HOPE FAITH AND ROCKSTARS
So what’s with the name “Hope Faith and Rockstars”? Well, let me tell you! When my daughter was in the NICU, I think it was about day 4 or 5. My Doctor had already signed release papers for me to go home and I had …
Recent Posts
Daily Mail
By Mary Kekatos https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-6497947/Smallest-preemie-baby-survivor-Lyla-Stensrud-born-21-weeks-one-pound-look-now.html The most premature baby to EVER survive : Mom of miracle Lyla, who was born at just 21 weeks and weighed less than ONE POUND, breaks her silence and reveals how she had to beg doctors to resuscitate her daughter, who …
Introducing my Rockstar, Lyla Jean
Introducing my Rockstar, Lyla Jean! Today December 12, 2018 for the first time on my blog I put a name and face to my little 21 week 4 day Rockstar. From the very first article published by CNN on November 2017 to today I have …
NICU Journey Journal
ITS FINALLY HERE!!!
The NICU Journey Journal is a tool for parents of Preemies and Micropreemies that are facing a long road in the NICU.
Documenting is critical while your little one is in the hospital and a treasure once your baby is home.
From capturing your baby’s milestones to keeping track of their meds and feedings. Seeing daily, weekly, and monthly progress with your little one is made easy with this Journal.
I have been where you are and I know what your going through!
This is a digital download only. Your time is precious and you dont have time to search the stores or buy a hard copy online and wait for it to come in. With this download you instantly can save it and print it out.
Here’s what all is included:
- Welcome to the World
- My Family Tree
- Foot Prints
- Hand Prints
- Sonogram and Birth Picture
- Mommy’s Pregnancy
- Weight Tracking Log
- Feedings
- DailyFeeding Log
- Medicine Log
- Today’s Activites
- Milestone Checklist
- Today Is The Day I’m Coming Home
- Autograph Page
- The Good, The Bad, The Ugly of the NICU
- My Appointments
- My 1st Birthday
Click the link below to purchase.
Thank You to all the Nurses that Take Care of Tiny Lives
September 15th is National Neonatal Nurses Day. THANK YOU to all the Nurses that take care of Tiny Lives. Your love and compassion for our Tiny Lives does not go unnoticed. Your Face and Your Name are cemented in our Minds. Your …
Hey MicroPreemie: Suck, Swallow and Breath
Suck, Swallow and Breath – Seems pretty simple, Huh! Not for our MicroPreemies – they are just not born with the ability to Suck, Swallow and Breath. It takes time, sometimes a very long time for these extremely early babies to learn something most …
Dealing with those Questions and Stares – Micropreemie
Delay and MicroPreemie go together like Peanut Butter and Jelly! If you didn’t already know!
Peoples reactions to the delays we are dealing with is hard to say the least. We, as Micro-Mommies have to deal with these situations way to much. From peoples stares, whispers to our own Pedi’s saying we need to Pee Pee in the Potty to Family Members constant questions about Walking, Speech and Potty Training. These can add so much unnecessary stress to our already over stressed lives.
Yes, they mean well but does that mean we just have to keep answering them, hearing them, and dealing with them? Yes, unfortunately I think it does.
So, how do we deal with these questions, comments, looks, etc….
Well We DON’T!
WHAT?
Yeah I said it WE DONT.
I don’t mean Ignore the person and walk away.
Yes, you could engage and say “Hey, she’s a preemie give her/him TIME.”. Which may get across to some that these questions are getting old and maybe a few less questions would be nice.
These situations I have been in more times than I can count. Trying to answer their questions with “Well she is catching up” or “She’s a Preemie”. Brings back feelings of guilt and the feeling of wanting her to do what every other kid is doing at her age. Every Mom, not just Preemie Moms want their kids to excel at everything they do. Reach every Milestone, “on time”.
The reality for a MicroPreemie is that they don’t meet all the Milestones “on time”.
I have a saying I use for my MicroPreemie: “We don’t do Baby Steps, We do Micro Steps.” And its so true, everything she does, she does on her time.
