Angela and Michael Bakker received the best news ever, they’er having a baby girl, their excitement was bigger than any other feeling. They were dreaming of building their own family, raising kids and live happily forever.
Sadly, their dream wasn’t that easy to make because Angela gave birth to her baby, Naomi Joy, 15 weeks early. which is mean the chance her baby would survive was slim to none.
But the staff at the Renown Regional Medical Center Neonatal Intensive Care Unit did their best to keep Naomi in a stable healthy state. Thankfully, the baby was growing properly and her parents were able to hold their baby for the first time two weeks after her birth.
The tiny baby needed her mom’s love and care which is very important for a newborn baby, but Naomi Joy was stuck inside a plastic NICU bubble for more than two weeks with only the occasional touch from her parents.
This skin-to-skin contact is called “kangaroo care” or “kangaroo mother care” (KMC) is a technique of newborn care where babies are kept skin-to-skin with a parent, typically their mother. It is most commonly used for low birth-weight preterm babies, who are more likely to suffer from hypothermia, while admitted to a neonatal unit to keep the baby warm and support early breastfeeding.
Even though she was less than one pound at birth, they believed Naomi was in a stable enough condition to be held. With eight NICU nurses aiding the transfer from the bubble to Angela’s chest, the process went smoothly and she rested peacefully on her Momma.
Angela’s expression is pure joy when that beautiful baby girl is placed on her chest. Her eyes are wide with wonder as the medical team works around her, then she begins beaming as she finally holds her daughter after all these days.
Thankfully, Angela and Michael were able to hold their baby girl every single one of the 128 more days she was in the hospital. Thanks to the constant care of the NICU staff and her parents’ positivity, Naomi is now a healthy, happy little girl.
Take a peek at the first time Angela was able to hold her precious baby girl in the video below.
