In honour of World Prematurity Day (17 November 2025), the Tower Hamlets, Newham and Waltham Forest Maternity & Neonatal Voices Partnership (MNVP) is sharing a poem written by our Neonatal Lead, Edvige Caci.

Each year, World Prematurity Day raises awareness of the experiences of babies born too soon, and the families and healthcare professionals who care for them. Around the world, one in ten babies is born prematurely, and many spend their first days, weeks, or months in neonatal care. For families, this journey can be filled with both hope and heartbreak, moments of fear, love, and extraordinary strength.

World Prematurity Day is a moment to recognise these families, honour the babies who continue to grow and thrive, and remember those who are no longer with us. It also celebrates the compassion and dedication of the neonatal teams who support parents through some of the most difficult times in their lives.

A woman saw me.

I was immersing in trauma, confused by pain and fear,
tormented by doubts and guilt.
I didn’t want her to really see me,
but despite my hiding, she saw me.

I was following recommendations and orders,
as I didn’t have the energy or the focus
to feel,
to think,
to learn,
to trust.
So powerless.

A woman saw me.
She spotted all of this.
I tried to tidy everything up quickly
what a mess she must have thought I was.

She sat.
She saw me,
but she looked like she didn’t mind the mess.

She gave me a place
to put all of this burden,
just for a few moments,
so that I could see you
and not the child I had imagined and never was.

I held you for longer
than I would have if she hadn’t sat with me,
feeling that I was your safe space
and not the one who failed you.

I held you more and more… and more.
You were my safe space too,
so I held you more and more and more…

Is it true that love is medicine, woman?
Is it true that hugging is healing
and kisses are oxygen, woman?
Is it true that we can bond,
and beyond this tragedy
there is hope and growth?

She took my hand and, smiling, nodded.
She whispered,
with such tenderness I didn’t know could exist:
“It is.”

I relaxed,
skin to skin with you,
and I knew I would hold you
more and more and more.

I relaxed,
skin to skin with you,
and I felt I wanted to observe you,
to know how to respond to you.

So powerful.

I relaxed,
skin to skin with you.
I felt your breathing,
your smell,
your warmth.
We were one together again,
and for a moment I lost track
and thought you were in my belly again.

We were complete,
and anything was possible…
even miracles.

All because a woman saw me.

Connect with MNVP

The Maternity and Neonatal Voices Partnership (MNVP) works alongside parents, carers, midwives and healthcare professionals to help shape and improve maternity and neonatal care across Tower Hamlets, Newham and Waltham Forest.

To contact Edvige Caci, MNVP Neonatal Lead, please email: mnvpneonataltwn@cbplus.org.uk

You can also learn more about MNVP, our local priorities and upcoming listening events by visiting our webpage: