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Preemies
irishbaby0708
member
So fustrated with NICU
irishbaby0708
member
in Preemies
Every dayor night it seems like i'm gettingkicked out so they can work on a baby. I feel bad that i feel this way but, i want to be with my baby. Has any one else had this problem. Not sure if i should complain to the dr at this point. The first few times i was like ok it's important but, it doesn't seem to matter what time of day or night i'm there I'm only asked to leave for awhile. I live 1 hour away from the hospital as it is so once i go there i'm there for the day. You can't go before 12 in the morning since they do rounds than and you have to leave when there changing the fluid and during shift change over. It seems like there always asking me to leave. I noticed i'm the only mom there all the time i'm starting to wonder if there asking me to leave all the time becasue i'm always there.
Any one else have issues like this. How much time did you spend at the NICU with your baby.
Thanks for listening.
10/17/2009 - Our Miracle came 10 weeks early. IF,2 MC and 1 Preemie we have our miracle..
Baby Hope 10 weeks 5days was taken from us on Dec 18, 2007. Forever with us and Forever missed. Triplets Lost baby A @ weeks, Lost Baby B at 6 weeks and lost baby Abigail at 14 weeks when she was born to little for this life..... Forever with us ....
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Re: So fustrated with NICU
Rowen Alexander born 10 weeks early 1/28/07
www.4wquestions.blogspot.com
We were only allowed there for an hour every four hours. They didn't want babe to disturbed and while we were there is when they did the routine stuff so she could rest when it was quiet.
I'm sorry you're feeling kicked out. Not fun.
I came in one morning and then announced that they had given her the HepB vaccine without asking. I had decided not to give her that one so I was livid. We only have control over a very few things that have to do with our babes in there so when something is taken it seems like a ton. Hang in there. You'll be home and wont have to share with anyone!
Unfortunately, unless your baby is in a private room this is completely normal. It's because of HIPPA privacy laws - they kick you out so you won't overhear them talking about private medical matters with other babies.
Our NICU did this too and it SUCKED.
We weren't allowed in the NICU during shift change (7-8 PM), but we were never kicked out. Esp on the weekends we were there for several hours (but would leave to eat lunch)...during the week days I was there every day from 2-4 PM and DH and I went back from 8-10 PM.
If I were you, I would just ask them to explain why you were getting kicked out.
Also if you feel you are spending too much time there (which is easy to do!), maybe you should try to take some time alone with your husband and take a break - maybe go out for dinner or something!
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If a NICU has an open room than they should be kicking people out for shift changes and major events (such as PDA surgeries and end of life times). In fact, they violate HIPAA if they don't.
Our son's NICU did have a policy that you were only allowed at the babies bedside for 45 minutes at a time and then you had to take a 1/2 break or something. They never enforced it with us but who knows if they did with others.
Our daughter's NICU only asked people to leave for shift changes, major surgeries, etc. Otherwise you could stay.
If you are in level 3 this is very normal unfortunately. When we moved to level 2 they and than transitional they didn't kick us out for new admittances or emergencies.
The "open" hours were always really hard on us. I spoke with the director to attempt a waiver b/c we lived an hour a way from the hospital. It was to no avail.
NICU life is tough (((HUGS)))!
In our nicu you couldn't be there from 6-7 both am and pm for shift changes. We were never kicked out, but always left. We were never asked to leave besides that - except the time the nurses said I really needed to go rest, so they got me set up in one of the family overnight rooms so I could take a little nap a couple of days. When we were moved downstairs (still nicu but mostly babies closer to going home because upstairs got so full) we often stayed through shift change because i was doing as many feeds as possible then.
In general I was there 10am-10pm daily. DH and I would go to the cafeteria for a quick lunch and go get dinner at a restaraunt during evening shift change. Besides that we were by his side. I also felt like I was the only mom there so long each day. The last few days dh was back to work and I couldn't take being there 12 hours straight (since i couldn't drive, I couldn't even leave to go get dinner) so i finally had a major breakdown and only went about 6 hours/day.
Also - I never, in our 3 weeks there, even heard of a baby not making it...I couldn't even imagine being in the room during that time.
Other than twice daily for one-hour shift changes, my NICU only closed when a baby looked like he/she was passing away. Unfortunately my Annaleigh was one of those babies, and they made all the other parents leave the NICU for over 2 hours so DH and I could have our privacy. I really appreciated it and all the parents, who of course figured out what was going on, understood. So if they are closing for something like that, be greatful that it isn't for your baby! But if they are asking you to leave for no good reason at all I would inquire with the charge nurse or doctor to see what they can do. I used to go twice a day - in the morning for about 2-3 hours and then again in the evening for 2 hours or so. About twice a week we'd go up later in the day, around 3:00 or so, visit for a couple hours then go out to dinner and/or a movie and then go back for an evening visit. I lived 45 minutes away and would drive back and forth.
