Kimberly Seymour (34) and Freya (1)
Akron, OH
Kim shares -
“Freya was my only pregnancy but she had severe IUGR and had to come early at 28 weeks and only just over a pound. We almost lost her several times.
How has parenthood impacted your body image?
After spending 201 days in the NICU the stress has had an impact on my physical and mental self. I used to be strong but curvy but now I feel huge and bad about how I look. I’ve never had a great self image but it’s been harder recently. I want to learn to accept the way I am now.
Feel free to share your postpartum journey.
At 24 weeks pregnant I was admitted for gestational hypertension and was told at the baby’s size she wasn’t likely to pass. At the time she was just over 300 grams. We were told that unless she got to 500 grams no one would deliver her. We fought day by day to stay healthy and strong. After 3 weeks in the hospital I delivered her at 545 grams.
We spent over 6 months with her in the NICU. She was incubated, had heart surgery, and got a G Tube placed. We were going to schedule her for a tracheostomy but just days before a wonderful doctor had faith and wanted to try her extubated. Slowly but surely she turned around and got stronger and narrowly avoided the trach surgery. Once she finally came home, we moved to Ohio from Colorado to help her lungs improve. Although we still work with lots of specialists, Freya has made such amazing progress. She is a true blessing to us every day. Somehow her journey has made her that much more brilliant.
It’s been hard as her parent. I spent so much of that time in fear. I still deal with serious anxiety. I feel sad for the months of her life that I missed where she just slept in an isolette. Although I spent every day with her at the hospital I didn’t really get a chance to know her fully. Now I feel sad that half her life I barely got to know her, outside her day to day health. I want more baby time with her because I lost so much of that stage. She’s growing so big and beautiful now and although I’m so grateful and blessed, I also feel a deep need to try to make up for lost time.”