When life begins too early… – BärnerBär

Instead of a dream birth and a healthy baby in their arms, parents of children born prematurely experience great fear, worry and a lot of uncertainty. Nobody knows this better than Dina Hediger. That’s why she founded the organization “Preemie & Neonatal Switzerland” and wants to support those affected and raise awareness among experts.

The difficult path into life began for Dina Hediger’s twins on an evening in August. «Suddenly my water broke. Completely unexpected, just like that and out of nowhere. I was only in the 26th week of my pregnancy and therefore completely unprepared,” says Dina Hediger of that time in 2018. The birth was planned for November and her husband was on a sailing trip with friends. “So I was on my own and was taken to the hospital in the ambulance. There the doctors determined that the birth could no longer be stopped and my boys were brought into the world by caesarean section. Dina Hediger was in an emotional state of emergency, had no idea what was now happening to the children and was completely overwhelmed by the situation. “I wish I had someone to talk to who had also been through something like that. We received optimal medical care from the doctors and nursing staff, but of course they were unable to make any predictions as to whether and how my boys would survive this difficult time. So she, her husband and her relatives hovered between hope and fear for a good fourteen weeks. But in the end, fate was kind to them: not only did the twins survive, they also suffered no consequential damage from their far too early start in life.

Support other parents
“Nevertheless, I really wanted to do something to support other parents in this situation,” says Dina Hediger about her passion project. “One in ten children in the world needs intensive medical care after birth. That’s why I wanted to work not just locally, but on a national level.” She knocked on various hospitals and knocked into open doors. With lectures to experts to whom she showed the situation and the emotional rollercoaster of parents, interest in her project grew. She finally founded the organization “Preemie & Neochildren Switzerland”, which now has 80 volunteers. They offer peer support at three, soon to be seven, locations throughout Switzerland. An important part of the organization are the so-called peer parents of former children in neonatology. Children born before the 37th week of pregnancy are referred to as premature births –
Depending on the time, the initial situation is different. “Of course, no one can make a prognosis because every premature birth is different. But it’s about having someone at your side who has been through a similar situation, who can encourage you and give you valuable tips.” With her organization, Dina Hediger wants to provide all parents and specialists with reliable information for education and other offers of help. «Talking always helps. Communication is extremely important in such situations and helps parents feel more confident when dealing with their newborn in the neonatal unit. And that ultimately benefits the child too,” the committed mother knows from her own experience.

I would have someone for me
Talks wanted a similar one
situation experienced.

Dina Hediger

There is still a lot to do
Dina Hediger has now reconciled with the traumatic premature birth of her twins – the timely and problem-free birth of her third son helped her in this. «During this birth, I experienced how incredibly nice it is when you can have your baby next to you at night right from the start – that’s why it would be my dream that the parents could also spend the night in the neonatology unit. Because closeness is the most important thing for premature babies too.” So there is still a lot to do and any support is welcome.