Why Support Preemie Prints?

Our Mission Is To Share Hope With NICU families &

We Can't Do It Without YOU!!

This is our third year of operating in the Brazos Valley and beyond. Our mission is to support NICU (neonatal intensive care unit) families who have babies born prematurely or critically ill, as well as those who who've had a pregnancy or infant loss. We call these babies our "angel babies", and we know they are with us. 

With an amazing team of volunteers and through the help of generous donors, we have been able to offer a variety of support programs in the last three years. These programs have helped to support hundreds of NICU families. Our programs range from our national charitable photography outreach to our local Brazos Valley support programs where we host monthly NICU support meetings at our local hospitals - St. Joseph's and The College Station Medical Center. We have recently partnered with the newest NICU in College Station - Scott & White Hospital where we will begin hosting meetings soon. When you visit the new neonatal intensive care unit at Scott & White you will see our inspiring NICU Wall Of Hope where Preemie Prints pictures of NICU graduates will hang to "share hope" with current NICU families. Our Houston, Tx chapter also just started hosting NICU support meetings for Houston families. We work with our local hospitals to support families while they journey through the difficult experience of having a baby in the hospital. 

Our sewing division regularly donates handmade and other items to our local NICUs and their families. We have an amazing group of volunteers making tiny preemie outfits, crocheting little hats, and stuffing adorable giraffes - all in an effort to "share hope" with NICU families. We receive many donations from local & national donors, as well as businesses, and we are thankful for their help. Every single donated item shares hope with a family. It reminds them they are not alone. 

In addition to our amazing team of photography volunteers who are sharing hope with families across the nation; nationally we offer online support. We do this through private NICU family groups, email and phone outreach, and through our up to date blog where we share inspiration with families in addition to information. Sometimes all a NICU mom needs is to read about another mothers journey and again to be reminded she is not alone. 

We are working towards our future goal of opening The Brazos Valley NICU Support House, which will be a place for NICU families to stay & utilize in a variety of ways. This will be a place for out of town families to stay overnight at no charge - to cut down on traveling costs and time. Current NICU families can relax and visit, others may want check out books from our NICU library, or just need some extra support from a volunteer. In addition it will have a sanitary preemie-playroom for NICU grads who need to avoid public play places for a while due to their still developing imune system.  These are just a few ways our support house will function. 

We also donate formula, preemie outfits, and other items to NICU families in need when we have items available. We have established the largest NICU/preemie support network in the Brazos Valley and host a yearly event dedicated to supporting preemie, NICU, and angel families. 

So if you are looking for an organization to get involved with, volunteer, support, donate to, or sponsor please choose us and the families we help. An increase in donations and support will only increase our reach. We welcome any and all new or gently used preemie clothes. We welcome new donations of hand sanitizer, baby blankets, preemie hats, books about the NICU (or preemie) experience, and baby fabric in flannel, cotton, and fleece. 

We are still in the very early stages of growth and need continued support from our community - both locally & nationally. There are many ways you can help us, just please contact us and let us know you are interested. 

Donations can be made online by typing in an amount and clicking the green button on the right side of our site >>>>>>> 

Donations can also be mailed. 

God Bless & Thank You!

Adorable Cora's NICU Grad 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 and Dad:

"Cora was born at 27 weeks weighing 2 pounds 5 ounces. Cora has had a very strong personality and has taught me and her dady so much and taught us to have stronger faith and to laugh as often as possible. She loves to smile, and as her nurses called her, she is very sassy! She is such a fighter. She contracted pneumonia the day she was supposed to come home which kept her in the hospital longer and fighting once again for her life, but once again she proved to her dad and myself that miracles to happen!"

Volunteer Photographer:

Lindsey Shelburne - College Station, TX

A note from Lindsey:

"The session with Cora was so precious. Little Cora has such a calming spirit. She was happy to do anything we asked her, even if she never smiled. I felt like she was just perfectly content with her sweet life. And there is something, overwhelmingly contagious about that. I left her session much more content with all the things I have, specifically the super awesome people like her parents that I got to meet. Cora was too cool for school, too. She needed her shades on just to blow bubbles. And we happily obliged. :)"

Welcome, Andrea, to our Preemie Prints Volunteers

Please help us give a warm welcome to our newest volunteer photographer, Andrea! Andrea will be helping give the gift of photography in Spring, TX.

Andrea Bacle Photography

www.andreabaclephotography.com
andrea.bacle@gmail.com

Service Area: The Woodlands, Spring, and Conroe, TX

About Andrea:

"I often provide free maternity shoots for the young women of LifeHouse in Houston. I'd love to add newborn shoots to the free servies I offer special families, so Preemie Prints might be the perfect fit for both of us. I've had my own business for Three years, and you can find my condensed resume at andreabaclephotography.com/about."

June - Preemie, NICU, Angel Inspiration & Information Archive

Highlights/Archive for June 2013 -  facebook....

