6 Signs You Are A Preemie Parent

November is Prematurity Awareness Month. According to an article from the World Health Organisation, the Philippines is one of the top 10 countries with the greatest number of premature births. From birth experience to homecoming, everything is different for preemie parents. I remember feeling joy and intense love upon first seeing my babies but there were also feelings of worry, guilt, powerlessness, and even anger. Audrey and Antonino are now almost 2 years old. They've grown a lot and are super active, but I will never forget the things Joey and I went through as preemie parents especially during their first year.  Here are some signs you are a preemie parent:

Preemie Strong

Will my baby ever catch up? This is a question most preemie parents ask themselves. So in honor of Prematurity Awareness Month, I would like to shine the spotlight on popular preemies who have accomplished greatness in their chosen fields despite the challenges of being born early. Hopefully, this will help ease the minds of preemie parents out there and show them that no matter how fragile-looking and tiny preemies are, they can still be strong and capable of achieving big things.

5 Ways To Help Preemie Parents

The birth of one's child is one of the happiest moments in a new parent's life. But for the parents of the 348,900  babies in the Philippines who were born prematurely, the moment is bittersweet. Worry immediately takes over as the baby is separated from his mother to receive proper care in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). As a mom to preemie twins, I can tell you that the experience of having preemie babies in the NICU is terrifying. There are times when you feel isolated because your experiences are very different compared to your family and friends who gave birth to full term babies. This is why preemie parents also need a lot of help and support from their loved ones. November is Prematurity Awareness Month so if you know a family with a premature baby, here are some ways you can show them support:

5 Things A NICU Mom Should Know

September is Neonatal Intensive Care Awareness Month. It's a time to honor families going through a NICU stay and the health professionals who care for them. 

Our twins, Audrey and Antonino were born via C-section. They were 3 weeks early which required them to stay in the Intermediate Care Unit of the hospital's NICU. The twins are now 9 months old but I still find it difficult to look back at those 3 weeks without remembering the fear that I felt. A stay in the NICU can be one of the most stressful experiences in a mom's life and I think that one of the best gifts a NICU mom can receive is hope to help her get through it. Here are 5 things every NICU mom should know that can help her keep going. 

To My Dear NICU Nurses

When you give birth, you stay a few days at the hospital to recuperate then go home with your baby and start your new life as a family. Unfortunately, there are some moms who don't get to go home with their babies right away. For some reason, they have to leave their babies in the hospital's Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) or Intermediate Care Unit (IMCU). This is what happened to me when I gave birth to Audrey and Antonino at 34 weeks and 2 days instead of the usual 37-38 weeks. They stayed at the hospital's IMCU for three weeks under the care of NICU Nurses. During those three weeks, I saw how NICU Nurses reflect the world's unselfish caring. Now that my preemie twins are almost 6 months old, I don't want another day to go by without thanking the lovely NICU Nurses who took care of them.