Please enjoy Preemie Prints' families’ inspirational story & photos.
Consider supporting our mission to share hope with families who have a baby born prematurely or critically ill. We thank our supporters, Preemie Prints volunteers, and donors for allowing us to continue touching the lives of NICU, preemie, and angel families.
We pray these special memories from Preemie Prints
will help families heal and remember how strong
they were in overcoming their NICU journey together.
A NICU STORY | THOUGHTS FROM MOM
“Our little girl's name is
Claire. She was born via crash C-section on 11/8/14 at 29 weeks. She weighted
2lb 6oz and was 15 inches long.
I was 29 weeks pregnant and
I had noticed she wasn't moving very much. We had gone to a 3D ultrasound the
night before and she barely moved which wasn't unusual for her. We always joked
that she was just camera shy. This time for me was different though. That
night, I stayed awake all night waiting for her to move. Finally, at 7:30am,
she kicked twice! I was so relieved! I went about my day getting a hair cut and
running errands. When I got home that afternoon I realized that I hadn't felt
her since that morning. Dave and I decided to run down to the hospital as a
precaution. I figured they would tell us we were nervous first time parents and
send us home. The doctors did a non-stress test and Claire scored a 2. I knew
it wasn't good but I figured worst case they would keep me overnight for
observation. It never even came into my mind that they could deliver her this
early. Next thing I know, a doctor and nurses are running into the room. The
doctor says "we need to take her right now...". That is all I heard.
I immediately went into shock because I didn't hear her finish the sentence
with "...or we're going to lose her". Claire was born within 20
minutes of them telling us that they had to take her.
We spent 91 long days in the
NICU. We had many highs and lows. The first week was terrifying. We were still
in shock and anxiously awaiting test results (all came back clear!). Claire
defied all the odds and is definitely our little miracle baby. Everyone thought
we would be going home before her due date because she was progressing so well.
Well that day came and went. Claire had issues with eating/breathing at the
same time and would dsat a lot. We were on the "5 day spell watch"
for over a month. She made it to day #3 a few times. It was so frustrating
because we were so sick of being in the hospital and knew were so close to
taking her home but just couldn't get there.
People say this journey is
an emotional roller coaster and boy are they right! I would not wish this
experience on my worst enemy. Going through a premature birth and NICU
experience is extremely stressful and exhausting mentally. You go from being
excited when you're pregnant to the terror when having an emergency c-section
and praying your baby will survive to joy in celebrating milestones that might
seem little for a normal full term baby but are huge for a preemie like the day
I cried with joy when I walked in Claire's room and saw her in clothes for the
first time. She was about a month old.
As scary and stressful as
our journey has been, we have had it relatively easy compared to other
premature babies and their families and I pray for them everyday.”
A Note From Sara-Anne:
"It took a while for
our schedules to line up but I was so glad they did. I had the pleasure of
meeting little miss Claire this past weekend and she was one of the best models
I have ever had the pleasure of photographing. All smiles and cooperation from
this little miracle. She is definitely a true blessing to her wonderful
parents. Her parents and I worked very hard to meet up, and it took a few
months to find a time that worked best for everyone. Definitely worth the wait,
this little girl was born at 29 weeks and is a true survivor. Claire will do
wonderful things in her life, she has a personality you want to know. I feel
like someday I will be reading newspapers about the things she has accomplished.
I am honored to have met this family and heard their story, and to be blessed
to share in their journey."
and organization please do not use for any purpose.
____________________________________________
Preemie Prints is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization sharing hope with NICU families through a variety of support programs. One of those programs is the gift of NICU photography and preemie photography. NICU families from across the US can request a no-charge photography session by a Preemie Prints volunteer. The family request from can be found on the right side of our website. These sessions are free of charge and for any NICU family, regardless of time spent in the NICU. The NICU photo shoot can take place inside the NICU or after baby is discharged and at home until their 1st birthday. Facing time in a NICU with a premature or critically ill baby is an extremely difficult time for families. Preemie Prints has a mission to share hope by letting families know they are not alone. Preemie Prints currently has over 100 volunteers nationwide. We are always looking for more volunteers to share in our mission! If you are interested, please email sherri@preemieprints.org and visit our website at www.preemieprints.org. To date Preemie Prints and our volunteers have gifted over 400 NICU family sessions.
This was a Preemie Prints NICU graduate photography session that took place near Manville, RI.
We're thankful to the family for sharing their story & memories in support of other NICU families.
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