It’s World #PreemieDay

“He’s not breathing…he’s not breathing!”

It was the middle of the night, my husband and I had both preemie twins home and I had just nursed one and was nursing the other. His job was to get the first fed little one to burp.

With a sense of calm, I said to my husband, “it’s ok, let’s switch.”

So he gave me back the first fed, and I gave him our other little one, mid-feeding.

I looked at my little one in the eyes, laid him on my knelt lap and talked to him “come on, you can do this!” then I sat him up straight and rubbed his back fairly hard, to get him awake and aware.

After what seemed like an eternity, he took a breath and we kept on helping them both in their feeding.

All the while, our two year old was sleeping in his crib in the other room.

I remember afterwards, my husband’s fear in his face and with nervousness he said “this is scary.”

It wasn’t exactly the dreamy vision of welcoming precious twins into our family as we had, then again, nothing is ever exactly as you imagine it will be.

Every parent deals with nervousness and even fear. But when it’s on a minute by minute basis in the first months of life, it plays a toll.

Even in those moments, I knew it would be ok. I don’t know how or why. Especially after everything I had seen and experienced in the NICU. Just being home as a family after so long made such a difference, even if it meant me never sleeping again. Ever.

For real.

Today is World Preemie Day. I bet there is someone in your life; a friend or family member, who would love to hear from you today in honor of this day. It’s much more common than people are aware. And that is what this day is for – awareness.  For more information on World Preemie Day and how you can help, click here. And for more inspiring stories, and if you would like to read my other posts, click here and here.

On this particular day and month, I thank God and every single person who helped my preemies feel love and get growing.