Hope and support for pregnancy complications, infants with special care needs, and infant loss
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THE BABY MONITOR
News and Notes from Our Miracle Babies
February 1, 2014
THE BABY MONITOR becomes official voice of all member communication
 
Starting this year, THE BABY MONITOR will serve as the official source for all member-related news and announcements. No longer will we send our membership communication from the admin@ourmiraclebabies.com address, unless it's for an individual or a smaller group of recipients. 

Thanks to our agreement with our service provider, Constant Contact, we are able to send as many news items or announcements to you as necessary. By using this service, we can track who received email from our Constant Contact account and who opened the email, read it or both. This service also calculates which links were clicked and how many times they were clicked. These valuable metrics tell us who we are reaching through this newsletter and whether we need to support that communication through other tools. 

So whether we want to tell you about a new service, make an  announcement about our annual event or tell you how much we appreciate your support, you can find it right here in THE BABY MONITOR. 
Wanted: Your social media preferences
 
Connecting with our members and providing helpful resources is a top priority for Our Miracle Babies. Social media, particularly Facebook, has played a big role in helping us to achieve that goal. 
 
However, social media preferences aren't the same for everyone. Maybe you have a Facebook account, but never use it. Maybe you favor Twitter for its up-to-the minute tweets. 

Whatever your preference is, we want to make sure we can be there when you need us. To help us better understand your social media preferences, we've put together a simple one-question survey. You can find it here. You can select up to five options: Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google+ or Tumblr. 
Although other social media platforms are available, we thought we'd start with the top social media sites.

For now, you can continue to find us on Facebook. But as we expand our online social presence, you'll hear about it right here from THE BABY MONITOR.
Save the date: 3rd Annual Little Miracles 5K and Family Fest 

This year's 3rd Annual Little Miracles 5K and Family Fest will take place on Saturday, August 2. 

 

Currently, we are seeking businesses and organizations who want to help sponsor the event. Also, many of you have mentioned in the past that you'd like to volunteer to help us put on this fun-filled family event. Whether you want to volunteer or sponsor this event, send email to littlemiracles5k@ourmiraclebabies.com. Be sure to include your name and phone number so we can contact you.

 

Please stay tuned for details about the location, registration and fundraising.

Weighted blanket helps with sensory issues

 

With twin boys born at 27 weeks, soon to be 2 years old on February 15, Kayla and her husband have definitely had their ups and downs since bringing their boys home from the NICU. After their son Charlie started to continually struggle with sleeping through the night, Kayla suspected that he might have some sensory issues, although he has never been formally diagnosed with Sensory Processing Disorder. His lack of sleep, and Kayla's too, was making their daily routines difficult at times. 

Kayla and her husband tried many approaches to help Charlie sleep better. When none of them worked, they thought they'd try something new -- a weighted blanket. Kayla adopted the idea of the weighted blanket after speaking with an acquaintance whose son has a similar sitiuation to Charlie's and found a weighted blanket helped their son. After doing some research on weighted blankets, Kayla thought they'd give the idea a try.
 
After doing some research on weighted blankets, Kayla found that they can be very expensive, upwards of $60 or more depending on the size and weight. Having a family of 5, Kayla tries to save money where she can and decided to try and make a blanket for Charlie herself. Although, she doesn't consider herself an expert at sewing, she thought this task was something she could manage. She explains how to make a weighted blanket here
 
Of course, Charlie loves the blanket. Although the blanket hasn't solved all of Charlie's sleep issues, it definitely helps to calm him, and he doesn't seem to be as restless as he was before he had the blanket. Kayla is working with their pediatrician and Early Intervention, who will start a referral process if further therapy is needed or something he could benefit from. 
 
To see how to make a weighted blanket, find out how here. For more information about how using weighted blankets can benefit children, or even adults, with sleep or sensory issues, go to the Sensory Processing Disorder site.
New blog post: Against all odds

 

Expecting twins can cause a higher-risk pregnancy and complications. For Amber, this situation became true when the doctor told her that one of her babies "has problems." The uncertainty of this news led to much concern about her daughter's health and life. Learn about Amber and her husband Mike's journey with their twins and the challenges that lie ahead for their daughter in our latest blog entry, Against All Odds.
Inclusive. Understanding. Patient. Compassionate. Respectful.

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