New to Share? Introduce yourself & say Hello!

I am new to March of Dimes and just wanted to introduce myself. My name is Brooke Taylor I am 28 years old from Parkersburg WV. I have been married for 5 1/2 years to Robert. We welcomed 2 amazing girls into our life on Nov. 17th (National Premature awareness day) at 24 1/2 weeks pregnant. Leah Denise came first, she was 1lb and 1oz. Hannah Jayne was our 2nd weighing 1lb 5 1/2 oz. Leah passed away 9 days later on Nov. 26th. Hannah is still in the NICU in Charleston WV and now weighs 3lbs 8oz. Its a hard road but we are making it, somehow. I would love to talk with people who have lost babies or have babies in the NICU.

Hello and welcome to share! I look forward to hearing more about your precious daughter Hannah!

I too, have an angel in heaven. And We've spent 4 months in the NICU with our daughter, who is now 2.

Love and Light,
Liz

Welcome to Share!!!

I'm so sorry to hear about Leah's passing and know the heartache of losing one twin. I hope that Hannah will continue with her strength and determination and will be home sooner than later. My survivor spent 2 1/2 months in the NICU and is now 8 years old! I hope that you'll continue to share Hannah's accomplishments and know that we're here to listen when you need to know that others understand about the bittersweetness of those accomplishments without Leah.

Hugs to you!
Tracy

Hello, my husband and I welcomed our little boy jule 5 6 weeks early. He ended up staying in the hospital for 7 days although it wasn't as long as most of you it was still very hard for us! He came into is world as an amazing little gift. He was able to stay with us for about 15 minutes but then remained in the nursery for the remainder of his time there. He did have a moment where he stopped breathing which was terrifying then from that moment on he fought hard to come home. I decided to start a team because I was blessed with my healthy baby and would like to help others as well.

Welcome to Share Brooke. I am sorry to hear the sad news of your li'l girl's passing. I'm the mom of an angel too. It's been nearly 3 years now and it's a tough journey as you know. November is the month that I became a mom for the first time. It's a very special month for us. You've experienced so much and it must be hard to process it all. My biggest hope is that Hannah Jayne will meet her NICU goals and when she's ready, come home to you. The pictures of your girls are super precious and I hope one day you will tell Hannah all about her big sis Leah growing up in heaven. Continue to take it one day at a time and know that we're here for you.

Lindsay

Welcome to Share jfreison. Congratulations on your baby boy Jule! Anytime there is a NICU stay, it's rough. I'm glad to know that your little one met his goals and was able to come home to you. I bet he is bringing you many smiles and is the joy of your life:)

Lindsay

My name is Jennifer. I am the mother of an angel son who was taken to heaven due to a birth defect. I am also the mother of 3 healthy and active boys! I am a huge fan of March for Dimes. It is one of the greatest feelings in the world to be part of such an amazing organization. I just had the opportunity to visit Tallahassee and meet with legislative members to shine some light on the Florida birth defect registry as well as the amount of babies who are born addicted to prescription drugs. I was honored to see a bill passed which would make it mandatory to test newborns for congenital heart disease. It was the most amazing experience!

Jennifer, welcome to Share! I'm so sorry to hear of your sons passing. What amazing things you are doing in his honor! The ripple our little ones, no matter how short their time shared on the earth is, can be amazing!

Best,
Lauren

Hi Jennifer,

Welcome to Share! I am so sorry to hear of the loss of your son.

What an amazing way to honor him, by helping get the bill passed that will require testing of all newborns for CHD. Way to go!!

I hope to "see" you around the site,

Hugs,
Leigh

hello my name is kelly i just lost my baby boy he was 22 weeks and 4 days he lived for 3 hrs and he was born on 2-2-12
im only 19 haha but i need help and i have no idea how to have closer i guess i need a nother mom to talk to

Kelly-

I'm so very sorry to hear of the loss of your sweet son. This journey is so difficult, you're so right, talking to other moms helps tremendously. I hope you will share more about your son- there are many here who would love to hear your story, myself included.

There is also a thread for mommas who have experienced loss here, http://www.shareyourstory.org/webx/.ee81e32/

Hugs momma, and I'm so very very sorry.
Lauren

Welcome to Share, Kelly. I am so sorry for your loss. This is a great place to find others that understand. We are all here for you.

Katie

Hello. My first baby went home to be with the Lord after seven months in utero. She was born on Feb 7, 2008. We still miss her.
I have since gone on to birth two more beautiful, healthy daughters. (3 y/o and 7 m/o)
I would encourage all parents to hang in there and trust in the Lord. It will get better I promise!
Check out my blog for more thoughts about this. http://jensmauthor.blogspot.com/

Welcome to Share. I am so sorry for the loss of your sweet little girl. This is a great place to find others that understand.

