One thing that I’ve found amazing is the affinity a preemie mum seems to have with other preemie mums, and Dads too but it’s mainly mums that I have personally come across so I’m not being unfair when I say mums.
We’ve met some wonderful people through our preemie experience. People that will be friends for life.
Sometimes the only thing we have in common is our preemies. It’s odd. Quite often, it seems, they are people that you wouldn’t necessarily come across in your normal walk of life, and if you did you wouldn’t necessarily find that much to talk about as you really don’t have much in common. I don’t mean that to be offensive in any way, just that you don’t have the same interests and tastes. But they turn into dear, dear friends. Mainly, I think, because you have a shared experience. But also because you have this understanding of them, of some of the weird and random emotions they might have had during their NICU time and be having months and even years after. And of their ‘different’ love for their preemie. By different I don’t mean it’s any stronger than a parent who loves their term baby, it’s just different.
About 6 months ago I met a neighbour’s sister at a party we were both at. She’d had her gorgeous little girl a few years ago at 24/25 weeks. Our neighbour had told her about us and Littlebit and she’d asked to be introduced. The moment we met each other we hugged and cried. I’d never met this lady before but we just cried together. We had an understanding of what each other had been through, even though we didn’t go into much detail about our stories, we just understood and had this connection.
There was also one particular mum who had a baby on the unit the same time as Littlebit and we regularly meet up to have a cuppa and a catch up and just celebrate our baby girls. I’m so glad we’re still in touch as her little girl was born around the same time and gestation as Littlebit and it’s so good to watch them develop together. I’ve also found a friend for life in her.
Our preemie buddies and one of Littlebit’s nurses and Littlebit at a recent ‘tea party’ at our house
And recently I have met another mum through my campaigning work for Bliss. Again we’ve just hit it off immediately and she and her lovely daughter have fit into our already established Hinckley Yummy Mummies group as if they’ve always been around. They’re just great.
I get an unspoken support from other preemie parents. Don’t get me wrong, there’s spoken support too if you need it, but most of the time just knowing that the understanding is there is really reassuring. I really would implore preemie parents to get in touch with other parents, either through your unit or one of the many local charities that support parents of preemies. It’s so important.
It’s been great meeting you through the campaign and slotting into the group too.
It’s weird but very cool to meet new people and feel like you’ve instantly known them for ages!!! Looking forward to Baby Bake at Roody’s tomorrow! 
x
How do you know I was talking about you Beadzoid? ;p
See you tomorrow lovely lady x