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NICU question

MrsNJSwimmerMrsNJSwimmer member
in Hawaii Babies

My coworker just gave birth at 30 weeks.  Her son was a little over 3 lbs.  We still haven't thrown her a shower yet, but wanted to do so in a few weeks.  Do you think she will be able to come into work for it?  What is the process that mothers go through when their baby is in the NICU?

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Re: NICU question

  • sanae78sanae78

    Not sure what you mean by process but I'd ask her if she's up for it.  A lot of our parents only visit once a day for an hour or so because they have limited child care for other kids.  But there are some NICUs equipped to have parents room in and stay 24/7.  

    Depending on how he does with feeding and stuff, he should be in the NICU for at least 6-8 weeks, but usually we estimate they go home around their due date.

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  • mrspresleymrspresley

    are you asking if the baby will be discharged so she can go to the shower w/the baby in a few weeks? or will she be able to leave the NICU w/o worrying in order to attend a work shower?

    there's a chance the baby will be there for more than a few weeks while they feed it and grow it.  i would plan the logistics of the shower (i.e. who's going to take care of what) but i wouldn't set a date just yet until you find out when the baby is going to be discharged.  no experience w/the NICU but just my 2 cents :)

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  • myday1708myday1708

    I would collect the gifts and send them to her. Or ler her know that you want to throw a shower but that you'll wait until she's ready, maybe suggest one when the baby turns 2 or 3 months?

    My friend just had her baby at 30 weeks and her baby was 3 lbs or so. She was in NICU for a month and my friend was pumping around the clock and going to the hospital every day. It was very trying for her and she was overwhelmed with everything going on, so there's no way she would have had time for a shower.

    Now that the baby is home, she has not wanted any visitors or taken the baby anywhere except for short walks because the Dr has said she needs to keep the baby away from everyone because preemies can get sick easier. I still haven't even seen her - or my friend - and she gave birth end of April! 

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  • MrsNJSwimmerMrsNJSwimmer member

    Yeah, I wasn't sure if the baby would even be allowed to have any visitors other than family even when he was home. 

    I guess the thought was to just have my coworker come in to the office, but I didn't know if there was a schedule of when she could visit the baby and therefore would have other time to come in here or not.  Or if she would even have the energy. 

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  • MrsNJSwimmerMrsNJSwimmer member
    imagesanae78:

    Not sure what you mean by process but I'd ask her if she's up for it.  A lot of our parents only visit once a day for an hour or so because they have limited child care for other kids.  But there are some NICUs equipped to have parents room in and stay 24/7.  

    Depending on how he does with feeding and stuff, he should be in the NICU for at least 6-8 weeks, but usually we estimate they go home around their due date.

    Someone told me until they reach 5 lbs - is that right?

    This is her first child, so she doesn't have any other childcare issues.

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  • sanae78sanae78
    imageMrsNJSwimmer:
    imagesanae78:

    Not sure what you mean by process but I'd ask her if she's up for it.  A lot of our parents only visit once a day for an hour or so because they have limited child care for other kids.  But there are some NICUs equipped to have parents room in and stay 24/7.  

    Depending on how he does with feeding and stuff, he should be in the NICU for at least 6-8 weeks, but usually we estimate they go home around their due date.

    Someone told me until they reach 5 lbs - is that right?

    This is her first child, so she doesn't have any other childcare issues.

    Our policy is 4.5 lbs. They also have to be able to eat everything on their own, which can be an issue for some babies. Premies have to learn to coordinate the whole suck, swallow, and breathe thing. Plus they often dont have the stamina to finish the entire feeding They usually won't even start to let a baby bottle feed until about 34 weeks adjusted age. It's really hard to say how the course will go in the nicu. There's potential for infection, which can be another big setback. There's just so much that can happen, but barring any complications most go home by their due date.
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  • supercoolnatsupercoolnat

    I had my baby at 34 weeks, and he was in the special care nursery for a little over 2 weeks. From my experience, I wouldn't have been able to handle attending a shower. Every mom is different with her visiting schedule, but it always takes a lot of time and energy to visit the hospital. And like a previous post said, she may be pumping around the clock. And although everyone goes through a different emotional process, she may not be in the state to attend a shower for her baby. I had a really hard time after I was discharged but before Zach came home. Even on my good days, I was afraid to interact with people since I never knew when I'd have a breakdown and start crying at the mention of Zach.

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