Our Story

Where we began...

This is my way of giving back to the unit that saved my son's life (and my own).

Our boy was born on December 16th 2020 at just 26 weeks and 4 days, about 13 weeks premature. His birth weight was just 730g (1lb & 9.75oz ) and our NICU journey was 117 days long.

It was around his 1st birthday when I was looking to purchase a birth poster to celebrate his first year and acknowledge all that he has accomplished. It then dawned on me that I could draw my own poster and not only get a perfect 1:1 scale from his birth size but I could make it totally unique to perfectly match that first day we met outside the womb.
I was able to reveal my perfect baby boy from underneath his oxygen mask and I could really remember what it was like to place my hand on him for the very first time. I remembered my hand on his head with his little yellow hat, the texture of his skin, those teeny tiny toes, and how the warmth of the smallest hands I've ever seen could surprise the edge of my finger tips.

It is this moment that every parent should never forget. Whether your child was micro preemie or over due, meeting them for the first time is the moment your life changes for ever. I would absolutely love to help re-create that memory for other families with a unique birth poster.

Where we are now!

We have been through so much as a family and we found amazing support in so many different ways while we were at Trevor Mann Baby Unit. This is why my shop supports The Early Birth Association. They help make a positive difference for babies, families and staff at the Trevor Mann Baby Unit, Brighton, and the Special Care Baby Unit in Princess Royal Hospital, Haywards Heath. All donations are made publicly through Work For Good.

My Etsy Shop
The Early Birth Ass.
Work For Good
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Early Birth Association

(UK based charity group)

The Early Birth Association makes a positive difference for babies, families and staff in Neonatal Care at the Trevor Mann Baby Unit at the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton, and the Special Care Baby Unit at the Princess Royal Hospital in Haywards Heath.

Find out more about EBA

www.earlybirth.co.uk

How does Proud Preemie Mum donate?

Work For Good

Make your own donation directly

DONATE NOW
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Frequently Asked Questions

about custom-made birth posters and more

Please feel free to contact me if you can not find the answer to your question 😊💜

Are your birth posters really to scale?

Yes! I don't use standard hospital measurements like weight, length or head circumference. I use objects found in your reference photos to scale my drawing. Once I see your photos, I will ask you to send me more references of selected objects placed next to a ruler or tape measure. This allows me to get accurate measurements and scale each drawing as accurately as possible. I will even scale hands and feet according to prints, if available.
Visit me on Instagram to see examples of accuracy.

How long will my poster take?

The short answer, 10 - 20 working days, plus shipping time.
Once your order is placed and paid via Etsy, I aim to send you my first rough draft in 5 - 10 working days. If there are no changes requested, I will then take another 3 - 5 working days to complete the drawing before sending you a final postal mock up.
Printing takes 1 - 2 working days and then shipping is variable depending on your location.

Where do you ship?

All my products (posters and clothing/accessories) are manufactured and shipped from over 30 different locations all around the world.
Your order, will be printed and shipped from your nearest manufacturing location. This helps keep shipping costs down for both of us and helps the planet with a little less shipping/postal pollution. 🌍 💜
If you would like to enquire about your shipping location, please contact me directly.

What photos do you need of my baby?

The best photos would be anything that does was not taken at an angle. Photos that have been take directly on top of baby or a direct side view will be the most accurate.
Good lighting can often be difficult to a achieve in a NICU but a good quality photo that can be zoomed into without loosing too much definition is ideal.
There must be at least one object in your photos that we can get an accurate measurement of. For example: baby's first hat, eye masks from jaundice treatment, posy band and arm braces for tiny NICU babies or even mum and dad's hands. Anything that can photographed today, next to a ruler or tape measure.

What if my photos aren't good enough?

What if my baby's face is covered with medical equipment? What if I don't have a photo that shows my baby's whole body?
Don't worry! Sometimes I have to get really creative, by either meshing varies photos together or by working my artistic skills and imagination to create what is hidden.
Yes, I can use photos where your baby is wearing a CPAP mask or an eye mask under a blue UV lamp, or both! I can easily mesh your favorite photos together to create a perfectly personalised drawing.
Visit me on Instagram to see some examples.

Will you draw my baby's accessories or medical equipment?

You tell me! Personally, I just had to include my boys little yellow hat! For some families, there is a special connection to things like baby's first hat or those little preemie octopus pals that some NICUs offer.
Some people chose to include things like feeding tubes or hospital bands.
The choice is yours entirely!

Will I get a preview of my poster and can I request changes?

Yes. With every poster, you will receive a first draft. You then have the opportunity to make changes twice. Once the drawing is finalised, I will sent you a full poster mock up before I send anything to the printers.

What is the easiest way to get in touch?

You can contact me through any of my social links below, which ever one is easier for you 😊💜

My Etsy store
Instagram
Facebook
Pintrest
Email
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Start creating your poster today!

If you would like to discuss your poster and your photo references before you purchase, please contact me through any of the social links below. If you are ready to complete your purchase, please do so via the Etsy store. (Note, I will only start drawing once an order is placed and paid via Etsy)

OH HEY, FOR BEST VIEWING, YOU'LL NEED TO TURN YOUR PHONE