Katie

My name is Saidy. My baby girl Edith passed away one week ago. It has been excruciating. She had a condition which I also have called spondylo ephipheseal dysplasia and lung disease. Both were lethal, her ribcage was so small not allowing her lungs to fully expand. She was born on February 3rd at 7:48 am, and passed February 15th at 2 pm. Her time here was short but also very meaningful. She was born at 39 weeks. THe doctors knew that she was an SED baby but did not know she had bad lungs or a bad ribcage. My husband and I continue to hurt and remember her. This is tough.

Welcome to Share Saidy. I'm so very sorry to hear of the loss of your sweet Edith. You've come to the right place to find support from other mommas. Please know I will keep you in my thoughts.

Lauren

Hello I'm new to this so let me start at the beginning. I had my first son Dokken at 40 wks to the day 10/18/10. Found out 8/4/11 I was pregnant again. Didn't make it very far started bleeding in the end of Oct. Then on November 2nd I woke up and felt as if I had wet the bed. Didn't really think much of it but 2 days later it happened again called my dr and he told me to go the er I was only 19wks so there wasn't to much the could do. I was in and out of the er for a few more weeks the stayed at 22 for a wk with antibiotics. Then sent to a level 5 hospital and was there til his birth 1/2/12 28wks 5days gestationhe was in the level 5 hospital for a mmonth and 4 days then transported closer to home. He is on 3 liters of pressure and in between 21-25% oxygen he had a brain bleed which I didn't find out about till he wastransferred closer he also has VSD. We still have month or so before he can come home This so hard. But I'm truly blessed with my 2 boys.Well thanks for reading sorry its so long.

Welcome! Hang in there. I pray that your little one will be fine.

Hello,my name is Taki I am a mother of 2 beauutiful kids. My first child was a full term healthy pregnancy but my second wasn't. I was induced at 32 weeks due to severe preeclampsia.She was 3lbs 10oz,stayed in the NICU for over. 2weeks to gain weight.although I don't remember much of anything due to the fact,I was under a lot of meds for the Preeclampsia. A year later she's as healthy as can be and has beat a lot of the odds.
 

Hello Taki and welcome to Share! I'm so glad to hear that your little girl is doing fantastic after such an early arrival!
Stacy

Welcome to Share, Taki. I am so happy to hear that your daughter is doing so well! Thanks for sharing!

Katie

Hello everyone,

My name is Jim and I am new to share. I have a 28 month old toddler named Stella who was a 23 week micro preemie. She was born on October 20th 2009 at 1 pound 6 ounces and spent 200 days in the NICU at Henry Ford Hospital Detroit. Stella had just about every major medical problem on the preemie check list but survived them all and is now a healthy happy 2 year old. You can read all about Stella's medical problems and her journey in my profile and on my blog which is called "Stella's Daddy Speaks". My goal in posting this blog is to help other NICU parents by sharing our story and my advice for getting through the NICU journey. I don't have all of the answers, but we did spend 7 months in the NICU and we did go through almost every major medical procedure that a preemie could have, so I do have some helpful guidance to offer if you would like it. I hope some of you who are going through this experience now will take advantage of my offer and contact me for any help that you may need. I am always willing to listen and to talk.

Welcome to Share, Jim! Stella is so adorable! It's always so nice to see dad's on here, totally different perspective.

Katie

Hi Jim! Welcome to Share! I just want to squeeze Stella...such a cutie with her glasses! Keep us updated on things, definetly keep coming back.
Love and light,
Liz

Hi, my name is Megan (Meg for short). I have 2 daughters, Arianna and Gabriella. Arianna was a full term baby, and Gabriella was a premature baby. Glad to find this site.

Hi everyone. My name is Courtney and I live in Illinios. Im 29 and have been married to my husband Scott for about 1 1/2 years. Ive just recently became a mommy to an angel. I had my sweet baby Savannah Rae on 2/27/12, she only weighed 1lb and 9oz. She was in the NICU for 4 days before going to heaven. Im so heart broken and have never been so sad. She is so beautiful and I miss her so much. I feel if I talk to others who have gone through a similar thing might help me through this a little easier.

Helo Meg and welcome to Share! I look forward to reading more about you and your girls!

Hello Courtney and welcome to Share. I'm so sorry for the loss of your little Savannah. You have definitely come to the right place, I found share about two weeks after losing my twin girls and it has truly been my lifeline. It's so comforting talking to other women who know what I have been through. Many hugs to you.

Hey, my name is Miranda. Me and my ex had our first baby Adisyn on February 7th 2012. I was not due til march 17th but when I went in for my regular check up and my ultra sound that day, me and my ex found out that Adisyn had passed away a couple days prior. I just turned 34 weeks and had to go through the labor. Knowing Adisyn was not alive made it even harder on me to go through the labor. Me and my ex are taken things really hard. Everyone keeps telling me that it would be better on my behalf if i seek help to get through this. i am having a hard time talking about what i am going through and letting people in to help me cope with my loss.

