Prayers for Brayden

[aglionz]

You won't be able to IMAGINE everything in this following poem, but trust me, in the future, you will. We framed this along with pictures of our son on his first birthday and dedicated it to the NICU.

Imagine.....your baby's birth weight being less than a bag of sugar or a 2 pound free weight or a 32 oz soft drink

Imagine…your granddaughter's tongue the same size as a tic-tac

Imagine...not hearing your child cry until he was a month old

Imagine…trying desperately to stay pregnant for as long as you can, even at risk to your own health

Imagine…giving birth only to be told that your baby has a 40% chance of survival and if she does survive, she will be blind, mentally and physically handicapped and never walk

Imagine…the smile on your face and the tears in your eyes when one year later, that same child RUNS past that same doctor

Imagine...having a hospital feel like home and your house feeling like a place you occasionally visit to sleep

Imagine…not seeing your daughter’s face until she was four weeks old because she was ventilated

Imagine…being able to fit your wedding ring on your child’s arm

Imagine…leaving the hospital empty handed

Imagine…planning your newborn’s funeral

Imagine…having the hospital call a week after the baby’s birth and asking if you’re having fun with your new baby…the new baby that you’ve never even held because he’s in the NICU struggling for life

Imagine…boxing up all of your baby things because it’s too painful to look at them in the nursery

Imagine…signing papers to allow for surgery on a baby who weighs less than a pound and a half

Imagine…the pain of parents all around you losing their babies, grief and guilt mixed with relief that it’s not you

Imagine…holding your baby when she’s two weeks old and realizing that the blanket she’s wrapped in weighs more than she does.

Imagine…feeling the pain of seeing pregnant women

Imagine…having to choose to stop breastfeeding the child you’ve already taken home in favor of his twin sister who is still in the NICU

Imagine…the fear of ever having another child

Imagine......Being afraid of, and afraid for, your child.

Imagine......Not even knowing who's lips, eyes, nose, or chin your child has because you can't see their face for all the tapes, tubes, and eye masks.

Imagine....Your husband knowing your nurses and the NICU routine better than you because he's been there for five days already before you ever even get to see your son.

Imagine...the looks on the faces of your friends and family when you try to talk about the future

Imagine...Being ecstatic when your baby hits 4 pounds, or 3, or 2...

Imagine…knowing your baby is born but the only sound you hear is the door closing as they take her away

Imagine... getting condolences instead of congratulations when your child is born.

Imagine... Not getting to hold your child until he/she is nearly a month old.

Imagine... hearing comment after comment on all the things people didn't think your baby would ever do.

Imagine... that some of the most peaceful times of your day are when you are sitting attached to a breast pump!

Imagine... how quickly the rough past fades away when your child first smiles at you.

Imagine…trying to produce breast milk that your baby desperately needs even though your body isn’t prepared to produce it

Imagine…knowing your baby literally inside and out because of x-rays, heart monitors, brain scans and blood tests

Imagine…dressing your baby for the first time in doll clothes

Imagine…knowing that no matter what happens, your life will never be the same

Imagine....being able to turn this life altering, tragic journey into something that can help many, many other people!

~Taken from the March of Dimes website
www.shareyourstory.org

[Twilightcraze]

My prayers are with Brayden, yourself, and your whole family! I know God will take care of you all through this stressful time! I am so happy to hear that he is becoming more and more stable!

[BabyChloe29]

wow aglionz that poem totally hit me hard, thanks for that, I can't say that i know what your going through because i dont either but just know that i will be praying for your little boy for sure, I'm really sorry that you have to go through this hard time right now. my friend recently went into see what she was having and her baby had already passed away she was 18 weeks she had to deliver him knowing that he wasn't going to cry or open his eyes, I'm glad that this didn't happen to you!! just have faith in the savior and everything will be okay. Can i ask what religion you are by chance or is that not allowed on here??

[sugunasank]

Hi
Iam sorry about that. But don't loose your hope. Your son is getting ready to come home. He'll be fine and i'll pray for you everyday. God is there watching you. Dont worry sister.

[AllBlueZoo]

You and your family are in my prayers. Keep talking to Brayden, He can hear you and it helps. I promise. It doesnt matter what it is about. I used to tell my baby about the weather being cold and described the snow to him. Told him about the rain and rainbows. Everything. Hang in there, there will be good days and bad ones.

[mamaj120]

My twin girls were born at 28 weeks. One of them tragically passed away after 5 days, but the other made it through 3 long months in the NICU with no lasting problems (so far anyway!). I understand the ups and downs of having a baby in the NICU far too well. Just take it day by day and try to stay positive. Visit your son as often as you can. Hold and touch him as often as the nurses let you. You and your son will be in my thoughts!!