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World Prematurity Day

Today, November 17th, is National Prematurity Day. And so, remembering that moment when the Transfer Unit came and whisked her away to another hospital in a huge terrifying looking incubator, I share my little preemie. Right before they put her in the transfer incubator to move her to another hospital more equipped for a tiny preemie who refused to breathe, they took a Polaroid photo of her in my arms. It wasn’t until years later Dh pointed out how scared he was at that moment when he realized they took that photo just in case we never got to see her alive again. He didn’t say a word because he knew I hadn’t realized. And he was right. She was old for a preemie, born a little more than 5 weeks early. Her lungs just weren’t ready and she wasn’t getting enough oxygen, occasionally stopping breathing altogether. It took her just over a week in the NICU and another 2 on medications and IV to catch up with the reality of living outside. In the world of preemies, my stay was short and my baby survived. We had it good, and now that little dramatic newborn is a little, dramatic 14 year old. Premature birth is the leading cause of infant death. Find more: World Prematurity Day…