Preemie: Lessons in Love, Life, and Motherhood

by Kasey Mathews

A mother’s moving and honest memoir about the premature birth of her daughter—and the strength and grace that can be found in the midst of life's greatest challenges In her early thirties, Kasey Mathews had it a loving husband, a beautiful two-year-old son, and a second baby on the way. But what seemed a perfect life was shattered when she went into labor four months early, delivering her one-pound, eleven-ounce daughter, Andie.The first time Kasey was wheeled into the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), nothing prepared her for what she a tiny, fragile baby in a tangle of tubes and wires. All at once, Kasey was confronted with a new and terrifying reality that would test the limits of love, family, and motherhood.In this riveting, honest, and often humorous memoir, Preemie chronicles the journey of one tiny baby’s tenacious struggle to hold on to life and the mother who ultimately grew with her. From hospital waiting rooms to the offices of alternative practitioners, from ski slopes to Symphony Hall, Kasey tries to make meaning of her daughter’s birth and eventually comes to learn that gifts come in all sizes and all forms, and sometimes... right on time.

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir

305 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2012

About the author

Kasey Mathews is a book-writing and transformational life coach, an inspirational speaker and the author of A Mom’s Guide to Creating a Magical Life: 8 Practical Steps to Feel Happier, Inspired, and More Relaxed and Preemie: Lessons in Love, Life and Motherhood, both winners of the Mom's Choice Gold Award. As a Reiki Master, Certified Happiness Trainer and with a Master's Degree in Education and advanced training in ancestral clearing, Kasey helps women around the world find more balance, magic and purpose in their lives. She lives in Wilton, New Hampshire with her husband, two children and their furry friends, Georgie Girl and Lulu.

Reviews

[Kathleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

It took me 6 years and 4 months to finally read this story about another micro-preemie. Everyone's journey is different in the NICU and with doctors and nurses but I found the way she portrayed medical professionals behavior to be very embellished! So it made it hard for me to take some of the stuff seriously.

[Kathleen Ferrari · Rating 5 out of 5]

Preemie is unique and therefore the 'have to have" book for any family plunged into the roller coaster world of coping with the early arrival of their child. I have read books on premature babies written from a factual point of view. They are excellent if the reader's need is to learn about the medical and developmental hurdles facing these babies.

Preemie does address these factual concerns but it stands alone in that it exposes the feelings that surround the birth of these tiny babies, who upon first view, look nothing like the pretty peaches and cream infants that their parents and grandparents anticipated. Kasey Mathews shows through the pages of this book that she is an amazing mother and chief advocate for her daughter, Andie. But, by being brutally honest about her initial feelings upon seeing her baby, she empowers her readers by letting them know that it is okay to feel disappointment, fear, and to want to walk away from what at first seems to be a hopeless challenge. And that is a true gift to the terrified and grieving parents who find themselves in the same place.

Preemie is fundamentally a story about love. Kasey and her husband offer hope to anyone who has ever looked down through tears into an isolette watching their child struggle for life. As a preemie, myself, it gave me insight into how my own parents must of felt when then stood there. There should be a stack of these books outside all NICUs. Truly, a joyous book.

[Lenore Webb · Rating 5 out of 5]

So we start at the beginning. CG (for we do not know her new name) was born 3 months early. Yes, she was a Preemie. There was so much I did not know. What risks she was facing. What health concerns she may have in life. How and if she would grow. And what was all these tubes attached to her were for. It was a very scary time of life. Yes, she did grow....slowly. She did have some health concerns but none were long lasting. Thank God! And she gave me a life time of happiness to say the least. I wish I had read the book Preemie by Kasey Mathews at that time. It is her memoir of the tenacious struggle for her baby as well as the ride they were on through out her life. I know that like Kasey I did not understand why my girl was in such a rush to get here. But she too has accomplished so much in her time and I know there are amazing things still to come.

[Mmhava · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book when twins, who were born at 28 weeks, were one year old. Reading this book both took me back and helped me to move forward. She put into words many of the emotions I was having while caring for my twins and two other young kids, and continue to deal with as I help my preemies develop. I think all parents of preemies would find this book helpful. It is nice to know that you aren't alone!

[Tricia Stream · Rating 5 out of 5]

My review: This is a must read for anyone who’s ever had life throw them a curve ball – not just preemie specific.

And don’t forget to breathe.

http://www.streamdoubletrouble.com/20...

[Nancy DeMarco · Rating 5 out of 5]

My friends know that I rarely love a book. I have limited time for reading, I'm hypercritical, and I have the attention span of a gnat. I picked this book up a year ago thinking I may never read it, because in general I don't enjoy nonfiction, and the story didn't seem like something I could relate to.

I was wrong. This book reads like fiction with its palpable sense of fear, guilt, and betrayal. The author's candor in relating her own unmotherly feelings holds up a mirror to anyone who's ever looked honestly at her own less-than-admirable thoughts. Kasey Mathews tells us it's okay to be human. It's even okay to give up. In learning to let go, we might just grow and become stronger.

Highly recommend this story of love, loss, hope, and triumph.

