November is Prematurity Awareness Month

November is Prematurity Awareness Month. Bet you didn't know that, right? Unless you were a NICU preemie parent --- I barely fit into that category. As a mom of babies who were, so thankfully, only in the NICU for a few hours for monitoring, I had no idea until just a few days ago.

I follow the Huffington Post for parents on Facebook and they have been doing a month-long series on Prematurity Awareness. Some of the articles are heartbreaking. Some are inspirational. All of them make me stop and think about how blessed I am that my babies made it SO CLOSE to full term and were healthy.

Here are some of the best articles I have been reading. Put your big girl panties on and grab a few tissues --- fair warning!

--- Meet 51 Babies Who Were Born Too Soon --- These are short stories with pictures of 51 preemies and where they are now. A good number of them were twins. Many of them were premature due to the mother developing preeclampsia (the reason I was induced) and a small number of them actually weighed more than my boys did at birth (amazing!)

--- I Am a Preemie Parent --- One woman's story about what it's like to be told your child is going to die. Every day. For months.

--- The Surprising Thing I Learned from Having a Micro-Preemie --- This baby spent 156 days in the NICU. Mom couldn't hold her baby for the first 30 days, but she has such a wonderful outlook on life!

--- 10 Things Not to Say to a NICU Mom ---  a little bit of a comedic reprieve. But seriously, don't say these things. You might not want to even say them to a mom of a full-term baby.

--- 20 Things Not to Say to a Mom of a Preemie --- in case the last list didn't get through to you, read this one. If you're going to say something, stop. Rethink. Then speak. These moms have enough to deal with as it is.

 --- 10 Incredible Gifts for NICU Families --- Do you know someone with a preemie or a NICU family? Wondering how you can reach out to them? Here are 10 great ideas to show and share some love with the family.

Just minutes old and already had an IV and monitors in place!

Just chillin' in the NICU with "Daaaa"

Were you a NICU family, or do you know a NICU family? I'd love to hear any stories you have as well as any tips for NICU parents!