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Wow, it makes me want to cry to read all the stories about premature babys. My little angel Kylie was 8 weeks early. I am a 19 year old single mom going to college full time. I could never thank the nurses in the NICU enough. They were so patient with me. Its very difficult to think about others raising your new baby in the first couple weeks. Kylie was 3lbs 13 oz. She came home only 2 weeks after she was born and hasn't run into any complications. She is developing just like a full term baby. just smaller. My prayers are with all of you. just take one day at a time.. everything will work out.

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My daughter, Chloe, was born on 7/2/02 after 31 weeks gestation. She was delivered via emergency c-section after an ultrasound showed reverse flow thru the umbilical cord after a 3 week bout of pre-eclampsia. I had been in the hospital for 3 weeks on bed rest and had only been somewhat prepared for the early delivery. But that did not stop the fear when I saw how tiny she was. Immediately after she was delivered, the doctor wropped her and brought her around so I could see her and kiss her head before they took her to the NICU. She was 2 lbs and 8 ozs (and later lost down to 2 lbs 1 oz). But she was a fiesty little fighter and only required oxygen for a couple of hours. I was not allowed to hold her for the first week and that was one of the hardest things I have ever experienced in my life. It was completely and utterly gut-wrenching to be able to do NOTHING. To just sit and look at her and pray and hope and cry and talk to her and cry more and pray more and just watch. The nurses and doctors at Children's Hospital in Knoxville, TN were without a doubt the only thing that kept me sane during the whole experience. They were so patient with me and explained everything they did and let me help as much as I could. Being a single mom, I didn't have a choice but to go back to work while Chloe was in the NICU. I would stop in the mornings and see her and then go to work until late afternoon and then go back to the hospital and spend the rest of the evening with her. The nurses were so patient when I would call in just to check on things. And if any procedures had to be performed while I was at work, they always called and gave me the opportunity to be there when they were done. Chloe was a real fighter. She would pull her feeding tube and/or IV out at least once a day. To this day, she is still just a stubborn!! She spent 10 weeks in the NICU and when I brought her home she was just over 4 lbs. I would like for the parents of other preemies that are visiting this sight to know that it will get better. Every single day it gets better. Chloe celebrated her third birthday this past July and she is just as normal and healthy and happy as any other 3 year old. The only way you would ever guess that she was preemie is that she is a little on the petite side. But she is just as fiesty and just as much a fighter as she was in the NICU. After Chloe had been in the NICU for a couple of weeks, a new mother whose twins had just been in for a few days stopped me and asked how I had survived. I had a very simple answer - You just do. You have to. You have to survive and you have to be strong. There are no alternatives. I am grateful to see a website like this and I am glad to have the opportunity to share my story. I say a little prayer every day for all the preemies that are still battling and for their parents to find the strength to make it through the trying times. Good luck and God bless to all of you who read this.

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My wife gave birth to our son, Chandler, on September 14. He weighed 1 lb. 9 ounces. He was doing well at first, no bleeding in the brain; however, they have noticed bleeding in the right side of his brain (maybe grade 3 or 4), and we met with the doctor today to see how we wanted to proceed. I told them to do all they can. For those of you who have experienced the brain bleeding please share with me what I should expect. Everything else with him is good right now. I don't know which way to turn. Please offer all advice and support you can. Thank you.

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My baby was born at 26 weeks gestation. My water broke on July 22, 2005 and they gave me Magnesium and tried to stop my labor but then I developed a fever. So then they decided that I sould have the baby a.s.a.p. At 6:07 p.m. I gave birth to a baby girl. She weighed 1 lb. 15 oz. and she was 13 and 3/4 inches long. She was on the vent for about 8 hours and then was on CPAP for 2 weeks. Then she got sick and had to go back on the vent for a week. Then she went back to CPAP fro 3 days and then to the canula. She just came off of the canula a few days ago after fighting a NEC infection which was a grade 1 medical. It only required atibiotics but slowed down her feeds. Now she is off of everything and started to drink a bottle. So far so good. I know there were angels watching over her the whole time. Now I am just waiting for my lettle princess to make her arival at the place we call home. it is going to be a glorious day. I cant wait.