The Parent Perspective | January

Every month, High Risk Hope would like to highlight ongoing topics, frustrations, or curiosities in your very unique journey with high-risk pregnancy and/or premature birth. Mothers, fathers, family, and friends will touch on their personal tools, tips, and techniques to many of the ongoing concerns you face after having a high-risk pregnancy or a premature infant. Above all, remember that there are no right or wrong answers, only other parents and families figuring it out along the way, just like you. Here is what they have to say this month. Do you have a question you’d like addressed on The Parent Perspective? Email us today!

Michelle Harmon | Dylan, born at 25 weeks

“You might be a NICU mom if it takes you 20 minutes to answer how old your baby is. You might be a NICU mom if you know how to convert grams to pounds and milliliters to ounces. You might be a NICU mom if you know being STRONG does not mean you shouldn’t cry. Being a NICU mom is scary, traumatizing, and incredibly stressful. But at that moment when your life has been turned upside down with fear and uncertainty, you gain this new family. Your NICU family. It is filled with nurses, doctors and fellow families who will share in your little one’s pain and rejoice in their victories. Although being a part of this new family is one you never imagined, it will be something you treasure forever.”

Kelsey Blanton | Hayden, born at 26 weeks

“As a NICU mom, you sanitize your hand sanitizer. As a NICU mom, you see doctors and therapists more than your friends and family. As a NICU mom, words like, ‘Oh at least you didn’t have to lose all that weight and feel like a whale’ are always very painful to hear. As a NICU mom, you start to hear alarms in your sleep because you are so used to them going off countless times. As a NICU mom, you get SO excited when there is a drive-through that is not fast food just so you don’t have to get out of the car with all of your gear and expose your baby to germs. Regular moms look at all the cute outfits or toys, as a NICU mom you look at them and think, ‘Can those pajamas work for his pulse oximeter cord?’ As a NICU mom, watching your baby through the isolette can feel like your going to a petting zoo. You feel so helpless and watch while they struggle for their life. It will forever change you. As a proud parent of a preemie, I feel very fortunate and blessed to now be part of a group that fully understands the worst day of your life leaving the hospital without your baby to the best days when you graduate the NICU and see these little ones thriving!”

Angie Bresnahan | Adalyn, born at 28 weeks

“After being in the NICU with our daughter Adalyn for 95 days, we became used to knowing her heart rate and oxygen level at all times. I still wanted to monitor her when we brought her home, even though there was no reason to. One of our favorite nurses, Stephanie, told us about the Owlet Smart Sock Monitor. She wore it every time she slept up until the day before her 3rd birthday. I still sneak into her room at night to make sure she’s still breathing. I’m not a helicopter mom, I’m a NICU Mom”