Alisa was born at 28 weeks of pregnancy, weighing 1,260 grams.

The first month was incredibly tough. Intensive care, oxygen masks, neonatal pneumonia, jaundice, countless needle sticks and IVs… and, as a result, fragile veins.

 

But this little girl has incredible strength and a tremendous will to live, grow, and be a healthy, happy baby. So she’s already four months old, and today she weighs nearly 6 kilograms. Alisa is no different from other babies, even though you can still see a few traces of her premature birth. The only thing that sets her apart from other babies is a small scar on the bridge of her nose, caused by the oxygen mask.

The baby clearly needed specialized neonatal care. Throughout this entire period, it was a real struggle to find small cannulas and skin-friendly adhesive bandages that wouldn’t tear her delicate skin. They’re hard to find and expensive—and not every family can afford them.

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When we were finally able to dress her, the question arose: where could we find clothes this tiny? That’s when you came to our rescue—and your cherry pit heating pad saved us from stomachaches more than once.

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As for me, all I really needed was more positive stories and videos from other moms who had already walked this path before us—and a balanced diet, because hospital food doesn’t provide enough nutrition for a mom to produce that precious breast milk that premature babies need so much! At one point, I was advised to follow a strict diet because they suspected my diet was causing the baby to feel bloated—which turned out to be a mistake. I lost my strength, my milk supply plummeted, and the baby became fussy. It’s not always necessary, and doctors aren’t always right—listen to their advice, but also watch your baby closely. Because no one senses their child the way a mother does. If you notice changes in your baby’s behavior or appearance, GO SEE THE DOCTORS AND NURSING STAFF AND SPEAK UP. Don’t be shy; don’t be afraid. Because to healthcare professionals, it’s just another patient, but to you, it’s your whole life. At the same time, be grateful to the doctors for their work: they put in exhausting hours for a very modest salary, and it’s important to remember that.

I’d never been through a situation like ours before. It wasn’t until predictions of a premature birth started appearing on my social media that I came across Dr. Turine’s videos about premature babies. Thanks to her, I believed in a positive outcome and realized that our little ones are much stronger than we think.

 

Our story taught me the following:

• If you get sick during your pregnancy—get medical care, don’t insist on working, and get some rest.

• Don’t scrub the floors on your knees starting at the end of the second trimester.

• Trust your doctors, but double-check things yourself: ask for a second opinion, keep an eye on where the IVs are placed, and if you notice any swelling, ask them to move them to a different spot.

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Carefully examine every part of your baby’s body: you might notice something the doctors missed. Find out for yourself about your baby’s health, ask for test results, and write down and photograph all the information about your child that you have access to. Keep a journal, at least for the first few weeks: record your baby’s weight, all diagnoses, and all medications used for treatment. This is important. Don’t hesitate to ask for explanations, or to ask them to repeat or write down the name of a diagnosis or medication.

Your little one is going to do just fine! Don’t read or listen to sad stories—they don’t apply to you, and they don’t apply to your baby. Have faith and take care of him or her; talk to your baby and tell him or her that you’ve been waiting so long for him or her—and that there’s already a place in your life waiting just for him or her.