"Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in awhile, you could miss it." - Ferris Bueller

Thursday, April 26, 2007

Thursday Thirteen #24


13 REASONS I'M WALKIN FOR PREEMIES THIS WEEKEND
1. I have one of my own.
2. I don't know why. I suspect it was because of preeclampsia but I can't know for sure. Most moms never know for sure why.
3. More than 1,300 babies will be born prematurely just today alone.
4. Going through labor when you know it's too soon is terrifying.
5. I don't want other parents to feel that feeling of overwhelming helplessness and anger and fear.
6. Though the NICU nurses and doctors are wonderful angels for caring for our babies and working around the clock to save them, you're separated from your baby, in most cases, can't nurse him, and have to abide by visiting hours, for who knows how long. Days, weeks, or months.
7. But even worse, babies in the NICU, especially the very small ones, as Laura at Adventures in Juggling (who is a NICU nurse) put it (and I'll never forget reading this), "these tiny babies who do survive have endured pain that would make a big, bad grown man cry and faint."
8. It's heartbreaking!!!
9. Not to mention, it's expensive! The average cost of the birth of a healthy newborn is $1,700. A preemie's bill starts at $77,000.
10. More facts: Premature birth has increased 31% between 1981 and 2003.
11. Prematurity is the number one killer of newborns in America.
12. There may be some hope: progesterone injections may actually help for women who have already had a premature baby and are pregnant again. It's had a more than 30% success rate of preventing premature birth to women in their second pregnancy. You can read about it here.
13. Of course, if you want to donate, please click here! Happy Thursday Thirteen everyone!



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10 comments:

Rashenbo said...

Wow, I didn't know a lot of this. Thank you for sharing! I was placed on bedrest at 19weeks gestation... and that was terrifying... I couldn't imagine if the pea pie had come to early. When she was born at 38 weeks (it was a loooooong bedrest) she was 5 pounds 15 ounces... and most of that weight she gained post 34 weeks.

Sparky Duck said...

what a great list. Shows how strong people are even if they dont know they are supposed to be strong.

Anonymous said...

I commend you for your efforts! What a wonderful cause to support!

Happy TT!

Anna Mary said...

I love your list. You are the most thoughtful person and do and say the most thoughtful things.

And poops, well you know we all love poops. Just think about how we all go running in to fix him when he cries then end up screaming at each other over who holds him drowning out the little guy! I love you!!!

Jennifer (mom of four) said...

What a great TT!!

Susan Helene Gottfried said...

Keep up the good fight. Hopefully, we can stop some of these problems for future moms.

Happy TT!

Anonymous said...

Wow! Thanks for sharing this. I had no idea! Have a wonderful weekend!

Gattina said...

Today's modern technics allow to safe a lot of preemies I think the youngest one was born after only 4 months! And it's very surprising but after statistics it's proven that most of them have a very high QI level. My friends son was born after 6 1/2 months and is today a very healthy and very intelligent man. As tiny as he was at his birth as big he is now !
I think this is wonderful and even if mothers can't hold their babies in their arms immediatly they at least can be sure that they can do it later !

Anonymous said...

Took a TT break this week..
love this post..it is great! I will be thinking about you this weekend..praying for good weather!
We are having severe thunderstorms here in OHIO.
Yeah..happy spring!
Walk on sister! It's a great cause!

Sue said...

Hi Christie. I've been here once b4 but I just came across your TT. My niece is a preemie (born at 25 1/2 weeks). Very well done. I hope you enjoy your walk. Such a wonderful thing to do.

I too have hard progesterone shots can help carry a baby to term. I needed them through 20+ weeks with both my girls (due to infertility). No fun, but worth it to have a healthy little one.