The Graham’s Foundation

The Graham’s Foundation is a foundation specifically for preemie parents. It is a non-profit organization founded in 2009 by Jennifer and Nick Hall in memory of their son, Graham.  The foundation supports the parents by providing free care packages during their journey in the NICU and transition home.The foundation's website provides a place for parents to share their stories and find support. When my girls were in the hospital my mother requested a care package for my girls from the foundation. The package was great and it let me know that people were thinking about me and I wasn't alone. To any NICU parents out there I really recommend that you visit the website. On the website you can communicate with other NICU/ preemie parents. The website even has cool merchandise you can buy like T-shirts and buttons to support preemies.

If you are not a preemie parent but you are looking for a way to support preemie/NICU parents, you can make a donation directly on the website or you can buy something at their online auction online. All the money they receive helps support preemie parents like me. I am very thankful for all the good work the Graham’s Foundation does.

You can visit their website at http://grahamsfoundation.org/home.html

This is a picture of the care package you receive as a preemie mom. 

Ready or not...it's flu and RSV season

I think I need to post this picture all over the place. Flu season is coming friends.  There isn't anything worse than Flu season to a preemie mom. I have already scheduled the girls flu shots for the end of the month and have put in paperwork for them to get the RSV vaccine. 

RSV is Respiratory syncytial virus. It causes an infection in the lungs and breathing passages.  In adults symptoms are similar to the common cold, but in premature babies RSV can be very serious and  it can lead to other more serious illnesses.

RSV is highly contagious and can be spread through coughs or sneezes. It also can live on surfaces and on hands and clothing. So wash your hands often friends!  RSV can spread rapidly through schools and childcare centers. This is scary news for a preemie mom that is also a kindergarten teacher! This is why I change my clothes as soon as I get home from work. The threat of RSV is the number one reason why we decided to get an Au pair. I refuse to take the girls to daycare. 

My girls qualify for the RSV vaccine again, but I did have to get their Pulmonologist to fill out a referral for their pediatrician.  The RSV vaccine isn't authorized for all babies, but my advice for NICU/preemie moms is to request to get it and fight for it. The vaccine is very expensive and I don't believe health insurances like to pay for it, but it's worth the fight! 

Feeding Pump-What to Expect

When I first got Abigail home and I had to feed her over night via her gtube the  idea really scared me. I thought to myself "Can I really do this?" Well the truth is, it's not really that big of a deal. It took me 2 nights to really master the pump. The hardest part is honestly getting up in the middle of the night to fill the feeding bag. I have to say a big THANK YOU to my husband Dan for taking over that job. I did learn that it is best to have Abby in front snap-up clothing when using the gtube. The tubing fits nicely between the snaps and it is easy to get to the gtube if needed. My advice to preemie moms is to  invested in snap up (not zip up) PJs. In the winter when I had Abby in a sleep sack we cut a small whole so the gtube tubing could come out and that worked well too.  

Make sure  you keep the area around the gtube dry. We always keep gauze around the house for when we need it.  Gauze is great to use to clean around it. 

And just a heads up to parents- As Abigail got stronger we noticed that she started to pull and play with the gtube tubing. We now always keep an eye on her.  It seems that she was close a few times to actually pulling it out. 

If you have any questions about feeding tubes and pumps please let me know. I would be happy to answer any questions. Don't be stressed if you have to use one. I was honestly very scared at first, but like I said it's really no big deal. If you can work a cell phone, you can work a feeding pump. Below are some pictures of the supplies we use. I hope it gives you a visual. I had no idea what things looked like before I got them. Hope it helps! 

This is the pump we have. It's very easy to use. 

This is the pump bag. The formula goes right into the bag. The pump has a long tube that runs from the bottom. The tube goes right into Abigail's gtube on her belly. 

Just Cause...

I saw this the other day and it made me smile. Having twin preemies wasn't at all how I imagined my life would go, but I am so happy they are my girls!  

I am a proud preemie parent! 

Abigail Has Found Her Voice!

We Got Teeth!

I am happy to announce that both girls have two bottom teeth. This makes me happy and sad at the same time. Happy because they look so darn cute, but sad because they are getting big way too fast!  It’s funny… I can't believe I am actually complaining about my micro-preemies getting too big. I never thought I would say that.  

One of their therapists recommended that we begin introducing the toothbrush and rub their teeth with it. The goal is to introduce them to some additional oral sensations. I have used their little toothbrush on them several times so far. Elizabeth didn't mind it and Abigail just looked confused and made a disgusted face.

The therapist told me that it is possible they could have an oral aversion due to their prematurity. This isn't anything new to us. When Abigail first started feeding on her own she didn't really like having the bottle in her mouth and she didn't show an interest in nursing either. She does a lot better now, but she still has her moments. When she eats baby food her first reaction is to make an awful face like she ate something sour.  Once the food is in her mouth for a few sections she recovers and is fine. It is just another reminder that my girls still have little things they have to overcome, but we’ll continue to take it one day at a time. I will continue to brush their perfect little teeth as I was instructed to do. I look forward to seeing them with more teeth and don't worry I will post more pictures. :) 

To my NICU/preemie moms out there who have a little one that doesn't like to eat or nurse, it does get better. My Abigail is proof of that. Stick with therapy. I know it can be a long process, but it really helps.

 

Down on the Farm

This weekend we took the girls to a berry farm in Colonial Beach. It was our first official family trip together. It was one of the best times I have had in a long time. It is so nice to be able to take the girls out and do things as a family. Abigail can go off of her oxygen for up to 3 hours at a time now so it is a lot easier to do things. The oxygen doesn’t bother me, but I really can’t stand the looks we always get when we are out. I think it upsets people to see a young child on oxygen and I honestly think they are confused by it.  While we were at the farm we let the girl’s pet the goats. Elizabeth loves dogs so I figured she would like the goats.  My theory was that a goat was kind of like a dog but just bigger. Elizabeth of course loved the goat and grabbed him by his horns immediately. Abigail looked very seriously at the goat and checked him out. It is so neat to see their personalities developing. It was an amazing time. I love going out together as a whole family. It is something we haven’t really had a chance to do yet.  Sadly with cold and flu seasons approaching we won’t really be able to get many more trips in, but I look forward to the family trips to come!