Preemie Warriors not Worriers
Donation protected
On July 8, 2017 our son, Owen, decided he was ready to come into this world and was born premature at 27 weeks, weighing 1 pound 15 ounces and spent 68 days in the NICU. He was the tiniest, perfect little guy who I got to see through his isolette and his dad viewed him through FaceTime while on deployment briefly before he was taken to the NICU to assess his medical needs. Later that evening, I got to officially meet and touch our handsome little guy for the first time, beginning our NICU journey!
My goal is to help preemie parents become “Warriors Not Worriers” by raising enough funds to purchase items that truly made a difference in our NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) journey. The end goal is to put together at least 30 "comfort bags" for current and future NICU families because I know first hand that comfort and support is much needed while your baby is in the NICU.
We have been wanting to give back to the community that has given us so much since Owen was born! We are excited to put those plans into action and hope you will share that excitement with us on this journey!
I have to be honest, before becoming pregnant and being told I was high-risk for premature labor due to a uterine anomaly, I had never really thought about NICUs and what it all meant to have a preemie. No amount of research on prematurity could have prepared me for the reality of having Owen at 27 weeks gestation. Being in the NICU all day everyday, I was able to hear a lot of unique stories from other preemie parents, but the one concern that all of us had in common was we needed support. I was very fortunate to have the support of my family and new friends who I met while in the NICU, but others aren’t always that fortunate. Families can stay anywhere from a week to 200+ days in the NICU which can quickly make it feel like a never-ending roller coaster.
Another major concern for NICU families is finances. Unfortunately, not all insurance plans cover the medical needs of preemies. With NICU stays going up into the 50+ day range, medical bills can start reaching the millions of dollars very easily. In my opinion, this adds such a stress onto families who are already dealing with so much and truly should only need to focus on their child’s care. Since these bills do get so high sometimes, it makes it difficult for families to purchase items that may be extremely useful with in the NICU and at home for their baby. Sadly, some preemie moms do not have a baby shower due to their baby being born well before that timeframe so some of these items are things they may have missed out on.
With all the amazing donations coming in we have been able to decrease our goal from a $12,000 to a $10,000 goal! I plan to start in Hickory, NC, where Owen was born, then donate to additional NICU/PICUs and deserving families we have come in contact with along the way. We plan to take the bags with us for Owen's NICU Reunion in May! Any and all donations you are willing to put towards this cause would help tremendously as every penny counts! I have reached out to the companies of the products listed below and many more for donations to get started, but the rest is up to us to raise the funds! Below I have listed the items I intend to include in these bags if enough funds can be raised. Please don't hesitate to contact me for any needed information or questions!
We realize that giving monetary donations may not be for everyone. For that reason, we have created an Amazon Wish List if you prefer to donate in this way! It includes items listed below and can be found here:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/registry/wishlist/3538GTC2WIH2H
Owlet sock- The Owlet sock is truly my main item that got me started on this campaign. Not all babies are discharged from the NICU with monitoring systems at home; for example, Owen was not sent home on any monitors or oxygen, but he does have Chronic Lung Disease so we purchased an Owlet for peace of mind at home. After watching your child be monitored 24/7 for however long you are in the NICU to having nothing is enough to keep any parent up for nights on end. I know from our experience, if we hadn’t had an Owlet system when we came home with Owen we wouldn’t have slept a wink due to watching him and making sure he was breathing! This system monitors your baby’s heart rate and oxygen levels through a sock that straps around their foot, and if those levels go outside of set ranges then the base will alert you. These systems cost $300 a piece which to some families is just not something they can afford, but in my personal experience is a necessity for NICU grads to have which is why I am trying to raise the funds to purchase Owlets for these families!
WubbaNub- WubbaNub is a company that has created pacifiers that are attached to various stuffed animals. In the NICU pacifiers are a tool used to help develop a baby’s suck reflex so that they can transition from tube feedings to breast/bottle. Due to many premature infants not having that suck reflex fully developed at birth, pacifiers are a utilized largely in the NICU. We like Wubbanub because they use the same pacifier that our NICU provided, but with the attached animal it helped to keep the pacifier in Owen’s mouth while he was developing that suck reflex. Usually the pacifier would pop out if someone wasn't actively helping him keep it in! After NICU, WubbaNub has helped Owen develop motor skills as he learned to grab onto the attached animal. These cost around $15 each. **WubbaNub has been so generous and donated 30 WubbaNubs for our comfort bags!!
Calendar and Journal- Two very simple yet very invaluable items that I used in the NICU were a calendar and a journal. The calendar I used to track Owen’s weight gain/loss each day and one significant thing that happened that day. The journal I used to write down a summary of each day so that Owen’s dad, Eric, could look back once he got home and when Owen gets older he can read about his NICU journey and see pictures of how he grew each day! These cost around $3 for both. Sandy Wilson has donated 30 journals and Jennifer Wilson has donated 30 calendars! Thank you so much ladies!!
