L’il Aussie Prems website seeks nominations for Australia’s first award recognising the work of volunteers within the premature baby community.

L’il Aussie Prems (LAP), an online support site for families of premature babies, is proud to sponsor Australia’s first award to recognise and celebrate the dedication of individual volunteers within the local premature baby community.

LAP is seeking nominations from around Australia of “local premmie heroes” – the ordinary yet extraordinary people who give up their time to support the families of premature babies both during their hospital stay and afterwards, doing everything from sewing tiny clothing for very low birth weight babies to setting up local playgroups for prematurely born children to organising fundraising for research into the causes of premature birth.

“As a community of parents, we understand the premmie journey and how hard the road can be. We want to recognise and pay tribute to those people who go out of their way to make things easier for other families travelling that road.” said Julia Toivonen, founder of the L’il Aussie Prems website and mother of two premature babies.

 (pic courtesy of Julia Toivonen)

La Toriana introduces “The Zaky”

Ergonomic & award-winning bonding, therapeutic, comforting, positioning aid, as well as transitional item.

It is a soft but heavy pillow that imitates the look, feel, weight, scent, and warmth of the parents’ hand and forearm. It assures proper positioning, helps with pain management and sleep, provides a sense of protection, and assists with the physical and psychological development of the child.

The Zaky is a must have for healthy newborns and for those children that are ill or hospitalised. It is also a favourite newborn baby gift, baby shower gift and a “Thank you” gift given by families to the hospitals that cared for their children

Excellent premmie baby comfort pillow, a premmie baby or newborn baby gift.  Avaliable in the most popular cream, a soft pink or a soft blue, and in either a left hand or right hand.

Check out  “The Zaky”

available at La Toriana in December 08… or email me at info@latoriana.com.au to reserve one.

‘you and your baby will be so glad you did.

Warmly

Elizabeth xx

Solving the puzzle of Premature Birth.  Premature Birth Awareness Week starts today.

Having a premature baby can be a lonely and frightening experience. In our communities there may be very few people who understand the specific problems that parents of babies born very early face.

Sometimes our babies are transferred to hospitals far from home and this can make us feel even more alienated and lost.

Through Austprem, families who have experienced the complex challenges of parenting a premature infant reach out to other families facing this journey, and offer friendship, information and support.

2008 marks the second year of National Premature Birth Awareness Week and we hope that it will be as successful as the first.

As a part of increasing knowledge about premature birth, Austprem Inc. will be offering information to ALL pregnant women in the hope of decreasing the rising numbers of premature births in Australia with Austprem Inc.’s new brochure “Pregnant? It’s probably nothing but it might be something.

 The brochure will be launched during National Premature Birth Awareness Week. and contains a summary of the indications that may lead to premature birth and encourages women to check with their doctor, hospital or health care provider if they are at all concerned.

 Premature Birth Awareness Week starts today. Visit www.bornearly.org.au for full details.

Useful Premmie Information Links

      Austprem

Featherweight Club – Mercy Hospital for Women VIC
Lifes Little Treasures – VIC
Loddon Mallee Kids – Greater Bendigo Area VIC

Little Wonders – John Hunter Hospital NSW
Central Coast Premmie and Sick Newborn Support (CCPSNS) – Central Coast NSW
Miracle Babies – Liverpool Hospital NSW
NNICUPS – Nepean Hospital NSW

PIPA – QLD

L’il Aussie Prems

National Premmie Foundation

Moment by Moment

 Having had 3 premmie babies myself, I understand only too well the rollercoaster journey many families go through.  I am very passionate about supporting groups that support premmie babies and hope you are too.  Please support them by going to their websites and  gain lots of information. 

At La Toriana, we have a specialised catagory for premmie baby and are adding new premmie clothing and products all the time.  Our aim is to be a supportive place where people can shop for their premmie baby in a secure, supportive and understanding environment.

The above groups are amazing in their wealth of knowledge and support and we encourage you all to support those who support the families of premmie babies.  La Toriana in the near future will bring more and more information on the support of premmie babies, an array of new ranges of premature baby clothing and tips an advice along the way.  We are passionate about Premmie babies, their families and helping the community.

warmly

Elizabeth xx

(some of the products and premmie baby clothing collections found at (La Toriana)

We would love to hear your journeys and thoughts, travels and pics of your journey.  We will be posting some stories here on our blog in the coming weeks and months with events around Premature babies, so if you would like to join in… please email  info@latoriana.com.au

warmly

Elizabeth xx

Premature babies are very special and anyone who has gone through the experience of having a prem baby or knows of someone who has… it can be  hard road to travel. 

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.