Recalling the Day...Not Snow or Ice will get in my way!

Recalling the day....

It was almost seven years ago to the day, we had a similar snow storm and my newborn son Joseph Nicholas was in the NICU at Greenville Memorial Hospital, while I sat at home 10 miles away.  10 miles, it might as well been a million miles away.

It didn't matter to me... it was 10am in the morning and the only thing on my mind was to get to the NICU, ASAP!!! For heaven's sake, I remember thinking that I live in South Carolina, I should not have to deal with this on top of everything else.  Come on now... a snow storm, oh please, it was just a few flakes of snow and a little bit of ice, but I'm from the NorthEast, so to me, this was no big deal! I was panicking and pacing as my mother, in her usual calm and collective way was reassuring me, that we will get there, it just may take us a little longer.  Thankfully, my Stepdad, Skip was here and getting the car ready to get me to the NICU.  He was cleaning off the driveway and the car.  Actually, I think he was probably just trying to stay outside, away from me... the crazy woman, the new mother that had to get to the NICU immediately because my son needed me! Looking back now, I just laugh.

HE DIDN'T NEED ME...I NEEDED HIM! I needed to see him, watch him take every breath, make sure he was still there, I needed to make sure that he heard my voice, felt my touch. My newborn was sleeping peacefully, not a care in the world, he was just fine, being cared for by the best nurses and doctors, probably dreaming of angels...just as it should be.

Celebrating Joseph's 7th Birthday! Celebrating His Life!

Dear Friends, Family and Followers...

Where does the time go? Well it seems as though the holidays took over and the blogging stopped, but I am back and happy to begin blogging again.  I'm so happy to be back to working on my book and book proposal.

I can't believe it... my premature baby, who was born 10 1/2 weeks early, weighing only 2 pounds 13 ounces, just turned 7 on January 25th.... Yes, that's right! He is now 7!   When we celebrate his birthday, it's not a normal celebration to Stan and I.  We are actually celebrating his life.  He is our miracle baby and we celebrate the anniversary of the day his life began.  As parents of a premature baby, we realize how precious life is and how lucky we are to have a normal, healthy 7 year old boy.  We took him to Walt Disney World to celebrate his birthday.  (Just as we did when he turned 5!)  It may seem a big extreme;  can you celebrate too much??? the gift of life, the gift we were given seven years ago. To us, we can't celebrate enough.

So, on his 7th birthday, he decided to be a pirate! Daddy and Joseph were made into pirates and we celebrated his birthday in the Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World!

Braxton Hicks or Preterm Labor

Hello ...It was about this time seven years ago, that I started experiencing pre-term contractions.  I drove from the office right to the doctor's office.  I was hooked up to a monitor and although the patterns of the contractions were irregular, I was told that everything looked ok and it was probably Braxton hicks.  So things went on as planned and we got ready for Christmas and drove from Greenville, SC to Philadelphia, PA for the holidays.  I continued having the same pains, but being a 1st time mother, I went along with the diagnosis and celebrated Christmas with my family.  Honestly, I didn't even know what Braxton Hicks contractions were, so tonight I thought I dedicate my blog with information about Braxton Hicks.  I wish someone would have told me this.... If something doesn't feel right, don't  dismiss it. Only you know your own body. I convinced myself that I had Braxton Hicks and everything was fine. I was wrong. Listen to your heart, if something doesn't feel right, then something isn't right. Be your own advocate for you and your baby.

Information found on American Pregnancy.org

What are Braxton Hicks contractions?

Braxton Hicks contractions can begin as early as the second trimester. However they are most commonly experienced in the third trimester. When this happens, the muscles of the uterus tighten for approximately 30 to 60 seconds and sometimes as long as two minutes. Braxton Hicks are also called “practice contractions” because they are a preparation for the real event and allow the opportunity to practice the breathing exercises taught in childbirth classes.

Braxton Hicks are described as:

• Irregular in intensity
• Infrequent
• Unpredictable
• Non-rhythmic
• More uncomfortable than painful (although for some women Braxton Hicks can feel painful)
• They do not increase in intensity, or frequency
• They taper off and then disappear altogether

If your contractions are easing up in any way, they are most likely Braxton Hicks.

What causes Braxton Hicks contractions?