As the parents we have to fend off the people who seem constantly worried about every little milestone as if we as the Parents don’t go to sleep worrying and wake up worrying. We just want our kids to go to school on time and not be held back.
How exactly do we handle the questions and the stares? Just like our Rockstars handled their time in the NICU. As Warriors, Fighters, Rockstars!
Those questions will come and those stares burn in the back of our heads. Look at your Rockstar, Remember them fighting in that Isolette. They didn’t care that the doctor and nurses were telling us about their “Quality of Life” and giving us the choice as what to do next. They never stopped fighting and we can do the same.
Remember that no one knows your Journey like you do! Smile! Answer the question and Be Proud of How Far You and Your Rockstar Have Come!
Delay in Cutting the Umbilical Cord Could Save Your Babies Life
Delay of cutting the umbilical cord after birth could just save your babies life. I give credit to my Micropreemie being here today to the delay of cutting the umbilical cord. I’m not sure that the doctors thought about that at the time of birth. …
International Kangaroo Care Awareness Day
International Kangaroo Care Awareness Day May 15, 2018 The importance of Kangaroo Care in the NICU can change if you will bring your baby home to when you bring your baby home. I know that seems quite dramatic. Let me explain. Our Preemiest (is that …
Affirmations for a Preemie Mom
I recently wrote this post for Peace of Mom (http://www.peaceofmom.com/).
I came across the blog Peace of Mom and I just feel in love with it! Adrienne is a Preemie Mommy herself and her blog focuses on Self Care. Take a look at her blog and my Guest Post at: http://www.peaceofmom.com/affirmations-for-the-preemie-mom-while-in-the-nicu/
On this Mothers Day I thought posting this on Hope Faith and Rockstars was appropriate. Many of you have been in the NICU on Mothers Day or are currently in the NICU today. My Hope with this post is to bring you a moment to breath and lift yourself up.
You’re doing a good job Mom!
Affirmations for the Preemie Mom
Being a NICU Preemie Mom can sometimes conjure up a lot of negative thoughts and questions in our Mommy minds. We ask why were we not able to carry full term? Is it something i did? Is is something I didn’t do?
Lets put all those negative thoughts and feeling aside, they in no way will help us care for our baby. Instead lets BE Positive THINK Positively and SAY only Positive words.
MY Top 5 Positive Affirmations that Will Help put You in a Positive Mindset:
- “I AM IN CHARGE OF HOW I FEEL AND TODAY I AM CHOOSING HAPPINESS”
- “I AM ALLOWED TO TAKE TIME TO HEAL”
- “DIFFICULT TIMES ARE PART OF MY JOURNEY AND ALLOW ME TO APPRECIATE THE GOOD”
- “NO AMOUNT OF GUILT CAN CHANGE THE PAST, AND NO AMOUNT OF WORRY CAN CHANGE THE FUTURE”
- “NEGATIVE THOUGHTS ONLY HAVE THE POWER I ALLOW THEM”
Staying in a Positive mindset while in the NICU and taking care of your baby can be a difficult task. Just saying the word NICU doesn’t usually bring Positive thoughts to mind. However, staying positive during this difficult time can change the journey your on.
With everything we have going on in our lives today to push away the negative and receive only positive is a chore in itself. But, if we can get to a point of memorizing one of the above Positive Affirmations and repeat it in our minds we can better take care of ourself and families.
Sounds a little too easy, right? I get it! It’s almost easier to see and feel the negative rather than the positive! So, lets work on this together.
What works best for me, besides memorizing, is writing positive affirmations down. Put them down on a sticky note and stick them randomly around the house, in your car, your purse, at the NICU. Change them up every once in a while, so they don’t just start to blend into your environment.
Give yourself a little Love and take the time to redirect negative thoughts into Positive thoughts and see how your outlook changes for the better!
Why Taking Care of You is Actually Taking Care of Baby
Why Taking Care of You is Just as important as Taking Care of Baby We as Parents tend to take care of our children first and ourselves second. Raise your hand if you are guilty! Yep, my hand is way up in the air. …