read the full article here at the Herald Sun News

was wonderful catching up with these bubs and mums

 NATIONAL PREMMIE DAY 

 As a mum of 3 premmie babies, I know how small and how hard it was at the time our premmie babies were born.  This is an amazing premmie doll that’s a keepsake doll to remember just how small premature babies are.  I was explaining to Tiana, our 6 yr old daughter about how small she was and she was amazed when she saw the keepsake doll of one her size, but especially the smallness of her sisters.

Zoe, the maker of these gorgeous premature baby keepsake dolls and owner of “Tummybear”, is extremely talented and she makes each and everyone with a tenderness and care like no one I know.  Zoe makes each keepsake doll to the size, length, weight of your own premmie baby, so its customised and so meaningful to you.  Each one comes with a cute little nappy and baby singlet and even has a hospital issued ID band.  I am delighted to be showcasing this great product for premmie baby families at La Toriana.

 TummyBear specialises in cloth keepsake dolls hand made especially for premmie families. The dolls are custom made to your baby’s actual birth measurements and weight.
The premmie keepsake dolls have sculpted and painted faces, sculpted toes and metal joints in the arms and legs. The dolls are made from a ‘skin’ tone fabric and are stuffed with a combination of new stuffing and metal pellets.  There are even different skin tone available too.

As each one is made to measure, please allow 4 – 6 weeks for each one to be made. 

The dolls provide an excellent way for you to show and remember your baby’s birth size.  They make a great gift no matter what age your baby is now.  I recently had an order for a 55 yr old lady… she was born premature at 30 weeks… and she was so thrilled with it she purchased another for her grand daughter who was born premature and was 32 weeks.  Her grand daughter is only 5 months old.

Tomorrow is NATIONAL PREMMIE DAY.  Celebrating the amazing journey premmie babies go through, and their familes and also the wonderful premmie support groups available in local areas as well as online.  Please support these wonderful premmie baby support groups below.  

They have all been a wonderful support to me personally and professionally.

see these support sites and join in the National Premmie Day events in your area.

 Warmly Elizabeth xx

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La Toriana’s Profile

At La Toriana we have a passion for kids fashion.

Our labels include, Alimrose, annieB, Lambykins, FairyFloss Creations, Eternal Creation, Vanchi, TikiBoo Kids, Little Pearls for Little Girls, Tea Princess, Three Little trees, Tummbear, babyjo bamboo baby wear, nest organics, early birds premature baby clothes, teeny weeny premmie baby wear, Oopsidaisi, boxy design, anamalz, Briit design, Bump buddy, cheeky little soles, Sounds for silence, Deshabille, eco peko, fINNIGAN fINN, gertie and me, Hey baby, huggalugs, i candy, lazybones, locolili, miniwhisk, mon tresor, nana huchy, nanny pickle, OOBI baby, penny scallan, Tabitha Emma, Tippie Toes, Princess ratbag, Alannah Rose stationary, Vintage Kid, Wild Things of Noosa and so many more!

We have one of the most stylish, affordable collection of premmie baby clothing, premature baby gifts and keepsakes available to buy online. 

We showcase great Australian and New Zealand designers as well as neonatal and NICU appropriate baby clothing as well as organic premmie clothes and accessories.  Checkout our vast range of premmie wear and newborn baby items in our secure online baby boutique.  If you are looking for a  premmie baby keepsake doll, or organic baby wear for a bub that has been born prematurely, then you have come to the right online store.  La Toriana specialise in providing great quality, stylish and affordable designer label products for low weight babies and babies born early.

