According to the March of Dimes, one in eight babies is born prematurely. Giving birth is traumatic enough, but to have your newborn immediately rushed to the intensive care unit is heartbreaking. I know this firsthand, as two years ago my twins were born at 35 weeks. My son weighed a little over 3 pounds and his sister was close to 5 pounds. Due to his size, my son spent the first 11 days of his life in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).
The NICU is the part of the hospital parents never want to see. It’s full of wires, tubes, beeps, whistles, worried parents, busy nurses and dreaded alarms. Seeing my newborn son hooked up to an IV and multiple wires resulted in one of the most traumatic and nerve-wracking episodes of my life. I still don’t like looking at the pictures. It’s good to know that there are other parents with similar experiences who are available to lend support.
For parents who have to endure this experience, it’s comforting to know you are not alone, and it’s good to meet others with similar stories. I had the pleasure of meeting Liz McCarthy this past weekend at the kickoff event for the March for Babies in San Francisco. Liz gave birth to twin girls a little over three years ago. Corinne Margaret and Kaitlyn Elizabeth were born at 26 weeks — each weighing 1.5 pounds. My story is a walk through the park compared to hers. Corinne Margaret only lived for three hours and Kaitlyn Elizabeth spent 127 days in the NICU. You can find her complete story at MicroPreemies.
At Liz’s other site, Micro Mom Blog, you can read how life is progressing for Kaitlyn, and you can find a long list of resources and other families who all have something in common: Their babies were born prematurely. Liz is the rare mother willing to express herself in a public forum on a topic that is so deeply personal. In addition to her blog, she also started and works with several support groups, including a Micro Preemie online support group (for babies born under 2 pounds), which has over 450 members globally. Liz also runs a local Preemie support group in the San Francisco Bay area. Last, but not least, she helps with a Feeding Tube support group. Her virtual hand is there for you to hold. This is the type of mom who should write a book — and she actually is. You can look forward to that in the future.
McCarthy is the San Francisco Ambassador to the March of Dimes/March for Babies walk taking place April 25. Liz was interviewed on the radio and has an upcoming TV appearance to promote the event. It’s not too late for you to join the McCarthy team as they walk in San Francisco.
To get involved locally, you can start your own team or join a local walk near you.
