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I am the mother of 2 preemies. My daughter was born 10 1/2 weeks early and weighed 3lbs. 3 oz. She is overly bright but has some slight motor developement problems. My son was born at 24 weeks, and weighed 1lb 7oz. He unfortunately died 2 weeks later of septicemia. I have run the race from both sides and survived. I count them both as my greatest accomplishments and find that nothing else is very important at the end of the day. God bless all of you ! (and we know that he has)

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Hi, At 23weeks with my first child I went into premature labour. We went to the hospital but was sent away as the doctor did not belive I was in labour and said that it was the baby lying on a nerve. We went back to the hospital a further two times and on the third visit the doctor was about to send me home again, but luckly my mum was there and said that we were not going any were until she did an internal. Once the internal was done 4days after our first visit the doctor said she was sorry that she never thought I was in labour but I was now 5cm dialated. Benjamin was born at 1.30am the next morning weghing just 1lb 2oz. We spent the next 11 days in the Neo Natal Unit reading him stories and singing songs. We even had a one week old Birthday Party. Benjamin fought a hard battle , but at 11days he began to loose the fight. The Dr's at the unit said it was up to me when to turn of the machines. That was a choice that I could not make. I read all his story books to him and begged him to fight and and he did try so very hard, but it was getting harder for him. I watched the stats on the monitor climb back up to safe level but after he fought to bring them up they would crash back down, and I knew for his sake that I had to let him go. A clam came over me as I got to hold him for the first and last time all our family were there and it was very clam and loving feeling, not sad at all. Daddy got a quick cuddle then he was back in my arms for his last breath, as he took it one small tiny tear rolled from his cheek. It is strange but it did not look a sad tear but a happy loving one that also said goodbye. We got to bath and dress Benjamin before we took him to the chaple of rest. At his grave side it was his daddy and myself that laid him to rest, I couldn't have let any one elese do it, it is the last thing phisical that we could do for Benjamin. The months that followed were very hard, bitter and angry ones, but after about six months we decided to try for another baby. I did feel that I was being disloyal to Benjamin in some way but that did pass in time, and at 40weeks I gave birth to a healthy baby girl after a 28hr labour. I named her Eilwen which is welsh and I means Smile of a second child. She looked alot like Benjamin. She is my life and she also brings a lot of love and joy into my life and my family. Then last year I found out I was having baby number three. I tought that I would go full term as I found out that I had an infection (BV which can cause premature birth) when I was carrying Benjamin, and I now get regular check ups for the infection now. But it wasn't to be at 33wks the baby had stopped growing, and I was booked in for an emergancy C section. I was weel read up on premature birth by then and new that a baby born at 33wks was better than at 23wks, so I was more upset at the operation. I thought that I would die and couldn't bare to look at Eilwen because when I did I just burst into tears. I gave her the biggest kiss and cuddle ever and 30mins later I gave her the second biggest kiss and cuddle and a baby brother! Simons wighet was just 2lbs 4oz. It was so scary going back into the Neo Natal Unit, I was met by some of the staff who looked after Benjamin, it was so nice that after five years they still new who we were. Simon did not need any help with his breathing which made it alot better to be positive about it all. After 8 long weeks and a total weight of 4lbs Simon got to come home. I just cryed because I was so scared that I would walk out of the hospital agin without a baby. Simon is now 19wks old,12wks corrected.He sleeps through the night and so do I with the help of the sleep monitor. Simon is on solids and 7oz of milk 5 times a day. He is a mummys boy and his eyes follow me every were. he even crys when eilwen sits on my knee, he looks at us and then the petty lip comes followed by the screams until I put Eilwen down and pick him up. We go back to the hospital in September for a check up and hope to be discharge from there. Both Eilwen and Simon have filled a big part of the whole I have felt since Benjamin went away. I see myself as a mother of three with one very special baby that is in heavan looking over the two down here. I think that Simon will be a normal healthy child and that he will catch up with his age group. I am now trying to learn about the development of a premature baby, but have been told by the Dr's that he will catch up with every thing a child at his age should be doing by the time he is 2 1/2. For now I am just enjoying the cuddles.

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I had twins in May,2000 that were 7 weeks premature. One weighed 3 lbs. 15 oz. and the other weighed 4 lbs. 2 oz. and both 16 inches long. They spent 2 weeks in NICU and came home at about 4 1/2 lbs a piece. I am very happy and grateful to God that they are now 15 months old, healthy and thriving!! They weigh in at a whopping 26 lbs a piece and are 32 inches tall!!