♡ Made by a Mumma who has been there before ♡

Miracle Mumma

  • The difference between 'he's so tiny' and 'he's come so far' is a SuperMum cape...

    For the first 6 months of James’ life, I was constantly anxious about his weight. I’ve written about this before – it was consuming, and it was magnified by the comments I received every single day from strangers about how ‘tiny’ he was. I would defend him, telling people our story and explaining that he was ‘technically’ only X weeks old. Some people got it, and others continued to say ‘but I just can’t BELIEVE he’s 4 months’, like…yes dear you’re right, I’m lying to you. Gotcha! Sometimes I’d even have to remind people who already knew our story that James would take a while to catch up, because, you know, that whole thing where he arrived 10 weeks early and he was fed through a tube & fought for his life...
  • When your passion turns into purpose, and others just 'get it'

    When I started Miracle Mumma, I had no idea how invested I would become. I mean, I knew I was passionate…this was a dream I had poured my heart and soul into for months and I was jumping out of my skin to share it with the world. But when I received my first order, I was suddenly emotionally invested in a way I never expected. My first customer was way more than just ‘my first customer’. I wanted to know her story and share her journey. I wanted to be there for her and let her know that she wasn’t alone. I wanted to make this time easier for her. Meanwhile, she was probably freaking out thinking ‘who IS this crazy stalker girl’!? And then my second order came, and my third, and I had started to grow a little network of people who were slowly becoming my second family...
  • Six things I learnt about premature babies whilst in NICU

    One in 10 babies are born too soon, and premature birth is the leading cause of death of children under five.  My personal experience with pre-term birth (and the high risk of this happening to us again) means raising awareness of prematurity and these shocking statstics is extremely important to me. In honour of our very own miracle, James, I want to share six things I learnt about premature babies throughout our NICU stay. I hope this helps others better comprehend the phenomenon of a baby born too soon.
  • James does hospital (Round 2)

    James was recently back in hospital for a night. He got a runny nose Friday night, and by Saturday night he was struggling to breathe. James had most likely developed a virus such as the common cold, but being premature meant his lungs were vulnerable and at higher risk for further complications such as bronchiolitis and pneumonia. On Sunday morning when he wasn’t improving, we decided to take him to the local doctor for our own peace of mind. The doctor was concerned with the effort James was using to breathe, and he could hear some wheezes and crackles in the base of his lungs. We were sent for an x-ray and the radiologist saw patchy spots reinforcing the earlier concerns of pneumonia. The doctor sent us to hospital immediately, and despite being a nurse and caring for babies with these conditions daily, I broke down in tears. I wasn’t sure whether it was the diagnosis, or the fear of going back to hospital where we had anxiously spent the first five weeks of his life.
  • How to help your friend who has a baby in NICU

    Before James, I would have had no idea where to start or even how to behave if someone I knew had a baby in NICU. It’s a different world that cannot be understood until experienced. And it’s certainly not your typical ‘congratulations on your baby’ experience where you visit just days later and get squishy cuddles and a cup of tea. In fact, you don’t even know whether you should be happy or sad. But this shouldn’t stop you from reaching out and showing your support. I’m hoping this blog will help you find a way to be there for your friends or family while also respecting their space at such an emotional and delicate time.
  • Pregnancy following pre-term birth: so what happens next time?

    When James was born, the ever-famous Dr Rad was doing his ever-amazing job by asking me about my plans regarding our next pregnancy. At the time, I snorted at him…literally – it got the same response as when I was asked about birth control while James was still in hospital! I mean c’mon mate, the only thing stimulating my nipples right now is an expressing kit! Anyway…I digress. So Dr Rad was keen to know sooner rather than later if James was going to be a big brother, and for good reason (which I can appreciate now). I eventually answered with apprehension that we had initially planned to have another baby down the track, but at this stage we simply felt blessed to have our one healthy miracle staring back at us from inside his humidicrib. I couldn’t even think about the possibility of another baby after the emotional turmoil we had endured. It had taken absolutely everything to finally get our little guy and he had changed my perspective on absolutely everything! I went from wanting and needing three babies, to being utterly content with just him. That previous greed seemed absolutely ridiculous. Of course, all Dr Rad took from that was ‘we had initially planned to have another baby down the track’ (bless his cotton, checkered socks!) – he referred me to a reputable maternal fetal medicine doctor for pre-pregnancy planning ‘just in case’.
  • The Diary of a Premature Baby – Part 6

    This has been the best week of all. I was on my best behaviour as promised and had my monitor removed – no more silly beeping and no more stressing about keeping my heart rate high. I can be naughty and nobody would know! I love being wire-free. Mummy comes in and spends the whole day as usual, but we are able to go out the back into a quiet room and spend as much time together as we want. I get extra cuddles and Mum gets to look after me by herself mostly. No one even interrupts! It makes me feel more like a normal baby. My favourite part of the day is when Daddy comes after work. I try to stay awake after my breastfeed to say hello, and then I get to fall asleep snuggling him.
  • Taking your premature baby home: from strict routine to complete disorder

    I thought having a premature baby in hospital was going to be as tough as it would ever get. And it was. But then we took our boy home. It was one of the best days of my life and one I thought would never come. People said we would be ready – we had spent 5 weeks in hospital getting to know our baby and he was already in a ‘routine’. And I almost believed them. But in actual fact, it was the opposite.
  • The Diary of a Premature Baby – Part 5

    This week got a little bit boring for me and I’m starting to get over being in hospital. Time drags when you sleep all day. I feel real strong and ready to go home but they keep telling me I have to grow and learn to feed. I thought I was doing fine but I do get really sleepy still and can only do two breastfeeds a day. I find it hard to keep sucking so the nurses still have to give me extra mummy’s milk through my tube. I guess I’m not strong enough and it makes me sad because I know Mum and Dad are ready to take me home. But I’m definitely doing good at the growing part – I put on a total of 190g this week and hit 2kg! Dad says I’m looking fatter each day, how rude!
  • Breastfeeding a premature baby – the most UN-natural thing in the world

    This blog will follow the long, tiring and emotional journey I took to finally be able to breastfeed my premature baby. This is an educational blog (a long-winded one at that!) and won’t suit everybody, but feel free to read on and learn something new! For those that are going through something similar and have found my blog by scouring the internet in a hot mess, don’t check yourself into crazy-town just yet. I hope this makes you feel less alone and that it even gives you some reassurance, or at the very least, gives you the strength to run a brush through your hair!
  • The Diary of a Premature Baby – Part 4

    Oh my gosh everyone, so much has happened this week and I’m just bursting to tell you all. I’m getting so much better at remembering it all. I can’t keep this news any longer…I was moved into a new home! A big boy box like all those other babies – one without a roof! It makes it so much easier to see, hear and touch everyone, and I’m allowed more cuddles now. I do get a bit cold sometimes though, and the lights are so bright. The monitor is still there and it’s really loud now when I’m naughty. But overall I am so so happy to get some fresh air. It helps that they moved me into a nice quiet room with just one other baby (who I think tries to talk to me but she just sounds like a sheep and I don’t really understand).
  • The Diary of a Premature Baby – Part 3

    This week my home was moved to SCBU2 which is apparently the last stop until I leave with Mummy and Daddy. I like it here because I’m getting longer cuddles. Being a good boy is working and I’m getting stronger every day. This room is very busy and noisy, there’s lots of babies who are much bigger than me and make loud noises until the nurses give them attention. Their boxes don’t have lids. I wonder if I will get a new home like them one day.