Chelsea and I have talked to each other, and other preemie mamas about what should go into a NICU survival kit. When a parent receives a kit from us, it will include the following items:
Journal
Pen
Travel size hand sanitizer
Travel size hypoallergenic lotion
Preemie size hat
Travel size toiletries
Survival booklet with resources, etc
Small washable plush character
Snacks
Scent squares
Tissue
Tylenol
We eventually hope to have the resources to add more items, such as a preemie sized blanket, disposable camera, and maybe even a book for the parents to read to their little ones.
Friday, November 6, 2009
About Me "Tami"
Hi! I'm Tami and I'm a 29 year old mama to my micro preemie, Cayden. Cayden was born at 31 weeks gestation. He had severe intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) and was born by emergency c-section on December 31, 2008. He weighed 1lb 5.9oz and was 12.5 inches long. He measured about the size of a baby at 23/24 weeks gestation and spent 124 days in NICU.
His time in NICU was full of ups and downs, as he experienced quite a few medical issues. Cayden fought every step of the way for his life, never ceasing to amaze us or his medical team. Just when we thought there wasn't anything that could be done, he would surprise and show us just how it would be done. He's an incredible little boy that still amazes us daily.
When Cayden was born, we had no idea what to expect. Walking into NICU with all the machines, noises, and large amounts of information being relayed to us was completely overwhelming and rather scary. I remember asking his doctor what we could do to help our little boy, as we felt so helpless. He told us to be by his bedside as much as we could and to pray for him. It just didn't seem like enough.
The want and desire to help my son, and the feelings of anger, despair, fear, joy, isolation, etc, all became ispiration for Sudden Mayhem. No matter how hard they try, it's hard for people who haven't been there to understand the roller coaster of emotions that you experience and that intensity of those feelings, well past the time of your baby's stay in NICU. It's our hope to help parents who have a baby or babies in the NICU through our survival kits and good old fashioned support.
-Tami
His time in NICU was full of ups and downs, as he experienced quite a few medical issues. Cayden fought every step of the way for his life, never ceasing to amaze us or his medical team. Just when we thought there wasn't anything that could be done, he would surprise and show us just how it would be done. He's an incredible little boy that still amazes us daily.
When Cayden was born, we had no idea what to expect. Walking into NICU with all the machines, noises, and large amounts of information being relayed to us was completely overwhelming and rather scary. I remember asking his doctor what we could do to help our little boy, as we felt so helpless. He told us to be by his bedside as much as we could and to pray for him. It just didn't seem like enough.
The want and desire to help my son, and the feelings of anger, despair, fear, joy, isolation, etc, all became ispiration for Sudden Mayhem. No matter how hard they try, it's hard for people who haven't been there to understand the roller coaster of emotions that you experience and that intensity of those feelings, well past the time of your baby's stay in NICU. It's our hope to help parents who have a baby or babies in the NICU through our survival kits and good old fashioned support.
-Tami
Thursday, November 5, 2009
About Me "Chelsea"
My name is Chelsea and I am a 22 year old mother of my miracle baby, Travis. Little Travis was born on July 29, 2008 at just 23 weeks 2 days gestation, weighing in at 1lb 3.5oz and only 11 inces long. We spent 142 very long days in two different Neonatal Intensive Care Units. At 8 days old, Travis was transported by air ambulance to a Children's Hospital over four hours from home. I lived in a Family House provided by the hospital for 5 weeks before we decided to move to the area to be close to our baby. The days we spent in the NICU were filled with emotion; fear, happiness, dread, anger, and love. We cried tears of joy, and tears of sorrow. Every day we just struggled to survive, to cope with the daily grind of the NICU, the ups and downs and everything in between. There were many times when we thought we would lose our baby boy, but he continued to fight on hard, and to this day, he still has his fiesty spirit.
Since the day my baby came home, I have felt a strong need to reach out to other NICU families. Friends and family try hard to understand and be supportive, but unless you have been through it, you really have no idea the strain it has on your heart. It is our hope that Sudden Mayhem can take away a little bit of that lonliness that is felt by all NICU Moms and Dads. By providing support in various different ways, we hope that we can make this journey just a little bit easier.
Since the day my baby came home, I have felt a strong need to reach out to other NICU families. Friends and family try hard to understand and be supportive, but unless you have been through it, you really have no idea the strain it has on your heart. It is our hope that Sudden Mayhem can take away a little bit of that lonliness that is felt by all NICU Moms and Dads. By providing support in various different ways, we hope that we can make this journey just a little bit easier.
Mission Statement
Sudden Mayhem is dedicated to providing support, comfort, hope, advice, resources, and essential/useful personal items to families with babies in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) through distribution of free NICU Survival Kits.
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