MORE SUPPORT FOR FAMILIES FINALLY TAKING THEIR PREMATURE OR SICK BABY HOME
Announcement posted by Miracle Babies Foundation Ltd 22 Oct 2018
Mum, Nathalie was the very first to receive the Miracle Babies Grad Bag after baby Athan was born premature at just 25 weeks gestation, weighing just 845 grams.
After 109 days in hospital, her first month home was filled with joy, but she also reflects on how nervous she felt having her fragile baby at home, without any nurses or doctors close by.
Each year in Australia, more than 48,000 babies are born requiring specialised care, of these approximately 27,000 babies are born premature. For many families this could mean a hospital stay of up to 4 months – or even longer - in the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) and/or Special Care Nursery (SCN).
When the time comes for these families to finally go home with their baby it can be exciting for everyone. At the same time though, it’s often frightening and extremely overwhelming for the parents.
For Nathalie and her family the first month at home with baby Athan was very different to a family with a full-term baby.
Mum Nathalie says, “Graduation day was something we thought would never come but it finally did. We felt nervous taking Athan away from his safe bubble of the hospital but him graduating meant he was healthy enough to face the world outside and we could treat him like a newborn baby.
This was our second time bringing home a premature baby home, so we knew the challenges we were going to face, however what was new to us was his oxygen therapy and it was difficult manoeuvring him around the house in the beginning. Athan still needs to be monitored closely by our paediatrician and by our NICU family support nurses.
The graduation bag we received from Miracle Babies was also helpful in having information readily accessible for us to read and refer to when we needed it. I think the graduation bag is a great way to celebrate premature babies finally going home and for NICU parents to know that Miracle Babies is a support network available for them even after leaving the hospital.”
Nathalie and her husband Van Cam were the very first to receive the Miracle Babies Foundation Grad Bag, a special new resource launched in 2018 to support families who have had a premature or sick newborn as they transition from hospital to home. This stage of the journey can often be overlooked, and Miracle Babies Foundation believes that more support and attention should be given around this special, yet confronting milestone for these families.
CEO of Miracle Babies Foundation, Kylie Pussell, says “Graduating and going home is a major celebration and represents the new journey of really feeling like a family. As exciting as it can be, the reality is that It can also be quite scary. Suddenly you don’t have doctors and nurses by your side, you’re very much on your own and these babies are often still quite vulnerable to the environment around them. We’re so pleased to be able to bring this new resource to hospitals for families just like Nathalie’s, going home is a new phase of the journey and it’s important that they have support for this transition.”
As part of an enhanced partnership, BabyLove Nappies is helping to support these families as the proud launch partner, sponsoring the very first 500 Miracle Babies Grad Bags distributed to families as they leave the hospital. The Miracle Babies Foundation Grad Bag is currently available to limited hospitals, later to be introduced into other hospitals around the country and includes vital information, BabyLove Premmie Nappies and other special items for their transition. BabyLove is an ongoing supporter of Miracle Babies Foundation, providing funding toward vital support services. “As a nappy company, one of the key things we can do for premmie families is ensure the comfort of our smallest babies with appropriately sized nappies that are soft and gentle on delicate skin,” says BabyLove’s Debra Smith.
The support and playgroups (NurtureGroups) are one way that Miracle Babies Foundation already provides invaluable, emotional support and a discharge network for families transitioning home and beyond. It is hoped that the Grad Bag will be one more way of supporting families as they settle their newborn at home.
FOR ASSETS including images and Nathalie’s full Going Home story please access the following DROPBOX
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/dniw6lg99xkfm5w/AABGDcenWQnoT31vNPGUMG5_a?dl=0
FOLLOW & SHARE @miraclebabiesfoundation #miraclebabies
MEDIA CONTACTS: For further information contact danielle.hodgson@miraclebabies.org.au
FACTS ABOUT PREMATURITY AND SICKNESS AT BIRTH:
- Prematurity is the single largest killer of children in Australia
- Many premature or sick babies go on to face lifelong challenges including disabilities, health complications, developmental delays and behavioural problems
- Premature babies: 1 in 4 will have Cerebal Palsy
- Parents of NICU babies (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) are 2.5 times more likely to suffer from postnatal anxiety and depression
- Research shows that depression and anxiety is reduced amongst parents who have access to support services
ABOUT MIRACLE BABIES
Miracle Babies Foundation is Australia’s leading organisation supporting premature and sick newborns, their families and the hospitals that care for them. Every year more than 48,000 newborn babies require the help of a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) or Special Care Nursery (SCN).
Since 2005, Miracle Babies Foundation has been passionate in developing and providing vital programs and resources to support and enhance a family’s experience from a threatened pregnancy, hospital journey with a premature or sick newborn, the transition to home and beyond. www.miraclebabies.org.au
ABOUT BABYLOVE NAPPIES
Watching a child grow is an important and joyful time for any parent. BabyLove strives to continuously develop outstanding baby products that help parents and their baby on this journey. BabyLove nappies are designed to help children stay comfy. BabyLove Premmie is available in 3 sizes - two of which are exclusive to Australian hospitals – and the third size (1.5kg-3kg) is available in pharmacies and baby specialty stores. BabyLove’s full range includes Cosifit™, which features Australian first patented technology to help protect baby’s delicate skin from red marks, and Nappy Pants, SleepyNights and Baby Wipes. www.babylovenappies.com.au