Nutrition was also central to Havana’s progress. She was born at just 3 pounds 10 ounces and received breastmilk supplemented with Similac fortifier during her NICU stay to help her gain weight. At home, Julia continued to breastfeed Havana until she couldn’t produce any more milk. “I felt disappointment that my body was no longer making the amount of milk Havana needed, but I researched so much about formula, and we tried a few that were marketed as the closest formulas to breast milk,” Julia says.
The only formula that helped Havana grow, while also not affecting her belly, was Similac 360 Total Care Sensitive. Julia was thrilled, “it was like a full circle moment. She started on Similac fortifier in the NICU and was able to continue to thrive with Similac formula at home.”
Throughout Havana’s stay, small milestones brought moments of hope: the day she breathed more easily, the first time she passed her car seat test, and finally, the day she was cleared to go home on July 7, 2024, after 76 days in the NICU.
The bond between Julia and the NICU staff also played a key role in Havana’s journey. The nurses became extended family by caring for Havana with deep compassion and celebrating her small victories. One nurse even made a special sign for Havana’s one-month birthday. “They were there every step of the way,” Julia says. “They helped her grow and thrive.”
During those two months, Julia stayed connected to her daughter in every way possible. She memorized the NICU’s phone number and called daily for updates. She found comfort in a hospital app that allowed nurses to send photos throughout the day and cherished small moments of reassurance that meant the world.
Today, Havana is 15 months old and weighs over 20 pounds. She is healthy, thriving, and full of life – a living testament to strength, perseverance, and the life-saving power of modern neonatal care.
To other parents just entering the NICU journey, Julia offers this message: “It will get better. The days may feel like years, but there will come a time when the NICU feels like a lifetime ago. And it’s the very place that gave my daughter the chance to flourish.”
She also hopes people understand that it’s normal to grieve the birth experience they didn’t get to have. “The NICU is not the story anyone dreams of,” she says. “But it gave me the strongest, feistiest little girl I know.
      
   
   
    
 
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