Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by Pampers. All opinions and thoughts are my own.
Before we had Lucy, I had a few friends who had preterm babies that needed to spend time in the NICU. They’d talk about the struggles of going back and forth from the hospital at all hours and the constant worry about what would happen each day. But it wasn’t until I had my own baby, who unexpectedly needed to go to the NICU, that I started to see what they really meant.
You never think that it’s going to happen to you. That you’ll be spending the days after your baby is born sitting in a room with monitors beeping and wires attached all over their little body. Lucy was born a week overdue, had meconium in her lungs and didn’t take her first breath when she was born. All this meant that within minutes of her being born, she was whisked off to the NICU with Garrett. Those dreams of holding her when she was first born were quickly replaced with worry and fear of what was going on.
Hours later I was able to go see her as I walked through the doors of the NICU for the first time. Everywhere I looked there were babies, many of them premature, in little plastic cribs and incubators, with nurses working away, wires going everywhere and monitors quietly beeping. It was very late at night but there were parents there, leaning over the cribs, talking to their Little Fighters and hoping that each day would get better. I suddenly realized what my friends had been talking about. The stress and fear, hope and happiness that are all rolled into one bundle of emotions while you watch your little one in the NICU.
One thing you probably don’t think about unless you’re in that situation, is what diapers your baby needs to wear. Preterm babies (born before 37 weeks gestation) often have delicate skin and different needs in a diaper than full term babies. This is where Pampers has worked alongside NICU nurses to create a unique flat preterm baby diaper that addresses the needs of these Little Fighters.
It has all-around absorbency to provide equal protection in the front and back, an Absorb Away Liner to pull wetness away from baby’s delicate skin and is made of the same breathable materials found in Pampers Swaddlers diapers. With no tape, no elastic leg cuffs and no fragrance, they’re just the right amount of softness and protection that these babies need. It’s one less thing that parents and NICU nurses need to worry about, especially in those critical first 72 hours of life.
November 17th is World Prematurity Day, to help raise awareness about preterm babies and the challenges for these babies and their families. Pampers has partnered with Graham’s Foundation this Prematurity Awareness Month and you can participate too! Share your #LittlestFighters story about the first time you were inspired by your baby’s fighting spirit on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram during the month of November using the #LittlestFighters hashtag and Pampers will donate $5 for each share (up to $10,000) to Graham’s Foundation.
Graham’s Foundation is a non-profit organization founded in 2009 by Jennifer and Nick Hall in memory of their son, Graham. Its mission is to offer both practical and emotional support to parents of preemie babies. The foundation supports parents by sending care packages to them during their journey in the NICU, and the foundation’s website provides a place for parents to share their stories and find support.
Click Here to view the Pampers “Littlest Fighters” video that champions the fighting spirit of all preemies and their families.