Word of wisdom from mums of Premature Babies

• I guess I could say try and “normalise” things as much as possible. So cuddle your baby/s as soon as you can and feed them, and bathe them and just love them, even if they feel tiny and fragile and you are scared to touch them in case you hurt them. They need to know you are there for them from the very beginning. L, June 2008

• Record as many details of your journey as possible including photos and a diary. And 2) reach out and make friends with other premmie parents. When you are at the hospital you do not feel like a minority, yet when you get your baby home, you all of a sudden feel very alone and there seems to be no-one else around that understands. M, May 2008

• They have their own time, own target. Each baby is different and only you know your baby so take each comment with a pinch of salt. They are special creatures and give them as much love as you possibly can… S, August 2008

• Take photos everyday while in hospital. While it may not be the happiest time it is amazing to see the difference day to day and is a good way to remind yourself that they are growing. J, April 2008

• Don’t ever feel guilty or blame yourself for your bubs coming early. D, September 2008

• Don’t be scared to ask for help! Accept offers of help and take heaps of photos as they grow up so fast. Cherish every moment, write a diary – I never did and wish I had with both boys. If your hospital offers professional photos get them done, take their foot and hand prints, have a teddy or something for comparison photos. R, February 2008
• Be positive, and take it all one day at a time. J, October 2008
• Don’t compare. Its the hardest thing to stop yourself from doing. But all prems are different, so even the same gestational age babies will have different development graphs. Your baby is unique, so just focus on the positives and don’t compare to what other babies are doing. L, November 2008

• Take lots and lots of photos – and make sure you keep a copy of them somewhere safe. I lost a lot of photos when my computer died and I didn’t have a backup. Also I wish I’d kept a journal, even if it was brief, because all those vivid early memories which I thought I would never forget are starting to dim now that time is passing and so many new memories are being created as Talia grows. K, January 2008

Special thank you to http://www.preminperth.net  who has a wonderful website dedicated to premmie babies

also thank you to:

Quotes published with permission of L’il Aussie Prems. 

Thanks Julia for sharing your photo’s too.  What a wonderful caring and sharing person you are.

 Warmly Elizabeth xx

 Have you seen us on facebook? why not follow us!

La Toriana’s Profile

At La Toriana we have a passion for kids fashion.

Our labels include, Alimrose, annieB, Lambykins, FairyFloss Creations, Eternal Creation, Vanchi, TikiBoo Kids, Little Pearls for Little Girls, Tea Princess, Three Little trees, Tummbear, babyjo bamboo baby wear, nest organics, early birds premature baby clothes, teeny weeny premmie baby wear, Oopsidaisi, boxy design, anamalz, Briit design, Bump buddy, cheeky little soles, Sounds for silence, Deshabille, eco peko, fINNIGAN fINN, gertie and me, Hey baby, huggalugs, i candy, lazybones, locolili, miniwhisk, mon tresor, nana huchy, nanny pickle, OOBI baby, penny scallan, Tabitha Emma, Tippie Toes, Princess ratbag, Alannah Rose stationary, Vintage Kid, Wild Things of Noosa and so many more!

We have the best online collection of premmie baby clothing, premature baby gifts and keepsakes too.  We showcase great Australian and New Zealand designers as well as neonatal and NICU appropriate baby clothing as well as organic premmie clothes and accessories.  Checkout our vast range of premmie wear and newborn baby items in our secure online baby boutique.  If you are looking for a  premmie baby keepsake doll, or organic baby wear for a bub that has been born prematurely, then you have come to the right online store.  La Toriana specialise in providing great quality, stylish and affordable designer label products for low weight babies and babies born early.

This is Erin, born 14 weeks early, weighing only 428g/15oz. She spent 148 days in the Royal Brisbane and Woman’s Hospital NICU. She’s two weeks old in this photo

Story by Rebecca… mum to Erin 

Her story, my story, OUR story

Two days before the birth of my daughter I went to the hospital for a follow up scan after she measured two weeks small during her morphology ultrasound.

The images were fuzzy, nowhere near as clear as they were two weeks prior; our tech said that this indicated low amniotic fluid. She also said that at 26 weeks gestation our baby was only measuring 23 weeks. So, after a consult with an obstetrician who specialized in “troubled pregnancies”, I was admitted and we were told the worst. Our little girl had only a 10% chance of survival.

After a day spent in the birthing centre I finally had a bed—in the maternity section where I got to listen to all the healthy babies crying while their mothers cooed and cared for them. I cried most of the night. Every time I heard someone’s child stirring I’d think, “My baby is not going to cry”.

