When that blue line appears on that pregnancy test, the excitement and anticipation is palpable it’s a whole new world of wonder, anxiety, nervousness and dreams.
For some people, however, maybe their pregnancy doesn’t quite go to plan or maybe their baby just wants an early escape. Having a premature baby can be a daunting prospect so why not take the time on this International Nurses’ Day to reflect on the nursing staff that took such special care of your little fighter. Not only do they look after premature babies from a medical stand point, but they go above and beyond from an emotional point of view too. They sing, they cuddle and they are always a shoulder to cry on for parents too.
I’d love for you to join me with Pampers to say #ALittleThankYou to the NICU nurses who helped care for all the premature babies. As part of #InternationalNursesDay/#IND2017, Pampers are continuing their partnership with Bliss, the premature baby charity, in their amazing work to support premature babies, families and also their work to support NICU nurses. And today, Pampers will be donating another £1 to Bliss towards the nurses programme for every ‘Thank You’ message shared on social media using #ALittleThankYou.
For me, I was lucky in that after an immensely complicated pregnancy with Joshua and the fear of early labour, everything eventually went to plan and he sat tight. I know how lucky I was.
My friend Kate Fever who has 4 children and who writes for Family Fever had 3 of her babies admitted to Neonatal Intensive Care, two of which were admitted for being preemie babies. Kate shared her experience of the nursing and general hospital team, explaining how they made such a lasting impression on her. She is set to join the support of labouring mothers as she starts her training to become a midwife in September.
Kate says that when her sons were both born prematurely “the NICU was a terrifying place to be. It’s not somewhere you think you will be spending any time, not something you plan for, and you have no idea what to expect. I wasn’t prepared for all these tiny, sick babies covered in tubes, locked away inside incubators, with alarms sounding every few seconds. I wasn’t prepared for all the tearful parents, and the level of care some of the babies needed. I wasn’t prepared for our longed-for baby to be here. However, we truly were in the best hands.
There wasn’t one nurse in that unit who I wouldn’t have trusted with my baby’s life – and did so on a daily basis. Having to leave our second child in the NICU when I was discharged home was one of the hardest things I have ever had to do, but I knew he couldn’t have been in better hands. If I couldn’t be there to care for him, I knew the NICU nurses were the next best thing”
Unless you have had a poorly baby and as a parent have had to sit in the NICU unit, do you realise that these men and women really are heroes in their own right. They work tirelessly and care deeply about each and every one of those babies born too soon, or too sick. There is nothing they want more than to see those babies go home with their parents.
I recently wrote about how Pampers were supporting our littlest fighters by teaming up with Bliss to donate approximately 3 million Pampers Preemie Protection nappies to UK hospitals’ Neonatal Units. Helping babies and staff alike, these tiny nappies have a contoured fit that helps babies grow without mobility challenges, the noiseless tapes help protect tiny ears from stressful sounds when being changed and the breathable materials have been designed to protect babies’ extra delicate skin. They are available in a variety of sizes to help staff get on with the more important things that they have to do swiftly and easily, with no need to cut nappies to fit anymore.
Today however, we are celebrating the nursing staff on the NICU wards.
The staff that hold the tiniest lives in their hands each and every single day.
