So Jennifer alerted the babies nurse just incase they carried out their plan.

MsLadyDeath would have cheered them on.

MsLadyDeath would have cheered them on.

ParaTed2k

To tell you the truth from everything I have read about MsLadyDeath. She could be one of my 6 daughters her interests are near to identical to Jennifer and Barbara. It sounds to me like she is truly interested in understanding the miss conceptions about Micro-Preemie.

Pam

they might as well try and help the baby..."letting them die" is the same as abandoning them.... By the way...anyone know what causes premature birth?...I haven't done the research, I never had the need to...perhaps we should work on preventing that if possible.

Zoologist03

You said “letting them die" is the same as abandoning them”. That is true but most of them go in the garbage can! When Jennifer went into labor I thought it was something common to pregnant people like a urinary tract infection they can be quite painful. But no it wasn’t when we got to the ER she was already 5 centimeters dilated and fully effaced. We live in a small town in the middle of nowhere population 297; the nearest hospital with a NICU is about 60 miles away. So Perry Lee had 0 chances to survive Jennifer’s OB GYN told us he was way to early and to be prepared for him to go in the garbage can. But since Jennifer had just lost one the year before she had read up on it she kept asking for the doctor to give her hormone injections that make the babies lungs develop fast they prefer the baby to get at least 24 hours of the hormone before the delivery. But the back woods doctor just would not listen to her 5 hours she pleaded with him. Before he finally talked to the NICU doctor; they finally got her labor slowed to a crawl enough time for an ambulance ride to the big city 60 miles away. Well Perry Lee got 11 hours better than nothing. We were told 90 percent of them are caused from a bacteria getting in the amniotic fluid. That’s what made my grandson come so early and they have no idea of how it gets in there. Because if they ever figure it out they can stop 90 percent of micro-preemies from happening!

Pam

That potential could be the person who cures aids, finds a way to make a peaceful world or saves your life. Wouldn't it be a shame to waste such a gift just because there is a possibility that their life may be hard?

just john

I agree I don't know what is in store for Perry Lee but I know he is a miracle and he has a purpose on this earth!

Pam

How about this... If you think a baby is better off if we just let them die, then we should keep food from you and let you die the wonderfully humane death you with on them.

May we ban ParaTed2k because of such hateful comments?

Anyway.. just my 2 cents.. If a baby is not supposed to live, and we literally have to take him out of the arm of the Reaper, then I think it should die, and the parents simply try for another baby.

It's called evolution, the fittest survives. We are cheating it because of all our technological and medical miracles (which is, on most part, a really good thing, but not for 100% of it...)

"As a parent, you create the life, you are responsible for the decisions for that child, as long as you are mentally capable of making "life or death" decisions"

Hey Pam, where in this statement do you see an advocation for child abuse?

"Even some parents don't deserve that right."

I agree, deserving or not, once you make children it is your right and responsibility to care for them as best you are able. There are legal punishments for murder which is what the case you describe would have amounted to. If they were found out, they would have faced the law under the justice system. Whats the problem with my statement? Some exception to the general guidelines? There are exceptions to every rule. Duh folks.

Hey Pam, where in this statement do you see an advocation for child abuse?

Dan

Nowhere!!! Your post just made me think of that particular incident so I thought I would share it with you.

Pam

Ok good, the case I made, against the title of the article, is in no way an endorsement for bad parenting. Rather, that all parents should have the rights and responsibilities in their hands, until they prove to be unable to make those decisions.

There's a story going around about a lady who microwaved her kid. That is the kinda child abuse that, would in mind, that would prevent a person from ever being allowed to care for children. However, parents who just want their kids to survive an ordeal, even one in which there isn't much hope, do and should continue to have that right, even though that may cause a child a lot of pain, or that a child not have a birth-defect free existence.

That's pretty much where I've stood on it, consistently.

As for child abuse, depending on the severity of the situation, once social services becomes involved then it should be up to the parents to demonstrate their ability at regular intervals, their capability and competency, in child rearing. As you have suggested, some parents do not have the ability to raise children and I agree, but just because you want to give your kids a shot at life, as a micro preemie, where the chances are slim, doesn't make you an abusive parent.

Dan

Take this link and read the blog please feel free to respond to it I thought. I would die laughing as I realized who Barb was referring to in her latest entry A Series of Unfortunate Events…. http://everythingandnothing.blogtoolkit.com/

Pam

What?

This is about an 14% survival rate with an 50% chance after that of being brain damaged.

So when you are in a car wreck and dying, at what odds should we quit trying to help you?

I have to think of my ECA instructor's words to us in a related area. He said if we ever have to answer an emergency call where a child is involved, even if we are positive the child is dead, to not give up on it. Continue performing CPR, because you want the parents to know you tried as hard as you could.

In the case of these micropreemies, many of the doctors are doing just that, trying as hard as they can.

I think parents should make these decisions when faced with them, rather than you, me or anyone else. In a world where we devalue life so much, I find hope in the fact that there are some trying to PRESERVE life in these tiny, fragile children.

One other illustration: a couple of months ago, my children found a very young puppy of our neighbours' literally on the brink of death. We knew the puppy didn't have much of a shot, but we tried everything we could. Sadly, the puppy didn't make it through the night. He was just too far gone. But at least he died warm and happy rather than cold and alone. And a child's life, to me, is worth infinitely more than a puppy's.

I said I would leave this thread alone and I still intend to but I think you should see that babies do survive without major trauma early on.

http://www.shreveporttimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061225/NEWS01/612250319Link to Shreveport Times

How are things going with you John and your little one?

I see several of the babies in question everyday as I walk the halls of the NICU. Some hooked up to the most amazing and crazy machines I have ever seen. I see doctors, respiratory therapist and nurses provide care and comfort to these children. For two weeks I have watched a little one that I was sure wouldn't make it, go on and on. I know that it is more than machines that are keeping him here. He is so tiny and amazing. This child must be destined for great things.

How are things going with you John and your little one?

They were born at 31 weeks 5 days on New Years day. All three are amazing little miracles. Each of them needed help breathing for just a few hours. Since then the only issues we have encountered were their ability to tolerate formula and what I can only call eye gunk. They have been switched to donor Brest milk and seem to be eating fine now. The eye gunk is not an infection. It is some sort of fluid that is similar to what we all wake up with crusted to our eyes in the morning.

We have been told countless times that we are lucky. I don't think its luck at all. We are no doubt blessed and I can wait to take my little blessings home in a few weeks.