Our Precious Preemies
When you become a parent you plan on carrying out your pregnancy for those 40 weeks and bring home a healthy baby boy or baby girl. However, this isn’t the reality for many parents. Some babies come early, some parents spend long, tiring nights in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit listening to the constant beeps of multiple machines keeping their babies alive.
Babies born before 37 weeks are considered to be born premature and because of that many are faced with a long road of recovery. These babies can be born with underdeveloped organs, jaundice, anemia, hemorrhaging and the potential inability to eat or even breath on their own.
I too was a preemie born at 29 weeks gestation. I spent a total of 175 days in the NICU with a breathing tube due to underdeveloped lungs as well as a feeding tube. I’ve seen photographs and heard many stories about that time and know how hard it was for my mother to endure.
It’s a very challenging and worrisome time for any parent. It is even estimated that 25% of NICU mothers develop Post Traumatic Stress Disorder because of the lasting imprint of birth trauma.
These tiny babies prove time and time again that they are our strongest fighters. They give all that they’ve got for a chance at life. One of those unforgettable preemies was Curtis. On July 5, 2020, at only 19 weeks Curtis was born weighing just 14.8oz having less than a 1% survival rate. Miraculously after a 275 day stay in the NICU, Curtis is now a healthy one year old who currently holds the Guinness World Record for being the earliest surviving preemie.
Another thing parents are left to consider when having a preemie is the crunch time of getting everything together. While most parents have 9 months to gather supplies, decorate the nursery and pick out the perfect name for their bundle of joy. Preemie parents don’t have those luxuries. They are often faced with having to make a rushed decision of what to name their babies when they should only have to focus on their health and recovery.
The stress that comes with decisions like these could be amplified under the overwhelming difficulty that comes with being a preemie parents. That’s why we want to do our best to make one decision a little bit easier. We know any name you choose for your baby is the perfect name simply because it was chosen by you; but for those parents that may not know where to even begin, we’ve compiled some of the most meaningful name that captures their fighting spirits the fierce bravery they’ve shown us since day one.
From Truett (Warrior From Christ) to Riley (Courageous) to Asha (Hope, Life, Alive and Well) parents have gravitated towards these symbolic, strong lead and reflective names that perfectly capture their babies soulful spirits.
A few of our personal favorites include Carlin (Little Champion) Althea (With Healing Power) and Zelda (Dark Battle, Strong Woman, Fighting Maiden).
A few parents have even gravitated towards a name in the literal sense. Khadija is of Arabic origin meaning Premature Child. This name ranks just above 200 at #183 in England. Khadija is also a common name in France and Italy.
We’ve gathered together the best names to represent every milestone in your babies life journey. From their tiny beginnings to their triumphant victories, here are our name suggestions for your precious preemie.
Little Wonders
Our littlest wonders deserve the most wonderful names. Some parents may opt for that milestone name that’ll represent their tiny start. These little names mean exactly that… Little.
Miracle Babies
All preemie babies are miracle babies and we want to showcase that with these eight names that mean Miracle.
With Grace Through Faith
As the bible says Ephesians 2:8-9 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this is not from yourself, it is the gift of God- not by works, so that no one can boast”. We compiled our favorite names that embody this verse perfectly. These are our top picks that mean Grace or Faith.
God’s Greatest Gifts
All children are considered a gift from God, but for NICU babies there is something extra special about them. Here are our favorite ‘Gift’ names.
Protected By God’s Prayers
Parents pray endlessly for the health and well being for their baby. We know our children are protected because God hears our prayers time and time again. These names mean Protected and Prayer.
Strong From The Start
Often faced with a rough first few months all preemies display this unwavering, unmatched strength. We love the idea of giving them a name to represent that quality. A name that means Strength/Strong.
Brave Boys & Girls
Preemies prove their bravery from day one as they are found in the fight of their life. We only hope they carry that bravery throughout their life. The best way to remind them is by giving them a name that means brave.
Warriors At The Ready
These warriors are at the ready. Ready to face another day as they fight for their health and livelihood.
Ready For Battle
These warriors are signed up for battle and won’t back down without a good fight. These are our top choices to represent the battle.
Our Biggest Blessings
The turn for the better is the biggest blessing. When the weight is lifted and everyone in the family is breathing a little bit better. Going through the process of raising a preemie teaches us to count our blessings and our preemies are the biggest blessing of them all.
Full Of Life
Their eyes are brighter, they are starting to smile, you can see the life in them is strong and vibrant. These preemies are full of life and more importantly, ready to live it to the fullest.
A Victorious Triumph
After days, weeks, months of waiting, hoping, praying for those magical words. Your baby is healthy enough to go home. What every parent dreams of. A triumphant victory to say the least. We want to symbolize that magic moment by choosing a name that means triumph or victory.