There are possible causes of these contractions. Some physicians and midwives believe that they play a part in toning the uterine muscle and promoting the flow of blood to the placenta. They are not thought to have a role in dilating the cervix, but might have some impact on the softening of the cervix. However, as Braxton Hicks contractions intensify nearer the time of delivery, the contractions are often referred to as false labor. When this occurs, it can help the dilation and effacement process.

What triggers Braxton Hicks contractions?

The following are triggers of Braxton Hicks:

• When mother or the baby are very active
• If someone touches the mother’s belly
• When the bladder is full
• After sex
• Dehydration

What can I do to alleviate Braxton Hicks contractions?

• Change positions. You can lie down if you have been standing or go for a walk if you have been sitting or laying.
• Take a warm bath for 30 minutes or less

• Because contractions may be brought on by dehydration, drink a couple of glasses of water.
• Drink a warm cup of herbal tea or milk

If none of these steps work, you should contact your health care provider.

Donate to the March of Dimes

The March of Dimes will send you a 2014 calendar, when you make a donation of $25 or more. It is 12 months of the cutest babies anywhere. This limited edition calendar will remind you every day of your generosity and steadfast commitment to fund research to find the causes and preventions for prematurity. In your community and across the country, the March of Dimes is helping moms take charge of their health and supporting families when something goes wrong.

Here is the  Link to March of Dimes Website

Joseph Nicholas

Did you know... Jackie Kennedy had 2 premature babies. We've learned a lot since then!

With all the news coverage this week of the Kennedy assassination, I remembered reading a book a few years ago about the life of Jacqueline Kennedy.   I recall reading a few months before she lost her husband, she lost her son Patrick, who was born prematurely.  He died only 40 hours after he was born from Respiratory Distress Syndrome.

I remember when my son Joseph was born prematurely, the neonatologist warned us of what they now call RSV, which is basically the same thing. The babies lungs are not fully developed and they are at risk for respiratory viruses.  Fortunately for us, the March of Dimes had developed surfactant therapy, which was given to Joseph twice before his birth which helped his lungs develop.

John Jr. was also born prematurely.  During that time, it was common for women to smoke during pregnancy. Now we know that smoking is a leading cause of premature births.

Learning more Everyday

As I work on my book proposal, I learn more everyday. Over the last few days, I've been working on the section "About the Competition".   What I learned is that there are many guides for parents to help them learn about caring for their premature baby.  Most guides contain pretty much the same information.

But what I learned is that there are many other books written by parents about their own story; and I found that they are not my competition, in fact we are all on the same team. Trying to share our story in hope to help other families going through the same situation.

Our stories are all different in some way.  But of course I didn't find any story where the mother was prepped and prepared twice before the actual delivery of their premature baby, so that makes my story unique, LUCKY ME!

I urge parents to share their stories on my blog in hopes that it will help give other parents support.

NOVEMBER 17th is WORLD PREMATURITY DAY

This Sunday, November 17th is WORLD PREMATURITY DAY. Learn more about helping the March of Dimes in their fight against premature births by visiting facebook.com/worldprematurityday to learn more and show your support.  

World Prematurity Day is observed on November 17, 2013. World Prematurity Day is an observance held on the 17th of November. Approximately 15 million babies are born prematurely each year accounting for more than one in 10 of all babies born worldwide. It is estimated that the world's 39 highest-income countries could cut around 58 000 premature births annually by implementing interventions to prevent preterm births, amounting to roughly US$3.0 billion in economic cost savings. World Prematurity Day aims to raise awareness for prematurity and the concerns of preterm babies and their families worldwide because infants born preterm represent the largest child patient group. World Prematurity day was started in 2011 by the European Foundation for the Care of Newborn Infants (EFCNI), March of Dimes, Africa-based Little Big Souls International Foundation, and the National Premmie Foundation of Australia and has since been taken place in more than 50 countries.

I will be spending this weekend working on my book proposal...only a few more sections to go.  This weekend is dedicated to "analysis of the competition".  There are 39 books available on amazon.com and I need to look up each one and write a paragraph about the book's subject's matter and how my book is different.  So, I guess I'll be spending much of my weekend on amazon.com and at Barnes and Noble... at least they have a lot of coffee.

Writing the book is the easy part. Putting together the book proposal is much more difficult!  Keep your fingers crossed I get through the 39 books and don't find any more. hahaha! 

Hopefully sometime next week, I'll have the pictures ready to post from the March of Dimes event.