Our NICU felt that parent time was more imp't for the babies than anything. Kangarooing was *VERY* promoted. We very frequently kangarooed for 3-4 hours at a time. The only thing that got me up was my bladder or my boobs getting too full.
I was also there usually 12 or 15 hours/day. I felt in the way a time or two but was always reassured that they would work around me, not the other way around. There was some complexities around moving us when we were finally going to move out of the level IV, because the open place was kind of crowded and I was told "well, you're here a lot, so we're not going to move you." it sort of made me feel bad, but not enough that I'd have went away.
The nurses found a quiet spot during shift change so that I couldn't hear report, so no HIPPA violation. During procedures that needed to be sterile, they would ask parents to move over a bit while they worked. Usually the parents took that opportunity to take a break, get food or whatever, but I saw plenty of PIC lines placed while I kangarooed 10 or 15 feet away.
There were some very sad things going on. The families who were facing the worst news were given an isolation room for privacy, or a room outside the NICU. At one point the baby next to us was baptised in preperation for pulling her life support. She wasn't really able to be moved. This was in the level IV where we're on top of each other. They put up screens to give as much privacy as possible.
Again, our hospital was *VERY* pro-family. We were allowed to hold him while intubated as well. I know a lot of hospitals won't do that. The director of the NICU says the research says the benefits of kangarooing outweighed the risk of extubation.
I wholly believe it can be done w/o seperating families any more than absolutely necessary.
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I would say, even if you complain, there is nothing they are going to do for you. At our NICU the policy was that you couldn't be there during shift change, because that is when they did the rounds, and you had to leave if there was an emergency with another baby, or when they had a new baby coming in. I only had to leave once because they were working on the other baby (and it was heart breaking, because the baby's parents were there, and very distraught)
I don't think they want you to leave just because you are there, they are probably honestly working on the other babies... unfortunately it is just one of the other sucky things about NICU.
Good luck, and hopefully you won't have to deal with it much longer!
being a NICU nurse I can tell you that the only reason they are asking you to leave is to protect the privacy of the other patients. I know it is frustrating but it is necessary to protect the patients. They ask you to leave during procedures and line changes because a lot of the procedures are sterile so they are trying to prevent infection and some of the things that they have to do to the babies are quite traumatic to watch.
when they ask you to leave, use that time to go grab something to eat, go for a walk, maybe get some shopping done, see a movie, read a book. you need to get out of those 4 walls or else you will go nutty.
i am sorry you had to start out in the NICU but it is the safest place for your LO. Good luck to you.
I think that's a matter of perspective. I was more traumatized wondering what was going on when I wasn't there. Lots of parents left for procedures and a few times I was invited to leave ("it's okay if you want to step out") but I always insisted on staying. I needed to be there. One time it took an hour to intubate him. That sucked, but no way I could step out, wondering if they were still working on him, what was going on.. The unknown was way scarier than the known.
And I was an anxious mess when I left. We tried to go to dinner a couple of times and I felt like crawling under the table and crying. The ONLY place that felt "safe" was at my son's side.
I realize that I had anxiety issues, and I'm probably a freak, but that's how I felt. And I really hated it when the nurses or doctors told me to get out and enjoy doing things while I could. It felt *WRONG* to me to be having a good time while I knew he was in there being poked and prodded.
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My son was full term but born w/trauma to his brain so was pretty sick early on...
anyhow when he was about 6 hours old I went down to see him, I was holding him and all of a sudden a 23 weeker was rushed in. I am not sure what exactly they were doing to this poor baby but they were working on her and it was just a huge flurry of activity....and of course she was in the "pod" RIGHT next to my son.
I got up to leave, seriously I was traumatized enough that my newborn had a brain injury and could not bare to watch what was going on w/this tiny tiny 23 weeker. They encouraged me to stay and just but a partition around us.
Honestly, I would have rather left.
IMO it's best to give privacy to a really sick or dying baby and his/her family but I can imagine how frustrating it is for you. the NICU sucks no matter what, best wishes for a speedy homecoming!!!!!
we were also never kicked out once. DH would drop me off at 7am on his way to work and I would stay all day til he came after work. we would go out and get dinner then come back til about 11pm.
there was a nurses office that I assume they did their shift change talking in. we never heard anything private about the other babies. they would come tell me it was time to put DS back in his incubator after a while of kangarooing but the would let me hang out in the rocker in his curtain area, watching him or napping.
((HUGS))
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