Thursday morning our daughter was born via C-section weighing 428g. She surprised the doctors, and the paediatric team decided she was well enough for them to stop and show me her before she was wheeled to the NICU.

During the first couple of weeks I was numb. Visiting the hospital was hard but not as hard as seeing my child attached to all those machines. She was incredibly fragile. More like a baby than I’d expected but not like any baby I’d ever seen before. Her skin was translucent and paper thin. So delicate those even simple, ordinary things like nappy changes caused it to tear and bleed.

After the shock wore off I existed in a trance of sorts. I didn’t want to visit the hospital but it had become harder to stay away. My life became about doing what was best for my daughter. Pumping every three hours around the clock and spending hours sitting by her isolette; talking to her through the perspex, comforting her as best I could without actually being able to pick her up. It’s the most unnatural thing to know your child is upset and not be able to fix it. To this day that still hurts my heart.

She was five weeks old before I was able to hold her. She was tiny; I couldn’t even feel her weight amongst the blankets. I remember the way her little ear, devoid of cartilage, pressed against my chest as she lay there just below my chin. Until that point I thought I’d bonded with her like any mother does, but I was wrong.

As the nurses moved away leaving us alone, with my eyes closed and Erin settled upon my chest I felt a rush of affection. To smell her and kiss her tiny head was beyond anything that I’d experienced till that point. It was incredible.

All in all we spent 148 days in hospital, but it didn’t end there. Since coming home we’ve been faced with more challenges and many difficult days. But we’ve been lucky. Erin is an exceptional child; she’s happy and healthy and suffers from no long-term effects of her very early birth

 April 2009 

Thank you to Bec and Erin for sharing this story. 

Its a hard road to travel and for any parents, friends or family who have been down this road…  it really IS a hard one.  They say a rollercoaster ride… and it really is!

If you have a premature baby story you would like to share, please email me with approx 500 words, baby pic and one now of your premmie baby.  I found that sharing really is therapeutic for others who have gone through this journey.

I plan to put my own story down this week and send in some pics….  hope you do too.  email yours to admin at latoriana.com.au

July 31st is the NATIONAL PREMMIE DAY 

  please support your local group or www.prembaby.org.au

warmly

Elizabeth xx

Friday marks National Premmie Day,

 and we are here to help celebrate all premature babies, their families, the specialists who care for them and the wponderful support that is available.

At La Toriana we have just opened our Premmie section and invite you all to come and celebrate with us.  It has been so hard to find quality premmie clothing, toys and accessories.  Did you know until even recently, mums of prem babies actually were told to buy cabbage patch clothes from toy stores as that was the only clothes that would fit?  Its true.

Thank goodness times are changing, and you can actually get some lovely premmie baby clothes.

La Toriana will continue to source quality prem clothing for premature babies with an emphasis on quality, comfort and ease of dressing.

Check out the premmie dolls made by TUMMY BEAR.  It is a life like doll that you can have made to the size and weight of your prem baby as a reminder of the journey you travelled.

We also have a great Cuski comforter that is a proven settling product for prem babies through to toddlers. 

Early Birds premmie baby clothing is a highly renowned business supporting prem babies.  The softness and style that makes it easy to dress also has a unique style factor.

Coming soon is Teeny Weeny prem baby wear; a hip and funky prem baby clothing range that you all will be amazed at the quality and the price. Now prem babies can also have style and colour.

La Toriana will also be the first to showcase and stock an organic prem baby clothing range that is stylish and hip as well as functional and eco friendly.  An Australian business mum who has seen the hardship of finding nice, quality and stylish prem baby clothing,  is soon to release this beautiful and calming range.  This savy and innovative mum has a flair for design and empathy for all going through the rollercoaster of a journey with a premature baby. 

 I have been lucky enough to work with her through setting up this range and am so in love with the design… its absolutely gorgeous!  I can’t wait to show you all.  But I am keeping “mums the word” for a few more weeks til they are ready.

We are always looking for prem baby products so if you have any suggestions at all… please email me  info@latoriana.com.au

July 25th celebrates National Premmie Day . 

