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Old 05-03-2013, 06:55 PM
  #10  
GingerK
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Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Ontario, Canada
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That is a very thoughtful thing you have done. My DD is a NICU nurse (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) The babies that she helps look after, often weigh just a pound. (Think of a pound of butter. A lot of these babies are about that size.) And because their bodies are so under developed at birth, if they survive, many of them will have life long health problems. A baby who actually survives and goes on to live a totally normal life, is a miracle and definitely NOT the norm.

Unfortunately, some babies just cannot be saved. I have made bereavement gowns of the unit for a number of years. The gowns are made of soft prewashed pastel flannelette and have a front opening allow for tubes and wires. Very often, the only time that parents can hold their child is while it is dying but still attached to all those machines. The gown and the blanket that the baby was wrapped in at that time, are preserved for the parents as a remembrance. Photos and hand and foot prints are taken and all these things go into a remembrance box for the parents.

The number mentioned is not necessarily high. Remember, these are high risk pregnancies and we have no idea how many babies were delivered at this facility and survived.
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