Overwhelmingly, Preemie Mom Camp readers loved reading about fellow preemie mom stories in August. Revisit last month’s top read stories and catch up on any tips you may have missed!
1) MY MICROPREEMIE AT AGE FIVE – PREEMIE MOM STORY REVISITED
Readers loved the heartwarming tribute preemie mom Heidi Montgomery to her daughter, Elsie, who was born at 26 weeks and spent 10 weeks in NICU. In August, her healthy, happy, bubbly miracle turned five years old which allowed Heidi to reflect on how far they’d come. You can also check out her Preemie Mom Story on the blog.
Elsie, age 5
2) 30 WEEK PREEMIE MOM STORY: ASHLEY RIEHL
Preemie mom Ashley Riehl celebrated the first anniversary of her son’s NICU homecoming by sharing her preemie mom story! At 29 weeks, she admitted herself to the hospital with a blood pressure of 200/119. She was diagnosed as high-risk, transferred to another hospital and delivered her son, David, at 30 weeks. Check out the lessons she learned during her 66 days in NICU.
3) SEVEN WAYS TO HELP YOUR PREEMIE GET BETTER SLEEP
When my 32-weeker was finally home from NICU, I rarely put her down. That is until my maternity leave was over, and she had to go to daycare when I returned to work full time. I cherished our evenings together often rocking and feeding her to sleep, then holding her for several more hours as I finished watching a TV show or simply cuddled her while I read a book. While I was getting into a new mom groove, she certainly was NOT in a sleeping groove. I needed help. Here are tips to help your little one sleep better straight from an infant sleep professional.
4) Submit Your Story
I love that this made the top five list! Dozens of you submitted your preemie mom stories in August. Watch for new profiles rolling out this month! Want to submit your preemie mom story?
I’m always seeking stories of preemies who have been home from NICU at least one year. Stories of preemies who are now even older–one year and beyond–are especially helpful. This will ensure moms with a baby currently in NICU can read stories from further down the road of the preemie mom journey. I look forward to learning more about your journey!
5) SAFE AND ADORABLE NICU-FRIENDLY PREEMIE CLOTHES
Time after time, preemie moms tell me that being able to select clothes for their preemie helped them feel more like a “real mom.” I interviewed the founder of Perfectly Preemie, an online retail focused on the special needs (and size!) of preemies.
Perfectly Preemie NICU-friendly designs