November 12th is prematurity awareness day. It is a day that we honor the countries tiniest citizens. Before September 21st 2005 I had no idea that this day existed. I am proud to be a mom of a miracle.
Despite my feelings of the March of Dimes they are sponsoring a petition for Preemies. Their motto is every baby deserves their nine months. Please take the time to support miracles from the Past, present and future and help eliminate prematurity.
1. We urge the federal government to increase support for prematurity-related research and data collection as recommended by the Institute of Medicine and the Surgeon General’s Conference on the Prevention of Preterm Birth, to:
* (a) identify the causes of premature birth;
* (b) test strategies for prevention;
* (c) improve the care, treatment and outcomes of preterm infants;
* (d) and better define and track the problem of premature birth.
2. We urge federal and state policymakers to expand access to health coverage for women of childbearing age and to support smoking cessation programs as part of maternity care.
3. We call on hospitals and health care professionals to voluntarily assess c-sections and inductions that occur prior to 39 weeks gestation to ensure consistency with professional guidelines*.
4. We call on businesses to create workplaces that support maternal and infant health. ( This will be posted in the next few days.)
*The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology recommends that, unless medically indicated, scheduled deliveries should be after 39 weeks. This is because biological variations and uncertainties in estimating the beginning of a pregnancy introduces inaccuracies when assigning the due date. Preterm birth rates can be reduced by performing scheduled deliveries after 39 weeks. 
Proud Mom of a 25 week miracle!
