November is Prematurity Awareness Month

If you've read my blog for any length of time, you'd know that we were touched by prematurity.  Actually if you want to get technical, both N and I were born prematurely too.  This isn't something that's new to us, although Zoe's birth was by far the earliest premature birth in either family. 

She weighed in at 2lbs, 10 oz and I'm almost sure as we were making mashed potatoes last night that one of our potatoes weighed as much. 

That time in our lives was devastating, emotional, full of worry, full of joy and shaped who we are today.  Our story ends happy.  Zoe is alive, without significant problems of asthma or cystic fibrosis, loss of hearing or eye sight, mental disabilities or the many more effects that prematurity can have on a child.  We are incredibly fortunate that the only effect of premature is some slight cerebal palsy in her left heel chord.  If you saw her today, you'd never know it was there unless you walked through the physical therapy with her.

Zoe's prematurity left an impact on us in ways we are still experiencing.  God took us through this journey, carried us, shaped us and without Him I'm not sure we would've survived that journey.  It was a time of emotional ups and downs that both N and I handled in our own ways. 

We spent 9 1/2 weeks going into that NICU and Intermediate Care Nursery, watching babies come and go.  Some thrived better than Zoe and some didn't.  As a parent you're barely ready to handle an infant, let alone a preemie.

Once we finally came home we were up every 2 hours for feedings.  Zoe was on several medications that we had to manage and we had to watch to make sure she remembered to breathe.  I think every parent worries about their child not breathing, but prematurity takes that to a deeper level.  We had to learn how to use breathing tools and infant CPR in case she were to stop breathing.  One time in her swing she did. 

I share all this because November is Prematurity Awareness Month.  In the United States 1 in 8 babies are born prematurely.  This number has grown at a rate of 30% since the 1980s.  Prematurity is the leading cause of newborn death worldwide. 

The March of Dimes was originally established by FDR to fight polio.  Since it's origin, it has switched efforts to fight prematurity.  This month please consider donating to March of Dimes.  They have made huge strides to slow the rate of premature births in the United States.  So far they've seen a 3% decline in the number of premature births, but there is still much work to be done.

As a parent I felt helpless and guilty for Zoe's prematurity.  To see her struggle and fight just to have the same chance as a baby born 10 weeks later was heart-wrenching.  The March of Dimes is an organization that is near and dear to my heart.  My prayer is by the time Zoe has children of her own, the cycle of prematurity in our family will end.