Love, Bailee

“Dear NICU Mama, You embodied courage when, amongst all the uncertainty and fear, you loved your baby with a strength only a mother has.

From the first fragile little touch, you were courageous.

Surrounded by tubes and wires, machines and monitors, you were courageous.

Through learning every new medical term and knowing your baby's diagnosis, you were courageous.

Being overwhelmed and needing to rest, in taking care of yourself, you are courageous.

Going home that first day, walking away from the hospital with a piece of your heart still there, you were courageous.

Finally taking your baby home for the first time, through all the fear and excitement, you were courageous.

Holding your baby when it's time to let go, dear NICU mama, you were courageous.

Holding onto hope from small bumps in the road to large mountains to climb, NICU mama, you possess strength beyond words. Having courage through trials is awe inspiring, and yet needing to sit down and take a step back is no less courageous.

Dearest NICU mama, your courage is there, even when you don't feel it. Just by loving your miracle baby, you are strong.”

Love,
Bailey

More of Bailee + Her Sons’ NICU Journeys:

“I am a mama to identical twin boys born at 32 weeks. Our NICU stay did not have a happy ending though. The boys were born early due to sharing an amniotic and other complications during my pregnancy. My doctors and I all agreed that 32 weeks was the safest time for them to come. 

To start with, Baby B, little Wells, was born weighing 4 pounds, 3 ounces. His NICU stay was relatively straightforward. We had a slight scare of NEC, but he never really had it. He gained weight, stayed warm, progressed really well and was only in the NICU for 34 days - much quicker than any of our medical team ever thought possible. 

Baby A, sweet baby Everett, was born weighing in at 3 pounds and 13.5 ounces. His NICU stay wasn't easy. A week after he was born, he did get NEC. Luckily, antibiotics and rest cleared it up, but he still had a lot of catching up to do. He gained weight, was the first to take a bottle, and nursed much better than his brother. Then, days before he was supposed to come home, he became fatally ill from a volvulus. We had 2 surgeries to try to save his life, but in the end, we had to make the call to withdraw care. He died on July 4th of this year, and that was the same day we took Wells home… 34 short days we had with our perfect boy.”