Miranda- I'm so very sorry for the loss of your sweet Adisyn- I love her name. This is a wonderful place to meet other mommas who have been through similar situations. The pain of loosing a child is unbearable, sharing the journey with others eases this pain.

Meg- Welcome to Share! I hope you will share your girls' stories here!

Courtney- I'm so very sorry to hear of the loss of your lil' Savannah. It's a pain no mommy should ever know yet so many of us do. I hope you find a measure of peace here as I have. The mommas around here are awesome and so supportive.

Miranda, Courtney, Welcome to Share!
Very sorry to hear of your loss. Please know you are not alone in this. Please, come by anytime you need to vent, cry, laugh or just sit.

Meg, welcome to Share as well! Please keep us updated and continue to share of your girls!

Love and light,
Liz

Hello Everyone
My name is Leah, am 28 years old, and I am a brand new mommy to a beautiful little boy that we named Charles Xavier (Charlie X!) He was delivered by emergency c-section on 01/18/2012 at 9:07pm at 29wks3days and is now 6 weeks + 3 days old He has been in the NICU this whole time, and we aren't exactly sure when we can take him home. His birth weight was just 2lb 4oz... he was growth restricted due to issues surrounding the beginnings of what could have turned into some severe pre-eclampsia The whole situation was quite shocking, as everything was going perfectly fine and looked great when we had an ultrasound at 23 weeks... he was on target for size and was very active! We had a routine follow up ultrasound at 29 weeks, and went into that appointment thinking everything was just peachy... but it wasn't. That's when they discovered that there was a reverse flow in the umbilical cord and he was growth restricted. I was immediately admitted to the hospital with a blood pressure of 190/100 and put on magnesium sulfate (that stuff sure was HORRIBLE!! I'm sure other mommies know just what i mean when i say HORRIBLE!) and IV labetalol to lower blood pressure. I was also given 2 steroid shots to help his lungs develop better and prepare for the emergency c-section. The whole experience was one of the scariest things I have ever had to go through in my life.. up until this point in my life, i had never even had minor surgery.. i didn't know what to expect and certainly did NOT expect for him to be born so soon and by c-section.

If not for having the ultrasound appointment when I did, both me and my baby could have died... and I wouldn't have even known it was coming Thankfully we did have that appointment though, and I am here to tell you all about my story..

Charlie truly is our little miracle... he is strong, he is feisty.. we can already tell that he is going to be VERY opinionated once he is old enough to express himself in that way! He is getting bigger every day and is now 3lb 7oz (as of yesterday).... Having a baby in the NICU is SO HARD and such an emotional experience... there really is no way of explaining it to anyone who doesn't know exactly what you are going through because they have to experience it themselves to truly understand... I know he is in good hands in the NICU, but I wish that he was still growing inside of me... if he was, I would be 36 weeks pregnant now. I am back at work until he is discharged so that I can use the rest of my maternity leave time for when he comes home. All I want to do is just be with him right now, so being at work is pretty emotional for me.... everyone keeps asking "when is charlie coming home!?", but the answer to that is still unknown. And it really really really sucks. A couple of weeks ago, I was having a really bad day emotionally and I was actually told by my manager and a coworker that I should "toughen up" and "suck it up". They just don't understand AT ALL

All Charlie needs to do now is get bigger!! He is 1550 grams and needs to be 1700-1800 grams to go into an open crib, until then he is staying in his little "house" as the nurses like to call it. I visit him every day after work and stay there for as long as I possibly can, but it's always SO HARD to leave and go home.. I have to though, I have to work in the AM... Time flies by so quickly when I"m there with him and soooo slowly while I'm at work. I would really like that warped time feeling to switch up now!! lol.

His nurses are all fantastic, and they all adore him.. they actually fight over who gets to be assigned to him and if they aren't assigned to him, they all check in on him while they are there. The nurses in the mom and baby unit were so wonderful as well, they come up to the NICU when they can to see how he is doing and leave me little notes if I am not there when they do. I feel really lucky that he has such an amazing team of nurses and doctors who really seem to truly care for and about him!! It still doesn't change the fact that he can't be at home with us yet I can't help but worry that something is going to go wrong, but i know that I am a giant worry wart and am definitely trying to stay way more positive then negative at this point.. it's all just SO EXHAUSTING... physically and emotionally...

I feel so lucky that he is doing as well as he is... reading some of the stories of babies that aren't doing so well or of ones that ultimately did not make it is utterly heart breaking I have all of you in my thoughts and really really hope that EVERYONE'S little babies pull through and grow to be strong and healthy little boys and girls

I guess I am writing this all on here because I really need the extra support system... I can't just hold in all that I am feeling.. if I do that, I will explode! It's nice to know that there are other mommies out there that can and will understand what i'm going through and that I can be there to support and help others as well. Being a NICU mom isn't easy, but it sure does make us stronger!!