When is the best time to send out a birth announcement for your preemie? Should you include pictures from the NICU with wires, tubes, and breathing assistance?

Believe it or not, this was one of the first conversations I remember having with my mom after Cora was born. I personally was not emotionally ready to send out announcements until after our baby was home but I was really concerned about making sure that people would know about her birth and the way she began her life.

We chose to wait and send our daughter's birth announcements out after she came home from the NICU. I wanted to find a way to celebrate her birth and her homecoming to show how far she had come. So her announcement listed her birthday and birth weight (2 lbs 10 oz) and then read "welcomed home on May 13, 6 lbs 6 oz" to give people an idea of what a strong baby she was.

We were very lucky to have professional photos done while we were in the NICU. We waited until she was off all breathing support when we thought she could best handle such an exciting event. She still had an NG tube and of course all the leads and pulse ox but by that point she was mostly a feeder-grower. Her nurses worked with us and the photographer (a family friend) was amazing. The result was beautiful pictures that showed how tiny our little girl was (she was exactly 4 lbs that day). We used some of these on her announcement. This is one of my favorites, believe it or not, this was taken inside her isolette.



Other families choose to send the announcements out while their babies are still in the NICU which is amazing as well. Addressing envelopes gives you something to do while sitting next to your baby's isolette or crib and I think it is an amazing way to invite others in to celebrate your baby's birth. I love announcements that have pictures of babies with tubes and wires--that's the reality of how our babies started their lives. And its a beautiful testament to the strength that comes with being a preemie. One of our best NICU friends felt like they had missed the window for birth announcements after their six month NICU stay with their 24 weeker. So instead, they are sending out "one year announcements" to celebrate how far she has come in the last year.

Ultimately, when and how are up to you. But I encourage you to send announcements at some point. Your preemie has an incredible story to tell--share it in as many ways as you can!