My mother tells me that I was delivered at 29 weeks by caesarean section, as an emergency due to me becoming distressed. My birth weight was 2lb 8oz (1.13kg) and I spent six weeks in a Special Care Baby Unit.

While every pregnancy and birth journey is unique, I experienced some similarities within my motherhood journey. Despite their prematurity, I have been blessed with two strong daughters – Melissa and Zoe.

This September, my twin daughters Alexandra and Harriet will walk through the doors of their very first primary school. For most families, the start of school is an emotional milestone but for us it is a chapter layered with even deeper meaning.

I can’t believe how fast time goes! My little boy Ajit is turning two, and it feels surreal to think about how far we’ve come. Those early days were such a struggle for me personally.

Our journey started very early on a Saturday morning as I was getting ready to go to work. I didn't feel too good so phoned my local hospital maternity ward and was told an ambulance was on its way to bring me in. When I arrived at the hospital, everything seemed fine.

When I look back on the day my baby was born, I still feel a whirlwind of emotions. Nothing truly prepares you for an early arrival, and when my little one came into the world at just 33 weeks and 3 days, life turned upside down in an instant.

We recall the sounds, sights, and smells as if they happened yesterday. Almost 20 years ago, we embarked on the incredibly emotional journey that is the NICU. No one could have prepared us for this experience, and the term 'NICU warrior' applies not only to Kai but also to us as his parents.

Our little bundle of joy Prem was born in November 2017, 10 weeks before his due date, at Leicester General Hospital. A huge surprise and worry for my husband Adarsh and I, there were no signs of any complications through the pregnancy and the hospital called it a rare ‘spontaneous birth’.

I glanced over the summary of the Preterm Birth Inquiry Report and a quote jumped out at me as sipped my coffee. “At exactly 30 weeks my twins were delivered by emergency caesarean. One night I was at Pilates and the next I was in hospital and supposedly a mother of two” “Supposedly.” That word hits hard.

It has been 21 months since the premature birth of my daughter Elsie and I’m still suffering from postnatal depression (PND) and post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). I was diagnosed with PTSD by a therapist around eight months after Elsie’s birth.

I gave birth to our baby girl Freya at 27 weeks 5 days, and what followed was a whirlwind of fear, uncertainty, and emotional upheaval. What made it even more difficult was my struggle with perinatal PTSD.

As 16 September came around, I was getting ready for Scarlett (born at 31 weeks) to start primary school. I could see she was excited to be starting school but I was so anxious about how she was going to cope.

The Smallest Things has hit its own big milestone. The big 10 - double digits! We took our first steps back in September 2014, originally set up as a blog and Facebook page to raise awareness of the ongoing needs of children born prematurely and their families after NICU.

Sebastian was born at 27+2 weeks’ gestation in March 2019, weighing just 1lb 8oz (706g). While the NICU team had made us aware of the potential lasting impacts of prematurity, school seemed distant and almost trivial during those early days and months.

Our son Gregory was born suddenly at 27 weeks’ gestation in January 2012, weighing 2lb 9oz (1.16kg).  I was at work 50 miles away from home at the time and had to rush to the nearest hospital in Edinburgh where Gregory was born just over a day later. We were totally unprepared for his early arrival.

Four and a half years ago, our world was forever changed when, at just 25 weeks’ pregnant, our son Iwan made an early entrance into the world. Our tiny fighter began his battle for life in the neonatal intensive care unit and was given only a 17% change of survival.

I am so incredibly proud to have shared my story and to have worked with so many others to bring about Neonatal Leave and Pay entitlements for parents of children born premature or sick.

My employer supported me hugely and gave me an additional three months’ leave at full pay to reflect the time between Alfie’s premature birth and his due date. Without it, I would have been forced to leave my job.

Why do I believe in these stickers so passionately? The answer is quite straightforward: they simplify a complex journey.

I’m thrilled to share the journey that our team at Bright Little Stars in Stanmore has embarked on in achieving the Prem Aware Award.