Miracle Birth Stories of Very Premature Babies: Little Thumbs Up! [Paperback]

Timothy Smith (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0897896351 | ISBN-13: 978-0897896351 | Publication Date: April 30, 1999

Parents of very premature infants, often shocked and panicked by the situation in which they find themselves, have until now had surprisingly few resources to consult. Now, with Miracle Birth Stories of Very Premature Babies, the information, support, and hope they so desperately need have been made available. Written by a prize-winning journalist and father of a now-thriving micro-preemie, this uplifting testament to hope is filled with parents' stories of their preemies and micro-preemies, complete with details of their struggles in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs), with harrowing series of life-threatening conditions, and with accounts of extraordinarily delicate and risky surgical procedures. This is the only book available in which parents, through interviews, "speak" directly to other parents about their common experiences with premature infants, and it is an invaluable guide to navigating the NICU journey. While the book presents sobering medical facts in a straightforward manner, author Timothy Smith's intention is to show a different side of extreme prematurity than the one most often presented by the media. Rather than dwelling on the relatively infrequent cases that result in severe handicaps and family hardship, the author introduces the readers to many examples of the positive, more common outcomes of prematurity: children who have struggled valiantly and successfully, often against all odds, to join families that continue to cherish them. Heartwarming yet realistic, these stories inspire even as they portray the families' attempts to cope with losing the typical birth experience, listening to insensitive remarks, going home without their babies, and communicating with medical professionals. This is a powerful, love-filled, personal resource for parents of tiny infants.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Mr. Smith's book is a wonderful resource for parents, one that is long overdue. I would recommend this book to every parent who has had a preemie or is anticipating a premature birth.”–Elaine Sayers Chairperson, The Alexis Foundation for Premature Infants and Children

About the Author

TIMOTHY SMITH is a veteran Michigan journalist and father of a micro-preemie daughter, Elizabeth.

Product Details

• Paperback: 216 pages
• Publisher: Bergin & Garvey Trade (April 30, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0897896351
• ISBN-13: 978-0897896351
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,051,346 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book really helped me put my situation into perspective, September 17, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Miracle Birth Stories of Very Premature Babies: Little Thumbs Up! (Paperback)

I needed this book, and it really helped me understand what was happening to me: the feelings, the situation, the trials and the joys. I would highly recommend this book to every preemie parent .

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Compassion and real people, April 10, 2001

By 

Tom Rady (Detroit, MI) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Miracle Birth Stories of Very Premature Babies: Little Thumbs Up! (Paperback)

I thought that the book "Miracle Birth Stories Of Very Premature Babies" by Timothy Smith was a well crafted and welcome addition to the world of medical literature. As I was reading, I felt like I was in the hospital with each set of parents, going through their triumphs and defeats with them.

One strong aspect of the book is that it is written for the average person, in basic language that we can all understand. The medical information provided is relevent and accurate, but we are not bogged down in medical and hospital terminology. Medical journals and texts are often written in a very dry, academic tone that is hard to get through. Also, as I was reading I also felt that I was learning information about a controversial topic without being preached to.

We have all heard things about this topic through magazines, television news, newspapers, tabloids, etc. Smith is a veteran newspaper reporter and it shows. Each story is special in their own situation, and the different families are tied together in a nice way through a common cord of compassion, mutual experiences, and hopes for the future. I wish that premature birth parents in hospitals everywhere could receive this book. It is truly inspirational and lets them know they are not alone.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book! Tells the REAL story of premature births!, May 8, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Miracle Birth Stories of Very Premature Babies: Little Thumbs Up! (Paperback)

Tim Smith has captured the reality of giving birth to a premature baby. The heartache, the joy, the unknown, the inner workings of a miracle in process! I wish I had this book when my daughter was born early. The spectrum of stories is varied enough to interest many different families going through any number of versions of the same story. I bought 10 copies to send to the NICU where my daughter "grew". I'm hoping that some other parents entering the NICU experience will benefit from the hopeful message the book brings.