This was written by mothers on the Shareyourstory.org website. It was a thread where they were asked to finish the sentence “Imagine…” in a way that helps others understand the effects of premature birth. Let us know how you would finish the sentence in the comments section.
Imagine........
Imagine.....your baby's birth weight being less than a bag of sugar or a 2 pound free weight or a 32 oz soft drink
Imagine…your granddaughter's tongue the same size as a tic-tac
Imagine...not hearing your child cry until he was a month old
Imagine…trying desperately to stay pregnant for as long as you can, even at risk to your own health
Imagine…giving birth only to be told that your baby has a 40% chance of survival and if she does survive, she will be blind, mentally and physically handicapped and never walk
Imagine…the smile on your face and the tears in your eyes when one year later, that same child RUNS past that same doctor
Imagine...having a hospital feel like home and your house feeling like a place you occasionally visit to sleep
Imagine…not seeing your daughter’s face until she was four weeks old because she was ventilated
Imagine…being able to fit your wedding ring on your child’s arm
Imagine…leaving the hospital empty handed
Imagine…planning your newborn’s funeral
Imagine…having the hospital call a week after the baby’s birth and asking if you’re having fun with your new baby…the new baby that you’ve never even held because he’s in the NICU struggling for life
Imagine…boxing up all of your baby things because it’s too painful to look at them in the nursery
Imagine…signing papers to allow for surgery on a baby who weighs less than a pound and a half
Imagine…the pain of parents all around you losing their babies, grief and guilt mixed with relief that it’s not you
Imagine…holding your baby when she’s two weeks old and realizing that the blanket she’s wrapped in weighs more than she does.
Imagine…feeling the pain of seeing pregnant women
Imagine…having to choose to stop breastfeeding the child you’ve already taken home in favor of his twin sister who is still in the NICU
Imagine…the fear of ever having another child
Imagine......Being afraid of, and afraid for, your child.
Imagine......Not even knowing who's lips, eyes, nose, or chin your child has because you can't see their face for all the tapes, tubes, and eye masks.
Imagine....Your husband knowing your nurses and the NICU routine better than you because he's been there for five days already before you ever even get to see your son.
Imagine...the looks on the faces of your friends and family when you try to talk about the future
Imagine...Being ecstatic when your baby hits 4 pounds, or 3, or 2...
Imagine…knowing your baby is born but the only sound you hear is the door closing as they take her away
Imagine... getting condolences instead of congratulations when your child is born.
Imagine... Not getting to hold your child until he/she is nearly a month old.
Imagine... hearing comment after comment on all the things people didn't think your baby would ever do.
Imagine... that some of the most peaceful times of your day are when you are sitting attached to a breast pump!
Imagine... how quickly the rough past fades away when your child first smiles at you.
Imagine…trying to produce breast milk that your baby desperately needs even though your body isn’t prepared to produce it
Imagine…knowing your baby literally inside and out because of x-rays, heart monitors, brain scans and blood tests
Imagine…dressing your baby for the first time in doll clothes
Imagine…knowing that no matter what happens, your life will never be the same
Imagine....being able to turn this life altering, tragic journey into something that can help many, many other people!
