It is always so scary when a baby is born prematurely. You never know quite how things are going to turn out and it’s pretty much a new parent’s worst imagination. While most cases end up okay, if anything at all goes wrong, the ensuing complications can be incredibly frightening. That’s exactly what happened with Naomi Joy Bakker.
With a birth weight of just 12.86 ounces, she was born so small that her parents weren’t even allowed to hold her at first.
The only thing doctors permitted them to do was touch Naomi gently as she lay in her crib, hooked up to the little machines that were keeping her alive.
For weeks, Naomi remained at the hospital in her specialized crib with wires going in and out.
The crib came complete with confusing electrical displays giving constant readings of vitals and a LED heating lamp providing warmth. While the heat lamp was certainly effective, we have to say, there is nothing quite like a mother’s embrace for providing warmth for a baby. The love that a mother imparts on a child is not something that is easily replaced by machines.
Both the baby and her parents longed for the moment when they would get to pick her up, and after two long weeks, the doctors finally gave them the go ahead.
The moment when mother Angela picked up newborn Naomi to hold her for the first time was captured on video and later posted to The Fabulous Bakkers YouTube channel, and it is something you just have to see for yourself. The beautiful clip will warm your heart.
“Eight NICU staff helped transfer Naomi,” the video description reads. “Most hospitals wouldn’t allow a baby as frail and small as Naomi to be held so early on.”
Angela waited on the hospital bed in anticipation with an excited yet nervous look on her face.
Doctors carefully moved the baby out of the crib and then tucked her against Angela’s chest just beneath her hospital gown.
They then covered Naomi up with an additional blanket for good measure.
It became the start of a new and beautiful tradition for the family.
Naomi had to spend 128 more days after that in the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) before she was finally allowed to go home. However, mom Angela came in every single morning for the remainder of the 128 days to hold Naomi and show her she was loved.
Even Dad got a little holding action in!
“Holding a premature baby skin-to-skin is known as ‘kangaroo care’. Naomi’s doctors and nurses believe that kangaroo care was critical to her growth and healing,” it explains in the video.
Naomi was at great risk being born so tiny.
However, after months upon months in the NICU, she eventually matured normally and blossomed into a beautiful young girl ready to take on the world.
The video states she “is now a happy little girl who loves cuddles and kisses”.
Naomi was one of the tiniest babies we have ever seen and so many things could have gone wrong. However, we are so glad the story ultimately had a happy ending.
Watch the beautiful moment below when mother Angela finally gets to hold Naomi for the first time.
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