L’il Aussie Prems | L'il Aussie Prems Blog

National Premmie Day 2008!

March 12, 2008 By trikiron Leave a Comment

It has been announced that the next National Premmie Day is Friday 25th July 2008! This is very exciting news and this gives everyone plenty of time to organise their gorgeous premature babies and hold an event in their area.

National Premmie Day is a day to celebrate all of those amazing premature babies out there in Australia who have been through SO much. It is also a day to celebrate those precious babies who are in hospital fighting for their lives to be with their families. Having a premature baby is an amazing, scary, heart wrenching, exhausting experience and a very long road for many parents. To be able to celebrate these “little battlers” on a special day just for them is inspiring.

The members at L’il Aussie Prems will be holding events around Australia. You will be able to find a list of premmie day celebrations on the premforum in the coming months. There will also be a list of events also available on the Premmie Foundations website also in the coming months. If you are holding an event of your own be sure to join the premforum and let all the parents know the details so others can join you.

We are sure everyone will have a fantastic premmie day and lets all join in celebrating our beautiful children!

For further details please see www.prembaby.org.au

premature babies, premature community, forum, babies, premature support, birth, preterm babies, parenting, premature birth

Filed Under: L'il Aussie Prems, Parenting, Premature Babies

Prem of the month – February

February 19, 2008 By trikiron Leave a Comment

Each month we feature one of our members’ special premature babies so we can learn more about their amazing journey through NICU. This month we would like to introduce;

Hunter and his mother Racheal

Where was Hunter born? Hunter was born at the Royal Womens in Melbourne, but was transferred when he was 1 week old to the Northern over at Epping

What was his gestation/how early was your premature baby? He was 35 weeks and 2 days

And his birth weight? He was 1705 grams (3lb 12oz). He is now almost 2 and is a small 8.5kgs

What do you remember most about your NICU journey? Our first cuddle – he was 2 days old and I was shaking as he looked so tiny and fragile. Holding his tiny hand through the isolette window. The day he graduated into a open cot. His first bath. The struggle with feeding, the expressing, finally being tube free and best of all, finally walking out the door with my baby

What might the NICU staff remember about you? Ummm… That’s a tough one!!!! That I came back for a second LOL. Probably the determination we had with feeding – I wanted to breastfeed but Hunter had other ideas.

What has been your proudest moment since Hunter came home? There have been heaps: Hunter crawling, walking, running, saying mummy. The compassion he shows when giving cuddles to his Daddy, his little brother Deegan and me

What is your top tip for other mothers of premature babies? Don’t be scared to ask for help! Accept offers of help and take heaps of photos as they grow up so fast. Cherish every moment, write a diary – I never did and wish I had with both boys. If your hospital offers professional photos get them done, take their foot and hand prints, have a teddy or something for comparison photos.

Filed Under: L'il Aussie Prems, Parenting, Premature Babies

An Award For A Premature Baby Parent

January 28, 2008 By Julia Toivonen Leave a Comment

You may remember me writing that I was nominated for “Volunteer of the Year” with my local council a few months ago. Well the award ceremony was held on Australia day and after having a lovely breakfast it was time to announce the award. They went through each nominee’s achievements and the other nominee’s were all amazing and inspiring people. The work i have been doing within the “premature baby community” for the National Premmie Foundation, Lifes Little Treasures & PIPA by creating their websites was mentioned in the Counsellors speech as well as L’il Aussie Prems and about the Premmie Day event I helped organise last year in Wantirna. The first award winner was to be announced and the winner was me!

I won the “Local Hero of the Year Award”, I could have fallen over. I met the Mayor of Knox, media, counsellors and many families. The 4 winners had photos taken for the local newspaper this week so I will post them up when I receive them. My husband Mark was very proud as were my parents who had tears in their eyes.

After the ceremony I spoke to quite a few women commenting that back in 1955 they had a premature baby or how their son/niece/nephew had had a premature baby. The more people i meet the more i am amazed that there are so many ex premature babies in Australia. Premature babies have always been around but until the past few years it does not seem like prematurity was talked about very much.

I am very happy and grateful to have won this award because the world of a premature baby is finally starting to be noticed. Many people have been working hard over the years trying to bring forth information and support to families of premature babies and i feel proud to know that i am also helping this to be achieved by doing everything that i do.

I hope you had a great Australia Day!

Filed Under: L'il Aussie Prems, Premature Babies

Happy Australia Day To All Premature Babies

January 26, 2008 By trikiron Leave a Comment

Happy Australia Day to all the premature babies around Australia. We hope that you and your families all celebrate the day with pride and thankfulness that your premature babies have been born safe into this great country and receiving the best medical care from our doctors and nurses in NICU.

To those premature babies who are celebrating their first Australia Day at home enjoy the day and there are many more celebrations to come.

Filed Under: L'il Aussie Prems

Bonnie Babes ~ Pride Of The Nation

January 25, 2008 By trikiron Leave a Comment

Well Ronan and i were photographed yesterday for an article that is coming out most likely next week in the local paper on behalf of Bonnie Babes and their “Pride of the Nation” project. The photographer was here for about 30 minutes and we took many different angles of poses. Ronan had a blast and we even got him to manage a smile in quite a few of the photos!

I had a phone interview with the editor asking questions like; What was your experience of having a premature baby, what delays do premature babies have, what do they do to help the delays, did having a premature baby change your life etc..

Pride of the Nation
Pride of the Nation needs kids from Newborn to 15 years old to be Professionally Photographed and appear in the
Bonnie Babes Foundation Annual Book. This exceptional quality coffee table book will be something that each participant
will cherish in the years to come. Call 1300 693 686

The book is just beautiful and it is a credit not only to Bonnie Babes but also to the photographers that took the photos.

For more information visit www.bbf.org.au

Filed Under: L'il Aussie Prems, Media Articles, Premature Babies

Parenting A Premmie ~ New Idea!

January 25, 2008 By trikiron Leave a Comment

L’il Aussie Prems is featured in this weeks New Idea! We are all very excited and welcome all the new members that have joined in the past week on the forum.

We hope that our premature baby community can bring you comfort in knowing that you are not alone not only on your journey but also with home life and milestone delays your premature baby may face.