This is the first time I've posted about anything controversial. All week I've been watching a debate on Facebook about an event called 'Poppi's Rule'. This event is organised by a family and their friends who lost a baby due to preterm birth at 22+3 weeks gestation. The story is sad, heart wrenching and traumatic. Around Australia, every day babies are born too early. Born before they're due and unfortunately some are born before the magic 24 week gestation line where viability can't be considered for the baby.
Viable- what a cold cruel word for the use in terms a small baby.
I heard the word viable often waiting from 19 weeks gestation in hospital. Waiting to see if I'd reach the 24 week line. It was near a 5 week wait. I wasn't supposed to, medically, make it.
I made it to 24 weeks. And beyond.
I wondered in the last week before the 24 week line what would happen? What if something happened when I was say 23+3 weeks, what would they do? To me this was a huge grey area. I know of babies who have survived at this gestation.
Before 23 weeks I'd resigned myself to the fact that my baby would not make it. There was a part of me that didn't want him or her to make it if born then. The battle would have been huge and the long term side affects too unknown if he or she survived. The chances of survival were very very slim especially with my complications. Sometimes things are simply not suppose to be and that is your journey, your sidetrip in life. It is what you're here to face and learn from. Take the lesson and grow.
Back to the Facebook event. Oh my! The emotions are running high! There is a pro page and now an against page.
The 'for' team is wanting the law change so all parents of babies born between 20-24 weeks have the right to request for their babies to be assisted in a fight for life and that every hospital be equipped to be able to do this.They are simply telling their story. Using emotion and their experience of losing a baby so tragically.
The 'against' side is simply against the above. From what I can tell the against side are mainly people who have had first hand experience of prematurity and the NICU world. They are using experience and medical knowledge to voice their case.
Me, well I'm not 'joining' either side.
The pros have their issues. They aren't providing information to the people joining their event. What is the current law?? What does it state?? What is your new rule??? Are they fighting federal or state law?? So you have a 200000 names on Facebook, what are you going to do with them?? It is pointless if you don't have organisations and foundations of premature babies, obstetric professionals, NICU specialists and hospitals on your side.
The pros are grieving and want answers for what happened and perhaps there does need to be a review of the law.The main thing they are achieving is raising awareness of the suffering of families around Australia.
The against are trying to let people know the facts. Being born before 24 weeks is NOT about being born small. The NICU journey, no matter what gestation, is not for the fun of it or about the baby being too small. These babies are born too soon. They are born too immature for the world outside their mother's womb.
There are two sides of Poppi's Rule. Many valid points are being made on both sides.Both sides have knowledge and experience of the two different sides.
My heart aches for these families who lose there babies mid term. I have not walked in their shoes. Tia and I crossed that magical 24 week line.
I cannot tell you how many women, families and friends who have shared their sad stories with me. How many tears I've cried for others.Having a healthy full term baby is not a given. No one is immune.
All I know for sure is this, babies are supposed to be born at term which is on average 40 weeks gestation. The only safe place for a baby to grow until then is in their mother's womb.
We can fight for our premmie babies but there is no answer or medical solution to prematurity. There is not one reason for early birth there are hundreds and this means it will always be an outcome.
I think the answer is to unite and work together for all the precious babies who are miscarried, born too soon or born sleeping.
Support and helping each other. Unity is the only way.
Cathryn
Here's an article about the family of Poppi http://www.news-mail.com.au/story/2011/02/18/family-still-mourning-babys-death-bundaberg/
And an interesting article about the difference a week can make http://www.latimes.com/health/boostershots/la-heb-premature-baby-20110218,0,1645424.story?track=rss
