Did you know that one out of every 10 babies are born premature? 15 million babies in the world were born preemies in 2017 according to Bliss Baby Charity. I tell many of my patients that they are in good company! Here are some famous preemies:

  • Stevie Wonder, musician – 34 weeks
  • Mark Twain, author (born in 1835!) – 2 months early
  • Anna Pavlova, ballerina
  • Sir Winston Churchill, British politician – 32 weeks
  • Michael J Fox, actor – born in 1961
  • Albert Einstein, Nobel Prize winner – born in 1879
  • Wayde van Niekevk, Olympic gold medal winner – 29 weeks

(If you know of more, write me – I’d love to hear from you!)

The NICU can come across as a scary place. Alarms are going off, staff is rushing back and forth, everyone is always washing their hands. What’s up with that?

Honestly, you will be surprised at how quickly you start to feel “at home.” Those alarms won’t bother you very much (unless, of course, they are your preemie’s), you’ll quickly learn to ignore the people rushing around, and finally, you’ll be one of those people constantly washing your hands, because you’ve become a germaphobe just like the rest of the NICU staff!

You will also start to recognize faces and get to know names. Your favorites will begin to emerge – no worries, it happens to all of us. These people – this extended family that is the NICU staff – is now taking care of one of the most precious things in your life, your new baby. This staff may become closer to you than your own family. And that seems a little weird as you think about that right now.

Trust me a little on this one. Over the years, I have loved many families of preemies that have come through the doors of the NICU. We’ve hugged on days of great news with their baby and shed tears together on days of discouragement. I’ve loved watching these babies grow and get to go home to continue their lives.

May you be able to look back on your experiences in the NICU with joy and happiness!

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