Another SIL update!

LI444

Yesterday evening, after laboring from 10 a.m. to 7:51 p.m., my SIL had her beautiful daughter Emma.  She had some pitocin to get things started, but didn't have an epidural at all (my hero).  Emma had to be taken to the NICU right away for tests and such so my BIL went with her.  She is 3 lbs and 9 oz and her heart is just fine.  She is sucking very well and my SIL has been able to nurse her, but she does need to stay in the NICU a few days.  It seems like she's just fine other than being very small.  Thanks for all the good wishes!  I hope you all don't mind if I lurk somewhat still.  I'm going to be caring for the baby when my SIL eventually goes back to work and a lot of the information I've read on here is helpful.

 

MommaMorris- Thank you so much for the "new to the nicu" link.  I took the liberty of sending the "things not to say" link to my MIL since she told me how she was planning to remind SIL how she was always saying she "wanted a small baby" (my other SIL has had six, all of them so big there were complications, so obviously this SIL only meant small enough not to cause a lot of damage) and she seemed annoyed when I told her not to say that, even if the baby didn't have any health concerns.  I also sent some of the other links to visitors, and the info about using preemie clothes with snaps helped a lot in choosing what to buy.

At1stsight

Glad Emma is doing so well! Just a warning: if your SIL gets discharged from the hospital before Emma is ready to come home, that day is a VERY traumatic day for many preemie moms. It was the worst day of my life. Leaving the hospital without your child is so awful; try to be extra sweet and supportive that day (even be present if you can). Lots of husbands don't tend to understand what the mom is going through. Of course you're welcome to lurk or ask questions about how to care for your new niece (congrats to you too!). You're a great SIL.

mommamorris

aww! it sounds like emma's doing great! a natural birth, healthy heart, and feeding already is awesome! lurk all you want... we're here to help... 

glad the links could be of help... i wish someone would have forwarded those things to people we knew (haha) that's why i wrote them down. and yes, your MIL should definitely NOT say "well, you got the small baby you wanted". that's probably not what SIL wished for!  just let us know if you have any other questions or we can be of any other help.