I'm sure we could find a cause for every month of the year. I believe there is even a month dedicated to those who love sauerkraut but November is Prematurity Month so I feel compelled to blog about it.
Prematurity can strike any family. It's not just women from low socio-economic backgrounds. Women who smoke or who dont seek prenatal care. I know this because I do not fall into any of those categories yet, prematurity hit our home.
Unless you have not followed along or haven't know me for a while, you know my history. I can recite it in 25 words or less because I tell it so often. It may sound heartless now because of my candor but I can assure you, it's not. It lives with me every single day.
EVERY DAY.
I carried twin boys for 28 weeks. I felt kicks and nudges. I saw their hearts beating on countless of ultrasounds. Because I was so high risk (and hospitalized for a good part of my pregnancy)I got to see the boys daily. Let me tell you, sometimes ignorance is bliss. I learned way more then I wanted to about high risk pregnancies and every picture I saw of them only reminded me of just that..I was extremely high risk.
I enjoyed very little about my pregnancy because I lived in fear for 28weeks. My fears became a reality on August 7, 2003 when the boys I so desired and prayed for were born 12 weeks too soon.
You know the rest. Zachary died shortly there after because his lungs were so under developed and Oldest spent six months in the hospital; fighting to survive.
Prematurity did not leave our lives when we left the NICU.
It didn't even leave our lives at 2 years of age like so many studies say it will. (They all catch up)
They dont ALL do anything.
Each child is an individual case.
I dont mean to scare you. I mean to show you the facts.
The fact is that prematurity can happen to any woman at any time. A multiple pregnancy is more high risk then a single pregnancy. I tell this to everyone yet I know it doesn't seem to register at times.
When I was going through IVF to conceive Youngest I was terrified of having another twin pregnancy. I knew all too well what it could entail.
I agonized over how many embryos we should put back.
In a way, I'm extremely grateful that I didn't have a chance to make that decision. Youngest was conceived through a frozen embryo cycle and we had two that were frozen. One embryo did not survive the "thaw" so therefore, only one was transferred back.
Thankfully, he remained nice and snug (yet not a smooth pregnancy either but in comparison, a piece of cake). He also arrived early yet only by 5 weeks. He has asthma which may be from his prematurity..or may not. Otherwise, healthy and developmentally doing fine.
But with Oldest we face repercussions of his early years.. I am constantly reminded of it weather I want to be or not.
So please, remember, and learn.....learn that prematurity is one of the leading causes of infant death. The March of Dimes fights to prevent birth defects and premature birth.
Think about making a donation today.
Today's post dedicated to the memory of my first born.
Zachary Jonathan Stern.
Taken from us too soon.
Prematurity can strike any family. It's not just women from low socio-economic backgrounds. Women who smoke or who dont seek prenatal care. I know this because I do not fall into any of those categories yet, prematurity hit our home.
Unless you have not followed along or haven't know me for a while, you know my history. I can recite it in 25 words or less because I tell it so often. It may sound heartless now because of my candor but I can assure you, it's not. It lives with me every single day.
EVERY DAY.
I carried twin boys for 28 weeks. I felt kicks and nudges. I saw their hearts beating on countless of ultrasounds. Because I was so high risk (and hospitalized for a good part of my pregnancy)I got to see the boys daily. Let me tell you, sometimes ignorance is bliss. I learned way more then I wanted to about high risk pregnancies and every picture I saw of them only reminded me of just that..I was extremely high risk.
I enjoyed very little about my pregnancy because I lived in fear for 28weeks. My fears became a reality on August 7, 2003 when the boys I so desired and prayed for were born 12 weeks too soon.
You know the rest. Zachary died shortly there after because his lungs were so under developed and Oldest spent six months in the hospital; fighting to survive.
Prematurity did not leave our lives when we left the NICU.
It didn't even leave our lives at 2 years of age like so many studies say it will. (They all catch up)
They dont ALL do anything.
Each child is an individual case.
I dont mean to scare you. I mean to show you the facts.
The fact is that prematurity can happen to any woman at any time. A multiple pregnancy is more high risk then a single pregnancy. I tell this to everyone yet I know it doesn't seem to register at times.
When I was going through IVF to conceive Youngest I was terrified of having another twin pregnancy. I knew all too well what it could entail.
I agonized over how many embryos we should put back.
In a way, I'm extremely grateful that I didn't have a chance to make that decision. Youngest was conceived through a frozen embryo cycle and we had two that were frozen. One embryo did not survive the "thaw" so therefore, only one was transferred back.
Thankfully, he remained nice and snug (yet not a smooth pregnancy either but in comparison, a piece of cake). He also arrived early yet only by 5 weeks. He has asthma which may be from his prematurity..or may not. Otherwise, healthy and developmentally doing fine.
But with Oldest we face repercussions of his early years.. I am constantly reminded of it weather I want to be or not.
So please, remember, and learn.....learn that prematurity is one of the leading causes of infant death. The March of Dimes fights to prevent birth defects and premature birth.
Think about making a donation today.
Today's post dedicated to the memory of my first born.
Zachary Jonathan Stern.
Taken from us too soon.
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