Swaddle Blankets- The day you get to move your baby from an isolette to an open crib is a big day! You officially get to dress your baby for the first time and swaddle them! Carter’s make swaddle blankets in adorable prints and patterns that are soft and just stretchy enough to wrap a perfect swaddle! Owen’s nurses commented on how much they liked his swaddles as well. These cost between $12-15 for a pack of 2.
Burp Cloths- These can be used both in and out of the NICU once a baby is allowed to start breast/bottle feeding. I have tried many brands of them and my preference is to get Carter’s brand if possible just due to the quality and softness because most NICU babies have delicate skin that is put through the ringer with medical tape daily. These cost $8 for a pack of 4.
Hand Sanitizer- This one is pretty self explanatory, but NICU parents have to wash their hands and sanitize to extreme measures so having a bottle close by is always useful. These cost around $3 a bottle.
Preemie Baby Book- They aren’t many books for babies that depict a preemie lifestyle, but I have found a few that are lovely. Reading to your baby in their isolette is a great way to nurture them and help them developmentally. Some moms have also used their preemie baby books as a way for nurses to leave little notes for the baby once they are older. These cost around $15 each. The lovely author of The Littlest Peanut, Shannan Wilson, has donated the books for our bags!
Blankets- This item is for the parents. Our NICU allowed us to stay with Owen overnight in a reclining chair. A pillow and cozy blanket were used daily for us and provided a little essence of home for us. The cost of these are $13-15 each.
Gift Cards- Some hospitals have an abundance of dining options while others only have a cafeteria option. Having a gift card to use for coffee, gas or food other than hospital dining is a nice change of pace every now and then. I am working to get most of these donated, but cost would be $5-15
The Milligan family has graciously donated quilted hearts for our comfort bags in honor of their daughter/granddaughter, Remi Grace Milligan! These hearts are used by a mom keeping it close to her body to get her scent on it then placing in her baby's isolette/crib. It provides comfort for the baby by having mom's scent by them when she isn't able to hold them. How sweet!!
Boppy has donated 5 nursing covers for our NICU moms! These make such a difference by allowing moms to nurse or pump breastmilk for their preemie in private without having to leave their bedside! Thank you, Boppy! Getting 25 more of these would be amazing!
Thank you so much for your time and support towards helping more NICU parents be Preemie Warriors not Worriers! God Bless!
My goal is to help preemie parents become “Warriors Not Worriers” by raising enough funds to purchase items that truly made a difference in our NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) journey. The end goal is to put together at least 30 "comfort bags" for current and future NICU families because I know first hand that comfort and support is much needed while your baby is in the NICU.
We have been wanting to give back to the community that has given us so much since Owen was born! We are excited to put those plans into action and hope you will share that excitement with us on this journey!
I have to be honest, before becoming pregnant and being told I was high-risk for premature labor due to a uterine anomaly, I had never really thought about NICUs and what it all meant to have a preemie. No amount of research on prematurity could have prepared me for the reality of having Owen at 27 weeks gestation. Being in the NICU all day everyday, I was able to hear a lot of unique stories from other preemie parents, but the one concern that all of us had in common was we needed support. I was very fortunate to have the support of my family and new friends who I met while in the NICU, but others aren’t always that fortunate. Families can stay anywhere from a week to 200+ days in the NICU which can quickly make it feel like a never-ending roller coaster.
Another major concern for NICU families is finances. Unfortunately, not all insurance plans cover the medical needs of preemies. With NICU stays going up into the 50+ day range, medical bills can start reaching the millions of dollars very easily. In my opinion, this adds such a stress onto families who are already dealing with so much and truly should only need to focus on their child’s care. Since these bills do get so high sometimes, it makes it difficult for families to purchase items that may be extremely useful with in the NICU and at home for their baby. Sadly, some preemie moms do not have a baby shower due to their baby being born well before that timeframe so some of these items are things they may have missed out on.
With all the amazing donations coming in we have been able to decrease our goal from a $12,000 to a $10,000 goal! I plan to start in Hickory, NC, where Owen was born, then donate to additional NICU/PICUs and deserving families we have come in contact with along the way. We plan to take the bags with us for Owen's NICU Reunion in May! Any and all donations you are willing to put towards this cause would help tremendously as every penny counts! I have reached out to the companies of the products listed below and many more for donations to get started, but the rest is up to us to raise the funds! Below I have listed the items I intend to include in these bags if enough funds can be raised. Please don't hesitate to contact me for any needed information or questions!
