Prematurity Awareness Month Fact #6:
To a NICU medical professional, a micropreemie or micro-preemie is defined as a baby that is under 1 3/4 pounds (between 700-800 grams) and is generally born before 26 weeks gestation, but most people prefer to loosen this term up to include any baby under 3 pounds (1500 grams) or under 29 weeks gestation. Micropreemies require a lot of medical attention in order to survive, and many more micropreemies are surviving than ever before in history. The statistics for the survival of a micropreemie can range from 10-80%.
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Before having Morgan Kate I really knew nothing about premature babies. And I knew even less about micropreemies. I had never even heard the term. But when you have one, you begin to learn real fast.
When Morgan Kate was born she weighed 790 grams or one pound and twelve ounces. To put things in perspective, a baby weighing eight pounds at birth would be about 3628 grams. She was so tiny and I wondered if she would ever grow. For weeks and months (and sometimes even now) I worried about her weight and her growth. I don't necessarily care what the scales say now, I just want her to be a healthy and happy little girl that is growing and thriving the way she should.
And right now, I think she is.
4 comments:
I've enjoyed reading your daily facts about prematurity. My twins were 979 grams and 1161 grams (2lbs 2oz and 2lbs 8 oz). The 10 weeks in the NICU were the longest ever. Morgan Kate is beautiful. Thanks for sharing your journey.
-Kathy Henson
I think that she is plenty healthy and happy. Have you seen her smile. Oh wait, you get to see it all the time. She can't be faking that.
Thanks for all the prematurity facts. I love them eventhough my preemie was 36/6 but she weighed 4lbs 15 oz she was still considered early because of her size. She was healthy as a horse and I can't thank God enough for that. We certainly had someone looking out for us.
That she is...
Reading the facts and knowing so much about MKs journey - and your journey pre-MK - humbles me and reminds me how grateful I am. Those of us with full-term babies are scared and worried, so it's hard to imagine the feelings you and others with micropreemies must deal with. I will always admire your strength, courage, and faith!
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