This interview was first published in 2019, we're sharing it once again to celebrate World Prematurity Day 2020.
Today, on November 17th, we celebrate World Prematurity Day, in honour of all the tiny lighter fighters born before they were due – and all the mums, dads and NICU staff who together work to give these babies the very best start in life possible.
Here in Ireland, as many as 4500 babies are born prematurely each year, and due to advances in medical science, survival rates of these little fighters are increasing rapidly, with new research carried out by the Rotunda Hospital in Dublin revealing a 100% survival rate of premature babies born at 28 weeks.
This week, we caught up with Irish lifestyle blogger and new mum, Jodie Wood, who gave birth to her little boy, Milo, at just 33 weeks.
Did you have any warning that you would go into labour prematurely?
No I had no idea, I was having some small pains but had no idea it was labour. My mum was coming over to go swimming with me and when she arrived she said we’re getting you to the hospital straight away!
What was the immediate concern for you, having a premature baby?
When I first realised I was scared and worried as I hadn’t thought about it happening at all , but the nurses explained everything to me and made me realise that everything would be fine.
How long did you/Milo have to stay in hospital
?
Just under a month
What weight was he when you got to bring him home?
He was 2.4kg
What made your/Milo’s stay in NICU easier?
The amazing NICU nurses, we learned so much from them while we were there. They work so hard to make sure the tiny babies have the most comfortable start in life.
What are some things parents can do during a visit in the hospital in the NICU that will help them bond with their preemie?
Get involved in every hands on activity you can. Make sure you do the nappy changes and feeds, even if it’s holding them while they are tube fed. Change their clothes and bathe them instead of the nurses doing it. Anything you can do to physically touch your baby makes a huge difference. I also loved doing skin to skin for a couple of hours a day as he got bigger and was allowed out of his incubator for longer periods of time.
As a parent of a preemie, what advice do you have for parents who are dealing with the rollercoaster of emotions of having a preemie?
Just know that in time it all be “normal” and eventually you will have them home with you. Just be patient with them and take every day as a little win, keep reminding yourself they’re not even meant to be here yet.
As anyone who has every had a preemie will know, premature babies have very unique requirements. Previously, nappies that were available did not fit the smallest babies properly so were often cut and folded to size, which can cause discomfort and impede optimal development.
To help with this issue faced by thousands of parents around the world every year, Pampers designed a range of nappies specifically to meet the needs of premature babies, and is donating them, free of charge, to hospitals. The Pampers Preemie Protection nappies are designed specifically to meet the needs of the tiniest little fighters, the Size P3 nappy is three sizes smaller than a regular newborn nappy and is suitable for babies weighing as little as 1.8lb (800g).
Since launching its smallest nappy yet in April of last year, Pampers have made over 450,000 nappies available to Irish maternity hospitals for free. Following the success of this campaign, and in celebration of World Prematurity Day this week, Pampers is delighted to announce that it will continue to demonstrate its commitment to the happy, healthy development of every baby in Ireland, including those born prematurely by making these nappies available to Irish maternity hospitals again in 2019.
Campaign ambassador, lifestyle blogger and mother, Jodie Wood said,
“Every parent wants to give their little loved
ones the very best chance to grow healthy and strong, and this also means having the right nappy for their needs. Baby Milo surprised us all by arriving seven weeks early and nappy changing was part of our little routine in the ICU, as well as it being part of the precious few chances we had to touch and bond with him. I am delighted that Pampers has developed special nappies for preemies and is continuing to donate them to Irish hospitals. This will make such a huge difference to these tiny babies and their families.” 
