him

1 Samuel 1:27 

Preemies are miracles!

 

Preemie moms are special!!

Untouchable mother and premature baby by TheMidnightOrange, $60.00

 

Older children may be very affected by the experience of having a new baby brother or sister who is born prematurely. Children are very sensitive to what is going on, and if you are concerned about the baby – even if you don’t talk openly about it – they may well be aware of this. Talk to your older children about your feelings. There are many wonderful books on the market for NICU siblings. Bring them to NICU family get together and meetings so they can meet other siblings going through similar experiences. Preemie Prints hosts NICU Hope Meetings in Bryan College Station and Houston and the meetings are family friendly!

 

There are many challenges to breastfeeding a baby in the NICU. Don’t be shy about letting the nurses know that you plan to breastfeed. Babies who are born early can’t always feed at the breast right away. Because of their small size and lack of muscle development, they may have a harder time latching on or staying latched on to the breast. Feedings can take longer than normal because of this. Hang in there, Mom, and don’t give up. If you need help, the hospital’s lactation director can provide great support. Read more here

 

The journey of a preemie or critically ill baby does not end when you walk out of the NICU. It often takes years for them to catch up to their peers, and they may never fully catch up. But it doesn't matter because they are miracles! 

Preemie Prints NICU Positioner & Gift Bundles

Pictured above is a sweet little guy using our Preemie Prints NICU Positioning Device. This item is beneficial to the health and healing of preemies and babies in the NICU because it simulates the warm comfort of the womb environment. The premature baby positioning device provides the boundaries a preemie needs and it also helps to protect baby from wires and other items. This device is filled with 100% medical grade plastic pellets and weighs about 1.5 to 2 lbs. The casing is made of soft warm fleece. Through this program we recommend that NICU nurses and doctors use 1 to 2 devices per baby. Once done we ask that they are returned to Preemie Prints! We then sanitize the beads and put them in a brand new fleece casing ready for the next premature baby or baby in the NICU. 

These devices are very beneficial to premature babies. Preemie Prints is so happy to be making a difference in the lives of so many by providing comfort, support, and protection for premature and critically ill infants in the hospital. Our NICU positioners provide a sense of containment and boundary lines for the premature infant; this supports their growth and development. 

You will find our NICU positioners currently in use at the following hospitals: 
Baylor Scott & White Hospital, College Station TX NICU
The College Station Medical Center, College Station, Tx NICU
St. Joseph's Hospital, Bryan, Tx NICU

Ways you can directly help a premature or critically ill baby
-Donate fleece by the yard or pre-cut to size
-Sew casings for positioners and mail them in to be filled. Email us for the size! 
-Host a "Cut & Sew Positioner Event" with your family, friends, church, youth, or organization group
-Host a fleece drive for Preemie Prints and collect donations of fabric  
-Attend a Preemie Prints Sewing Meeting - click on "events" on our Facebook page or email us for a list of upcoming dates.
-Make a donation to our organization 

Email: amber@preemieprints.org to get started
Donations can be mailed to 
Preemie Prints
2306 Kendal Green Circle 
College Station, Tx 77845

Individual families from across the US can request a positioning device gift bundle. This would also make a wonderful gift for a family in the NICU. Please make a $25 donation, to cover costs of packaging and shipping, and specify where you would like the NICU gift package mailed. Thank you so much for your support and we hope this gift bundle brings womb-like warmth, comfort, and safety to your preemie!

Precious Little Jordan's NICU Photo Shoot

Please enjoy our inspirational photos and consider supporting our mission to share hope with families who have a baby born prematurely or critically ill. Our programs include an online support group, the gift of photography, group events and meetings, information, and email support. Our mission is to connect parents and let them know they are not alone. We thank our supporters, volunteers, and donors for allowing us to touch the lives of NICU, preemie, and angel families. 

We pray these special memories will help the parents to remember how strong they were in overcoming a crisis situation.

A note from Mom:

“Jordan was born November 24^th, 2013 at 30 weeks pre-term. He weighed 2 lbs 2 ozs. Jordan was pre-diagnosed with Trisomy 18. We were not certain he would survive the pregnancy, let alone the birth. So when he was coming early we weren’t sure what to expect. But from the moment he was born, Jordan has been a miracle, all of his issues being preemie related and not Trisomy (so far). He continues to improve in the NICU and instead of planning a funeral; we are planning on when we get to bring him home. Every day is a blessing with our little man.”

Volunteer Photographer:

Jayde Figgins - St. Louis, MO

A note from Jayde:

"I had the wonderful opportunity to photograph little Jordan this morning!!! It was such a fun shoot! Jordan has such a wonderful mom and dad, I am so glad I was able to meet them. I feel so honored to have been give the chance to give Mom and Dad some wonderful memories from the NICU!" 

NICU Walls Of Hope: University of Colorado Hospital NICU

We're so excited about our 2nd NICU Wall of Hope Project with University of Colorado Hospital NICU. It's close to being completed and will be going up on the walls of UCH's NICU soon. Thank you to our Colorado volunteer Kelsey with Kelsey Bigelow Photography for her beautiful photographs of many sweet little NICU graduates from UCH! We'll keep you posted on the status! 

