Love, Carrie
“Dear NICU Mama, In moments of fear, I hope you know that your strength runs deep. You have navigated the uncertainty of pregnancy and birth, and you are now learning to navigate NICU Life. You may feel scared, but you are strong. You are NICU Mama Strong, and that is a strength like no other.
In moments of fear, I hope you lean on your community. Life in the NICU can feel isolating at times, but you are not alone. I hope you lean on your people—your partner, friends, family, loving nurses, and this Dear NICU Mama community—and find a sliver of peace in knowing you are not walking this path alone. You may feel lonely, but your people will help carry you through.
In moments of fear, I hope you remember how far you've come. You may feel stuck in the now and each new phase of your NICU journey, but remember what you've already overcome and what your little warrior has already overcome. You may feel overwhelmed and you may feel defeated. You may feel like you can't put one foot in front of the other, but I hope you know that you can because you already have.
In moments of fear, I hope you also allow yourself joy. You may feel scared, but I hope you allow yourself to relish in the joy that your new little fighter brings. It's okay to feel joy while also feeling fearful. Your fear doesn't have to steal your joy.
In moments of fear, I hope you also feel proud—proud of yourself, proud of your baby, proud of your partner, and proud of your doctors and nurses. But mostly, I hope you feel proud of the mama you've become. No matter what you are facing, you are the best mama for your baby. No matter what obstacles lie behind you or in front of you, you are the best mama for your baby. No matter what your journey looks like, you are the best mama for your baby. Be proud that you have taken on this role as mother in such strange, scary, uncertain circumstances, and you have risen to the occasion. Be proud, mama. Be proud of who you've become.
In moments of fear, I hope you let love win.”
Love,
Carrie
More of Carrie + Hattie’s NICU Journey:
“My daughter, Hattie, was born at 40 weeks and 2 days. I had a smooth pregnancy with zero complications In triage, things changed. We learned that our daughter had passed meconium in the womb and had somehow flipped and was breech. An ultrasound determined that the position of my placenta elevated my status to an emergency C-section in order to save my daughter. At 8:52pm on July 20, 2021, our beautiful baby girl, Hattie Reed Gibson, was brought into the world.
Hattie was evaluated by the NICU team and deemed healthy enough to stay with my husband and I. We had five beautiful hours together before they found that she was having to work too hard to breathe. The next thing we knew, our daughter was rushed away for respiratory support. We learned that she had aspirated meconium in the womb and had pneumonia, and that was what was causing her to struggle to breathe. After treating her with antibiotics, a pulmonary echocardiogram revealed no sign of lung issues; however, they found an unexpected heart condition.
Hattie was diagnosed with a coarctation of the aorta, which is a narrowing of the arch that connects her aorta to her descending aorta. She was transferred to a Level 4 Children's Hospital so she could have access to all the specialists she may need around the clock. There we learned that in addition to her coarctation, Hattie's mitral and aortic valves were also presenting with issues. We felt incredibly lucky to learn that while her condition was going to be something that would require long-term monitoring and potentially heart surgery or medical intervention down the road, she was not considered high risk from a cardiac standpoint.
We celebrated Hatie’s 19th day of life by graduating from the NICU. Because of the nature of her heart condition, Hattie is continually monitored by a team of doctors. Today she is healthy and thriving, despite her heart, and we believe our fierce little NICU warrior will keep defying the odds and continue to grow big and strong.”
