Spotlight on Preemies...Bryn and her Mommy

My preemie is my daughter Bryn. She was born at 32 weeks because of low fluid. At 3lbs 15oz and 16 inches long, she was just about the biggest baby in our NICU at the time. She spent 3 weeks in the NICU and was then transfered to Mt Washington Ped Hospital for another 10 days. Before Bryn was born I didn't know much about preemies. Everything was very new to my husband and I. We had a son already but he was full term and even though he had some issues when he was born they were VERY different than those of our preemie. My husband was scared to hold our daughter. It broke my heart. I felt like it was somehow my fault that our baby was so small and fighting for her life. I suffered for a liong time with depression. I was able to some how pull it together to care for our son at home and finish my college courses with 3 B's and 1 A. After our daughter came home, I didn't go anywhere unless she had a doctor's appointmet (which we had alot of) I even have people still telling me they didn't know I had another baby....She's a week shy of 2!!! Having a preemie has made me so much more thankful for the hard work of the doctors and nurses. I am more aware of what is going on with my children, I will see a rash before it's there and I can hear if they breath harder than normal. I sometimes over react but I think that is normal of any parent....lol I was able to make it through the NICU with the support of my husband that knew I was stressed and when I started a fight about the color of his socks one Sunday morning he just smiled and said "Ok you don't like them, I will change them." I also cried more than once to the doctor and nurses that cared for my daughter. I would cry to a complete stranger if I thought I would feel better when I was done. I prayed harder and more in those 31 days than I think I ever had in my whole life. I have learned how to be a better person and a better mother. I now know what a PFO and what SVT is. I know how to feed my baby through a tube thats sticking out of her nose. I can check her temp with my eyes closed. I know how to check her heart rate with her even if she is screaming. I also know now that no matter how hard my life is, someone out there has it worse. Nothing that anyone says can prepare you for what you will go through in the NICU. People can tell you what they went through but what you go through will be based on your child. Each child is different but the power of prayer is amazing!!!!