 

NICU Walls of Hope features donated art from Preemie Prints to line the hallway or inside walls of a NICU. Along with the management staff of the hospital, it is our hope that these colorful heartwarming images will offer support to families facing a very difficult and tragic time. Having a baby in the NICU for any amount of time is scary, even if only for a few days, but sadly many families will face very long stays in the NICU. Though there will be many happy endings, some journeys will end with tragic loss. During this emotional heart wrenching time, parents will be able to look upon faces of NICU graduates who faced this same start in life. We hope parents will gain strength by mediating on the smiles of these children - remembering they are not alone. No matter the outcome of a baby's NICU journey, parents need to be hopeful, empowered, and supported. It is our mission to do just that through the Preemie Prints NICU Wall Of Hope program.

Houston in 2014

2014 is off to an amazing start!

 As many of you heard we are having our first fundraiser and we need everyones help to raise the money needed to fund our support in the Houston area. I challenge everyone to turn in $25 dollars in proof of purchases. Tell your friends and family and get them invloved. Proof of Purchase Fundraiser 

We had a very successful first sewing meeting. The turn out was great we had between 10-12 ladies from the church come. I encourage the families in our support group to join us if you can. We will be meeting on the second and third Thursday of every month at Wildewood Baptist Church 5110 Louetta Rd, Spring, Texas 77379 Sewing Group

And  last but certainly not least..... Our Monthly meetings are back on track after the holidays. We will be meeting the last Saturday of the monthuntil June (for sure) at 2pm at the Ronald McDonald House

1907 Holcombe Blvd, Houston, Texas 77030

https://www.facebook.com/HoustonTexasPreemiePrints/events?key=events#!/events/180547272142897/



Welcome New Photography Volunteer, Ashley!

Please help us welcome volunteer photographer, Ashley! Ashley will be helping give the gift of photography to preemie and NICU families near Dayton, OH. 

Ashley Meyer Photography

www.ashleymeyerphotography.com
ameyerphotography@live.com

Service Area: Dayton South Area
Hospitals: Dayton Childrens, Kettering Medical, Southview Medical, Miami Valley South, Sycamore

About Ashley:

"I am a part-time professional photographer and mom to four amazing kids. I decided to volunteer with Preemie Prints after visiting/photographing my premature nephew in the NICU. I realized how important it was to capture those moments and how grateful his parents were to have those images."

Cillian's NICU Grad Shoot

Please enjoy our inspirational photos and consider supporting our mission to share hope with families who have a baby born prematurely or critically ill. Our programs include an online support group, the gift of photography, group events and meetings, information, and email support. Our mission is to connect parents and let them know they are not alone. We thank our supporters, volunteers, and donors for allowing us to touch the lives of NICU, preemie, and angel families. 

We pray these special memories will help the parents to remember how strong they were in overcoming a crisis situation.

A note from Mom:

"Cillian was born at 33 ½ weeks. He came as a big surprise. He was 4 pounds 16 ounces and 17 inches longs, but came into this world yelling and kicking just like his big brothers had! He has been a strong little guy and continues to make good progress."

Volunteer Photographer:

Rachel Demand - St. Louis, MO

A note from Rachel:

"Cillian is such a sweet little boy who is very loved by 2 brothers.  It was great seeing him home and doing wonderful.  He wasn't sure about having his photos taken in the being, but after a little snuggling with mom he was just fine. This is a wonderful time and I am so glad I had the opportunity to photograph Cillian!"

Preemie Prayer Request ~ Prayers For Paisley Grace

Preemie Prints would like to ask you to pray with us for sweet Paisley Grace.

"I am currently 26 weeks pregnant with Paisley. We are experiencing a high risk pregnancy due to absent end diastolic flow in her umbilical cord. We are praying that her cord flow stay stable as long as possible while she grows some more. We are also praying that when it is determined that she must come out, she will be strong enough and have a smooth NICU journey."

Email your preemie and NICU prayer requests to amber@preemieprints.org

Proof of Purchase Fundraiser

Attention Preemie Prints supporters in Houston, Bryan College Station, and beyond... Fiesta is a big community supporter!! They offer several ways for Houston area organizations to raise money. It is a very simple process. They provide a list of products, you save the proof of purchase (doesn't have to be bought from Fiesta but is encouraged to give back to the company that is supporting us), send them in to us and they are redeemed by Fiesta. Easy right? If possible please use one bag for each type of of product as they have to be counted individually (put all the coke labels in one ziplock/grocery bag etc).

Our first turn in date is March 15th we will receive 50% more for each item turned in by this date. If you will be mailing them please be sure that your fist set is mailed in time for us to sort and count them for our turn in. Bryan College Station and national supporters can mail them or drop off to Preemie Prints 2306 Kendal Green Cir. College Station TX 77845. If you are in the Houston or surrounding areas you can mail them to Jeanna Wattles 8441 C E King Parkway Houston Tx 77044. Either way they will both get counted and turned in on time! If you don't make the first turn in date that is fine, please send them for the second turn in date of May 17th. Click on the link below for the list of products. Please print out and keep with you!!

Fiesta Super Sports Club

Easy print out to keep with you below!

Houston NICU, Houston Premature Baby, Houston Preemie Support