Prematurity, 24 Weeks Plus. A Parent's Guide on the Journey of Preterm Delivery, NICU, NNU, SCBU, and Home

This book is written for parents and families navigating the unexpected journey of a preterm birth. It is volume 1 of the book series Prematurity, 24 Weeks Plus. This book combines evidence-based information with lived experience from us, as parents who have been on this journey, and thus offers both a mother's and a father's perspective. Our multiples/twins were born at 24+ weeks. Every prospective parent of a potential preterm delivery will be familiar with this phrase, '24 Weeks'. Prematurity, also referred to as preterm birth, occurs when a baby is born before 37 completed weeks of pregnancy (World Health Organisation [WHO], 2023). A full-term pregnancy typically lasts between 37 and 42 weeks (National Health Service [NHS], 2023). Babies born too early may not have had enough time for their lungs, brains, digestive systems, immune systems, and other organs to develop (March of Dimes, 2022). In this book, we explore what prematurity is, its impacts, how it can occur, and then share some of our experiences and perspectives on the preterm or prematurity journey that parents go on in the neonatal unit, comprising NNU, SCBU, and then home.