Most of us don't know until shortly before it happens that we're about to become members of a special club - those whose babies start life too early, too small, too ill, to go home with us when we leave the hospital.
This is our family's second lengthy NICU stay. We're on week 5 of an unknown stay for our daughter, born this past May at 28 weeks after more than 4 weeks of hospital bedrest for blood pressure issues - based on my history, it was assumed that I was developing pre-eclampsia.
Our first was with our son, who was born in June of 2008 at 27 weeks and a day, weighing only 1 lb 7oz. due to pre-eclampsia & HELLP syndrome, and spent 291 days in the NICU, coming home with a tracheostomy, a ventilator, and a g-tube. He's now a nearly-typical 3 year old, with his various tubes coming out later this summer.
The two stays are different, and a big difference for us is that we're more comfortable there - physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. It's life in a fishbowl, but if everyone else gets to draw crosses on their child's marker board, and gets to decorate with other symbols of their faith, why not us? A small altar/shrine is in the works; we're more at ease with chaplains and others who want to pray for us.
I started this site to give support to others in similar situations - whether you're in a position to be open about your faith or not, no matter how long your child is hospitalized - this is a hard journey, and I think we can support each other along the way.
With that in mind, like our facebook page, linked on the right. Subscribe to the blog. Follow @PaganPreemies on twitter. If you're in the NICU, request a care package. If you'd like to help provide those care packages, email me at PaganPreemies@gmail.com. We'll also be taking requests for prayers & energy each week, and we'd love to have others help send energy to families who need it.
