Hi there,
I’m Dani, Naturopath and wellness advocate; sea and sun chaser; nature and animal lover; hobby farm enthusiast and blessed mother of not one, but 2 miracle bubbas, Lilah Grace - born at 27 weeks and 1055g and Mahlia Violet - born at 24 weeks and a tiny 420g.
I have travelled Australia and the world, combining my passions for adventure, health, body work, culture, animals, photography, and the ocean, working in a variety of industries, gaining valuable life lessons along the way.
I now call the Fleurieu Peninsula my home, living on 10 acres near the beach with my beautiful family and my tribe of fur and feathered friends, surrounded by organic produce, fresh sea air, space and most of all love and laughter.
Life has thrown some curveballs my way, with a cancer diagnosis and treatment in 2013, followed by my first pregnancy in 2015 resulting in an unexpected premature birth and an 81-day NICU stay. More recently in 2020, I faced a very challenging pregnancy, also resulting in premature birth and a 130-day NICU stay, followed by a 180-day stay in PICU and an Infant Ward. Nearly a year in hospital, during a global pandemic and on the edge of our seats, unsure whether we would actually get to bring our little miracle home to be a family of 4, I faced some incredibly tough times! I am forever changed as a person, wife and mother through my experience and have learnt just how important resilience, positivity and hope are, along with help and support.
You can follow our journey with Mahlia @Mahlia Violet – Our Miracle Micro Prem on Facebook.
I have been there. I have sailed those turbulent storms. I have climbed those mountains. I have been in those dark places, full of fear, anxiety and overwhelm. It sucks and it is unfair! It was during this time, that it became apparent to me just how little support, focus and celebration there is for the mothers of premature babies. We are robbed of the “ideal” pregnancy, our bodies often undergo invasive surgery to deliver these little miracles, we are thrown into a place most of us never even knew existed, and we are faced with the most impossible journey imaginable. There is no time to process or grieve. We often try to express milk against all odds, we run on empty, we might be surrounded by friends and family, but they don’t know what to say or how to help. We may be torn between children. It is not uncommon to feel fearful, helpless, and alone.
I want to change that!
This is how Dear Little Miracle was born. My mission is to raise awareness around pregnancies that don’t go to plan and result in the emotionally, mentally, and physically exhausting journey through NICU and beyond. I want to help you honour your special role with self-care, practical tips and resources and a bit of woo woo, to navigate the stress and overwhelm. I want to give back. I want to nurture your wellbeing, offering products and services specific to women on their premature journey, that make a difference.
“When you can’t control what’s happening (which is the prematurity journey in a nutshell), challenge yourself to control the way you respond to what’s happening. This is where your power lies!”
I aim to inspire hope, positivity and resilience, providing a sense of calm amongst the storm. You are not alone, together we can celebrate the unique journey of this kind of motherhood. You will get to witness more miracles in a day than most will witness in a lifetime.
“Don’t believe in miracles, depend on them”
Laurence J Peter
To the overwhelmed mother-to-be facing the unknown of premature birth, to the anxious mother who has walked this path before or may be facing readmissions, to the mother knee-deep in their NICU journey who painstakingly watches their baby fight for every breath whilst their own body is fighting to heal, to the exhausted mother attached to a breast pump because their baby is too premature to suck feed who is worrying about their other children at home, to the lonely mother who is walking the path solo or is surrounded by friends and family that don’t know what to say or how to help…
I see you, I feel you. I hear you. Never has there been a more important time to find your tribe!
From the proud NICU and medical mumma of two micro-premmies, you deserve to be nurtured and supported, so you can nurture and support your dear little miracles. After all, you can not pour from an empty cup!
All my love