Mom Shares Her Journey With A Preemie To Break The Silence

Tabitha Jacobsen is sharing her story as the mom of a premature baby in the hopes of supporting other families facing similar situations.

The California-area mom spoke to local San Francisco news station KTVU about the "silent suffer that parents go through."

Jacobsen became pregnant last year in June and learned her placenta had an abnormal shape at her first ultrasound. On December 4, almost 13 weeks before she was due, she found out she had severe preeclampsia -- a condition where a pregnant woman develops high blood pressure and protein in the urine. Her baby boy, Braden Joseph, was born days later.

"Three days later on December 7th my beautiful baby boy, Braden Joseph, came into the world at 27 weeks, 1 day," Jacobsen wrote.

Braden Joseph was 11 1/2 inches long, and weighed 1 pound and 2.3 ounces at birth. He spent 10 weeks in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) but was able to go home with his parents on February 15.

"No words can ever describe a parent's fear of a premature birth," Jacobsen wrote. "The constant struggle of different tests that he did or did not pass. His blood work results, scans and physical therapy. Will he need blood transfusions?"

Jacobsen said she has "gained tremendous respect" for nurses and doctors throughout her journey and believes this experience is one that families often don't discuss.

"I feel like this is something that most families don't really discuss," the mom wrote. "It’s a silent suffer that parents go through. It's good to know that other people are going through similar situations and that you aren't alone."

Thanks for sharing your story, Tabitha!

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