[Kathryn Baker macdonald · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is amazing account of a woman's journey through fear, hope, and joy. As she watch her daughters way to early start to her life, turn into a rule breaking adventure that is Andy's life. She writes in a way that you feel the Roller Coaster of emotions that she and her family endured and in the end you get to feel the joy that is so hoped for. A great read that you just can't put down.

[Dede Cummings · Rating 5 out of 5]

Preemie is a page turner! I read it in two days! Now, I think I may read it all over again. There are so many layers with which to identify with the mom, the dad, the relatives and friends! Though I did not have a premature baby, I had a very scary birth with my daughter, Emma, and Kasey writes eloquently and her own journey as a woman is compelling and transformative! Well done!

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kasey Mathews, thank you for writing this book and for sharing your story. My now 4 year old twins are NICU graduates and it still affects me to this day in so many different ways. I will never be the same person I was before they were born, and reading your story gave me so much inspiration to tackle the dark and difficult memories.

[melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a mother of a preemie I found this book to be perfect. So many of the emotions and feelings were exactly how I felt when my daughter was little. This book really struck home as my daughter too was born at 1 lb. 11 oz. & was 13 weeks early.
I would recommend this to anyone who has gone (or going) through life with a preemie.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

As the mom of a micro preemie, this book really hit home. Kasey Mathews has written a very honest account of the raw emotions that rip through your heart as you helplessly watch your child fight for each breath.

[Coll · Rating 5 out of 5]

Totally relatable and inspiring. Kasey wrote about the feelings I could not find the words to express myself. Also I was glad to have learned a thing or two or ten along the way.

[Lisa Long · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars for the book. 5 for what it means to me right now. Although I have different feelings than she often did, it's still a beautiful account of their journey and I loved reading it.

[Victoria Trammell · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted so badly to love this book.

My child was also a micro-preemie (26w), and the early hospital chapters hit very close to home. I found myself crying several times, reliving my own NICU experience and birth trauma from 1.5 years ago. In that sense, the book felt deeply validating. The fear, the helplessness — all of that rang painfully true.

For a while, I was even planning to recommend this to my husband. But then the anti-scientific content started.

At first, I tried to look past it. I tolerated mentions of “energy healing,” and craniosacral therapy, even though I am a strong supporter of evidence-based medicine. I told myself to focus on the emotional journey.

Then came ghosts and psychics. That’s where I had to stop. I quit around 70%.

It genuinely upset me, because there is something meaningful here: a raw, vulnerable account of parenting a critically ill newborn. But the heavy reliance on spiritual explanations and pseudoscience completely undermined whatever credibility the book had built.

I truly wanted this to be a book I could recommend to other NICU parents. Instead, the voodoo-style detours erased the impact of the real, powerful parts.

[Laura Haver · Rating 5 out of 5]

I could not put Preemie down! In fact, it's on the shortlist of books I read in one day! I highly recommend it for ALL moms- not just moms of preemies. Kasey's honesty, courage and insightful storytelling puts the reader in the moment. She welcomed us in with all the detail and brought us along for the ride. Preemie is a beautiful testimony to the love and power of motherhood. I can't wait for you to read it!

[Nikki Kar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoughtfully accurate

As a current NICU Mom, this book hits home on so many levels. The author has a beautiful way of accurately describing the fear, pain, heartbreak, and anxiety that so many of us endure on this journey.

[Melissa Avocato · Rating 2 out of 5]

I applaud this mom for sharing her journey and experiences. However, I found the way she described the medical staff throughout the book condescending. Referring to the first NICU nurse she encountered as "pudgy" felt unkind, especially since this nurse may have read the book.

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some parts moved me to tears. That being said, my emotions (to having a micro preemie at 26 weeks) didn’t evoke any of the emotions described by the author.

[Carla · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a book choice I made out of desperation the week that my own son was born prematurely and I needed someone else to relate to the experience. This fulfilled that in some ways (such as identifying with the author's thoughts of "what did I do to cause this?" regarding her preterm labor), but the author eventually found her encouragement and support largely from new age and mystic sources, and it made me incredibly more thankful to know Jesus and to have the inner peace and security that he poured on to our family as we took this journey. The book is well-written and an easy read.

[Lorrie Thomson · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Kasey Mathews’ memoir of her daughter Andie’s premature birth, the author’s emotional growth rivals her daughter’s physical triumphs. With remarkable candor, Kasey recounts moving from horror, disbelief, and the inability to connect with her child to becoming Andie’s staunchest advocate. Her story serves as I’ve-been-there-too comfort for any parent who’s had to face the challenge of a sick child.

[Krista · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading about the journey this family took. I find it difficult to rate a fellow preemie mom and her story as each experience truly is unique. I didn't have the withdrawn feelings the author did (probably quite the opposite) so it was a little hard to truly relate. But many other themes I found myself nodding right along with her words.

[Deb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very poignant book about the trials and tribulations about having a preemie. Having had a premature baby I cried and also celebrated her triumphs, a roller coaster ride I can totally identify with having lived through it myself. Great story with honest feelings. Highly recommend this book.

[Janet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderfully and honestly written. I couldn't put it down.

[Lisa Dicosimo · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolutely heartwarming story about a family dealing with a very difficult subject.