Being in the NICU, we are on an emotional roller coaster of ups and downs. Some days are filled with more tears than others, but it is always good to be reminded that not only are our tears normal, they are healthy & beautiful.

"A Beautiful Body," is a book by Jade Beall. Put together, these images are meant to show mothers as they really look, imperfect but no less beautiful for what society might consider their physical "flaws."

The FDA recently made a recommendation against prolonged use of magnesium sulfate to stop pre-term labor. Dr. Michael Belfort, OB/GYN-in-Chief at Texas Children’s and a leading expert who has studied the effects of prolonged use of magnesium sulfate, spoke to ABC13-Christi Myers about the different uses for magnesium sulfate and how, at the Pavilion for Women, we do not use it for more than 48 hours – even less than the FDA recommendation.

Preemie Prints NICU Graduate Photo Shoot
Tiny twins - so precious! Thank you Kelsey Bigelow Photography for capturing the love within this family. You can read more about their story inspirational story here.

I saw this song attached to a different video that I watched earlier tonight and it seemed like a good one to share with you all. I hope you enjoy it. ♥ Mellissa





We went away for the weekend and my sweet husband didn't bat an eye when I said I had to run to the store for some yarn and crochet hooks. Want to get involved with our sew and craft division? Let me know!!! ♥ Jen

I got 10 preemie hats crocheted this weekend! I just have to wind in the strings and add a little something to them. Let me know if you sew or crochet/knit and want to get involved with Preemie Prints

JOIN OUR ONLINE SEW & CRAFT GROUP HERE

The youth group from Victory United Pentecostal Church in Bryan, Texas spent last Friday night cutting out 47 giraffes! Thank you so much to Tarah and her students for choosing to serve Preemie Prints!!

“You have not lived today until you have done something for someone who can never repay you.” ― John Bunyan

 Jen

Preemie Prints NICU Graduate Photo Shoot: 

Cute little Cora had her NICU Grad photo session. Thank you Lindsey Louise Photography for capturing this family's love! You can view the rest of Cora's sneak peaks here. 

New Photography Volunteers!!

Welcome new Preemie Prints Photography Volunteer, Rebecca with Becca Baker Photography! Rebecca will be donating her time and talents to many deserving families in Pittsburgh, PA. 

Welcome new Preemie Prints volunteer Andrea Bacle with Andrea Bacle Photography to our wonderful group of volunteer photographers! Andrea will be helping to give the gift of photographer near Spring, Tx.  

Here's a short video about our newest project! Watch our video, if you'd like to learn more. 

Information and Articles

More Breastfeeding Could Save Billions & Prevent Thousands Of Breast Cancer Cases

Did you experience understaffing of nurses at your NICU? Did your little one get infections while you were there?

3-D Printer Helps Save Dying Baby

Tiny Preemie Get A Boost From Live Music Therapy

Precious Twins NICU Grad 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 and Dad:

"After a month of hospital bed rest, our twin girls entered the world early at 32 weeks. Brooklyn weighed 4 pounds 3 ounces and spent 30 days in the NICU. Her twin sister Madison weighed 3 pounds 2 ounces and spent 37 days in the NICU. The nursing staff and neonatologists were amazing and made our very emotional experience a little easier. We feel incredibly blessed that both girls are healthy and growing. Each and every day in the NICU we were amazed by the progress they made. They are both home and still on a small amount of oxygen. We are so in love with our girls and so glad to have them home with us."

Volunteer Photographer:

Kelsey Bigelow - Denver, CO

A note from Kelsey:

"The photo session was great. My goal as a photographer is to capture the fleeting moments. The girls are small now, but they won't be small forever. I wanted to focus on the things that come with having new born twins, so we rocked them tot sleep, fed them tiny bottles, and gave them baths in the sink."

Precious Gift Of Life

Feeling Happiness Again After A Loss

I am in a wonderful group and this topic was discussed the other day. I wanted to share a couple of  thoughts with our group. Please feel free to post your comments and feelings on the subject. Blessings to all.

It has been told to bereaved moms by many that they will never feel true happiness again. I personally feel that this may very well be true for some, but not others. It could take a very, very, long time --- days, months, or years, but many mothers and fathers find it again. You should not abandon hope and if you do find it there should be no guilt surrounding it. You are honoring your child's life.

____________________

There can be a feeling of guilt that first time we feel happy after a child dies. If the pain lifts does this mean we no longer care so much about our child? At the same time, we know we can't live with such sorrow forever. We need to know we will once again feel joy in life. At times that joy seems like it will never arrive, so I guess it's good to talk with others who have been along the same pathway. We can encourage each other to keep plodding along. I think true happiness is possible but not in the same way we experienced it in the past. Actually, for me, joy is a better word because we can be joyful even if we sorrow. And sorrow never really disappears. We just learn to live with it. We can even be thankful for it. It changes us completely and we look at happiness in a different way. When we can turn to God and thank him for our child and all the sorrow and accept what He allowed, I feel we have reached a point where God can start to turn that sorrow to joy.