Spotlight on Preemies...Ryan and his Mommy

First let me just tell you how absolutely amazing Ryan is... and his family. This little guy had a very very lengthy NICU stay and did nothing short of amaze those around him. He is now at home with his family and doing very well. I look forward to seeing all the amazing things this little man does in life.

Who is your preemie?

My preemie is my son, Ryan. He was born at 25 weeks exactly and spent 7 months in the NICU. He just came home with us 2 weeks ago!

How would you say your experience has affected you?
I don't even know where to begin. I am definitely not the same person I was before all of this. I have a lot of sadness about missing out on the last trimester of my last pregnancy, missing out on the easy newborn experience where you just get wheeled out of the hospital with your baby, etc. But I have learned A LOT. I am definitely stronger and I'm proud of my ability to advocate for my son.

How were you able to handle the NICU experience?

It took a village. I leaned on family and friends for support. I accepted help, which is really hard for me to do. I asked lots of questions and made sure I understood everything. I wrote everything down on a Carepage.

Before this experience what did you know about preemies?

I knew a bit about preemies, but not a whole lot about micro-preemies. MY first baby was born 3 days after her due date, so this was a whole new world for me.

What have you learned from all of this? 
I already kind of covered what I learned about myself, but I'm also amazed at how much medical information has stuck in my brain. I've learned terms and acronyms I never thought I'd get the hang of, but they come out
like second nature now.

What advice would you give another person in your situation?
Try to keep your thoughts as positive as possible. Have faith and ask lots of questions. You'll hear it a thousand times, but you are your child's best advocate and you know them better than anyone else.

Anything else you want to share?Just that this journey doesn't end when you get home from the NICU. It's a long raod, but you'll find a way to make this into your new normal.

To follow Ryan's story head over to their blog at: http://watchingryangrow.blogspot.com

:)