With premature babies and Christmas both firmly on my mind this month I was so pleased to discover this exciting opportunity through a dear friend, and fellow preemie Mum, on Facebook to combine the two.
This Christmas you can get a personalised letter from Santa for your child whilst supporting a very important charity for premature babies and their families. Pop N Grow.
…..Pop ‘n’ Grow is the UK’s only neonatal clothing charity that supplies it’s unique patented clothing to Neonatal units across the UK 100% FREE. Based on the Isle of Wight, Pop N Grow’s goal is to give all 209 UK NICU/SCBUs a stock of our unique clothing, to make life just that little bit easier for babies, parents and nursing staff.
A Pop ‘n’ Grow baby-grow costs just £4.73 to produce and can be used 30 times a month for 365 days a year – that’s a lot of comfort for these special babies! We also supply incubator vests and hat and mitten sets for premature babies and a romper style grow for babies who require foot cannulation.
Our grows come in sizes 3 to 5lbs, 5 to 8lbs and 0 to 3 months, we can also convert larger size grows to fit babies up to age 2 years and our incubator vests come in sizes 2 to 4lbs and 4 to 6lbs…..
When premature babies are first born they cannot wear clothes. Esther and William were born at 27 weeks and they could not wear clothes because their skin was so fragile and because their incubator had to be kept moist to protect their delicate skin. They needed a warm, damp atmosphere to keep them safe and help them thrive. I remember having to clear the condensation from their incubators in order to see them clearly.
Once they came out of humidity they were allowed to wear clothes but there are very few places that you can buy clothes for such tiny babies. And babies on NICU need clothes that accommodate all their wires, tubes and cannulas. That allow access for medical procedure after procedure. They need clothes like the ones that Pop N Grow supply. For free!
The first day that Esther and William wore clothes they were dressed by a nurse. I was a bit upset actually that no one had thought that as their mother I might like to be the first person to dress their tiny frames. I was full of emotion, disappointment that I had not dressed them myself but immense pride that my tiny babies were doing well enough for clothes.
Wearing clothes is a real milestone for a premature baby and a magical moment never forgotten for their parents. Here are some magical moments of ours.
18th August 2010. The day Esther and William were first allowed clothes. 22 days after they were born.
2nd August 2010. The day Esther came out of humidity and was allowed to have a blanket for the very first time.
3rd August 2010. The day William cane out of humidity and had his first blanket.
Pop N Grow make the lives of premature babies and their families just a little more pleasant. You can help them too.
If you would like a personalised letter for your little one from Father Christmas this year please get it from Bundles of Joy (IW) who will donate all their profits to Pop N Grow to help ease the lives of those born too small, too sick and too soon this Christmas. I hope that you can find it in your heart this festive season to support such a worthy cause.