We realize that giving monetary donations may not be for everyone. For that reason, we have created an Amazon Wish List if you prefer to donate in this way! It includes items listed below and can be found here:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/registry/wishlist/3538GTC2WIH2H
Owlet sock- The Owlet sock is truly my main item that got me started on this campaign. Not all babies are discharged from the NICU with monitoring systems at home; for example, Owen was not sent home on any monitors or oxygen, but he does have Chronic Lung Disease so we purchased an Owlet for peace of mind at home. After watching your child be monitored 24/7 for however long you are in the NICU to having nothing is enough to keep any parent up for nights on end. I know from our experience, if we hadn’t had an Owlet system when we came home with Owen we wouldn’t have slept a wink due to watching him and making sure he was breathing! This system monitors your baby’s heart rate and oxygen levels through a sock that straps around their foot, and if those levels go outside of set ranges then the base will alert you. These systems cost $300 a piece which to some families is just not something they can afford, but in my personal experience is a necessity for NICU grads to have which is why I am trying to raise the funds to purchase Owlets for these families!
WubbaNub- WubbaNub is a company that has created pacifiers that are attached to various stuffed animals. In the NICU pacifiers are a tool used to help develop a baby’s suck reflex so that they can transition from tube feedings to breast/bottle. Due to many premature infants not having that suck reflex fully developed at birth, pacifiers are a utilized largely in the NICU. We like Wubbanub because they use the same pacifier that our NICU provided, but with the attached animal it helped to keep the pacifier in Owen’s mouth while he was developing that suck reflex. Usually the pacifier would pop out if someone wasn't actively helping him keep it in! After NICU, WubbaNub has helped Owen develop motor skills as he learned to grab onto the attached animal. These cost around $15 each. **WubbaNub has been so generous and donated 30 WubbaNubs for our comfort bags!!
Calendar and Journal- Two very simple yet very invaluable items that I used in the NICU were a calendar and a journal. The calendar I used to track Owen’s weight gain/loss each day and one significant thing that happened that day. The journal I used to write down a summary of each day so that Owen’s dad, Eric, could look back once he got home and when Owen gets older he can read about his NICU journey and see pictures of how he grew each day! These cost around $3 for both. Sandy Wilson has donated 30 journals and Jennifer Wilson has donated 30 calendars! Thank you so much ladies!!
Swaddle Blankets- The day you get to move your baby from an isolette to an open crib is a big day! You officially get to dress your baby for the first time and swaddle them! Carter’s make swaddle blankets in adorable prints and patterns that are soft and just stretchy enough to wrap a perfect swaddle! Owen’s nurses commented on how much they liked his swaddles as well. These cost between $12-15 for a pack of 2.
Burp Cloths- These can be used both in and out of the NICU once a baby is allowed to start breast/bottle feeding. I have tried many brands of them and my preference is to get Carter’s brand if possible just due to the quality and softness because most NICU babies have delicate skin that is put through the ringer with medical tape daily. These cost $8 for a pack of 4.
Hand Sanitizer- This one is pretty self explanatory, but NICU parents have to wash their hands and sanitize to extreme measures so having a bottle close by is always useful. These cost around $3 a bottle.
Preemie Baby Book- They aren’t many books for babies that depict a preemie lifestyle, but I have found a few that are lovely. Reading to your baby in their isolette is a great way to nurture them and help them developmentally. Some moms have also used their preemie baby books as a way for nurses to leave little notes for the baby once they are older. These cost around $15 each. The lovely author of The Littlest Peanut, Shannan Wilson, has donated the books for our bags!
Blankets- This item is for the parents. Our NICU allowed us to stay with Owen overnight in a reclining chair. A pillow and cozy blanket were used daily for us and provided a little essence of home for us. The cost of these are $13-15 each.
Gift Cards- Some hospitals have an abundance of dining options while others only have a cafeteria option. Having a gift card to use for coffee, gas or food other than hospital dining is a nice change of pace every now and then. I am working to get most of these donated, but cost would be $5-15
The Milligan family has graciously donated quilted hearts for our comfort bags in honor of their daughter/granddaughter, Remi Grace Milligan! These hearts are used by a mom keeping it close to her body to get her scent on it then placing in her baby's isolette/crib. It provides comfort for the baby by having mom's scent by them when she isn't able to hold them. How sweet!!
Boppy has donated 5 nursing covers for our NICU moms! These make such a difference by allowing moms to nurse or pump breastmilk for their preemie in private without having to leave their bedside! Thank you, Boppy! Getting 25 more of these would be amazing!
Thank you so much for your time and support towards helping more NICU parents be Preemie Warriors not Worriers! God Bless!
Organizer
April Skogerboe
Organizer
Hickory, NC
