Love, Kaitlyn

“Dear NICU Mama, I know you can do this because you were chosen for this journey.

You may not see it now, but you were made for this. As you grow to accept your NICU stay, you will begin to find a routine and hold on tightly to each experience you finally get to have with your baby. In these times, it is okay to hold grief for the experiences you did not get to have. You are the best mom for your baby on the good days, and on the extremely devastating, hard days where it takes all your strength just to walk in the doors.

The story you are creating with your baby is one no others will ever be able to tell. You may not have gotten the maternity photo shoot, golden hour, or chubby baby to take home. But you are watching your child fight and grow in a way few will ever understand. You are stronger than most, and you don’t take a single day or moment with your baby for granted. Your journey may not have begun how you had hoped, but alongside the grief and sadness, you will learn to love the little things, and this will continue as you make your way home.

You will be more patient in the night wakes, because you pumped in an empty room with no baby beside you for so long. Your heart will calm when you hear their cries, because you were unable to always be the one to hear and soothe their cries in the hospital. When they fuss and want to be held, you won’t hesitate to pick them up and cherish every moment you get to hold them in your arms, because you have waited so long to be able to hold them without asking someone else’s permission.

This story you are creating is not the one you planned, but it is yours, and alongside the grief, you will find the joy. You were MADE for this. Your baby is perfect and you are exactly the mama they need.”

Love,
Kaitlyn

More of Kaitlyn + Archer’s NICU Journey:

“Our sweet baby boy was born at 30+4 weeks due to me developing severe preeclampsia. This was a hard way to become a mother, but my husband, baby, and myself have grown stronger each day. We spent 37 days in the NICU and have been home for almost 3 months now. The best way to describe our journey, is these two words: grief and joy. Archer Wayne will be 4 months old on the 13th of August and he is our fierce, feisty, sweet, and perfect baby boy who continues to amaze us every day!”