The National Premmie Foundation is a non profit organisation that supports parents and familys touched by the brth of  a premature baby.  visit prem baby for all information , contacts, and resources avaialble.  You may like to check out these 2 amazing groups as well.    Loddon Mallee kids  +  L’ilaussieprems     are just a couple great sites that help make up National Premmie Foundation. 

You can check them all out here  

To help celebrate National Premmie Day and the National Premmie Foundation, 10% of all proceeds in 2008 from the sale of everything in the premmie section on La Toriana will go directly to the National Premmie Foundation.  We have opened the Premmie section, but the official launch is actually not for a few weeks… so will tell you more about it all then.

Please consider a purchase from any section at all at La Toriana, and know you are helping a needy cause and a non profit organisation that is in need of funds.  10% of all sales from this premmie section will go to the National Premmie Foundation in 2008.

La Toriana has been passionate about supporting Premature Babies. 

July 25th marks 2008 National Premmie Day.

Elizabeth, founder of La Toriana  www.LaToriana.com.au ,  who has had 3 prem babies, is an keen supporter of National Premmie Foundation,  www.prembaby.org.au and also her local group, Loddon Mallee Kids   www.loddonmalleekids.org.au

It is a hard road for many families experiencing the birth of a prem baby, and a rollercoaster ride for sometime afterwards.  There are some amazing supports out there these days like the above groups and websites such as www.momentbymoment.com.au , that are all about helping families and friends who are touched by the birth of a premature baby.

La Toriana have released this week their premmie section.  It is hard finding prem baby clothes and  accessories.  La Toriana would love you to check out their prem baby clothing lines and some new releases coming very soon in organic premature baby clothing.

Having a baby is an amazing, joyous occasion.  

Friends, family, neighbours and acquaintances all gather around sending congratulatory cards, flowers, gifts. They all can’t wait to visit the new baby, have a hold and pat dad on the back, go out for that celebratory drink and give the mum a warm hug and flowers. Everyone is happy and knows how to react.

Is it the same when a baby is born premature? No, not always.

It’s a very frightening time for the parents whose baby comes too early or is sick. The joy soon turns to fear and panic and so sets in a rollercoaster ride. Every single minute is precious. It’s an extremely worrying time.  It’s a very isolating time for the parents. There is a fear they may loose their baby, may have long term health issues or concerns of being able to cope. Of guilt, anger and fear.

Friends and family are often feeling at a loss too.
Many will not send a congratulatory card or present, just in case the baby passes away and it could upset the parents. Many will *wait* and see how things go before they send a card. Sometimes this could be a couple months later.

Tips for supporting a friend/family with a prem/sick baby

• Do send a card, present soon after if that’s what you had intended on doing, to congratulate the arrival of their much loved baby
• Do knowledge it’s a stressful time
• Offer positive feedback on the baby, their name, pics etc
• Give them a journal to write their journey at this time, a book of comfort or similar gift
• Do keep in touch, via a quick call, text, email or letter during their time in hospital to let them know you are thinking of them, even though they possible wont be up to returning calls etc for a while
• Offers of help at home, with other kids, animals, work, where you can during this time.
• Drop over frozen meals for the dad/family or once they get home from hospital
• Give mum a special notebook so she can diarise her journey through this time.
• Offer to do washing, shopping etc so its one less thing mum or dad needs to think about
• Offer to pass on info to other friends/family for them
• Do be there to listen and offer comfort
• Please don’t offer parenting advise, your experiences, pry or pass judgement (its hard enough for the parents… no matter how well meaning you are)
• Please don’t be self cantered and think of YOUR feelings on the situation,

Today there is so much more support available locally and nationally. As a parent, or friend of someone who has had a prem baby, there is a lot of support.

Read the full article here and list of great supports available … all on mumzone here 

mumzone has an amazing amount of support and information for all mums.

La Toriana is giving the National Premmie Foundation 10% of all sales from July 15th to July 25th.  We are also giving you another 10% off too, type NPF as the code at checkout to automatically receive this.