Intro-Previous 25 weeker
I am sorry to just bombard onto your board yesterday without introducing myself. My son, Caden, was born at 25 weeks 5 days over 10 years ago. He weighed 1lb 14oz and spent three months in the NICU. He had a typical whimpy, white male course throught the NICU. He did great for the first week, got really sick requiring a chest tube the second week, and then after another shot of steroids matured enough to make some progress. He spend almost a month on a HFOV and then a month on a conventional ventilator. He learned how to eat in a month and came home at almost 38 weeks corrected. He had Stage II ROP that resolved, he had a grade II hemorrhage that resolved, and spent a good year with ECI trying to catch up. At about four months corrected we found out he was a thin liquid aspirator and he began refusing bottles. That was a very stressful time in my life, becayuse it took another four months to get over his oral aversion. But, from that point Caden became a normal and healthy baby. Today Caden is average in height in weight, he is in advanced classes academically, and he has a personality like no other. I often laugh with him that I can see why he came so early because he is always trying to be one step ahead. He is proud of his beginning, because he overcame adversity and he loves to hear stories about the NICU. I show him pictures often and keep telling him he needs to become a neonatologist in order to give back. I love him and I truly feel his beginning shaped me as mother.
As for me, I am a Respiratory Therapist and pregnant with my second child. After Caden's birth I went back to school and majored in Respiratory Care. It took me about five years to finish my degree, but I love it and feel it is my true calling. I recently went through training in the NICU which brought on its own set of emotions. I love it though and can't wait to get more and more experience as time goes by. As for this pregnancy, it obviously took me a while to recover from the fear that followed with Caden's birth. I had a preventative cerclage placed and pray it holds strong. This week marks the exact same week that I started having trouble with my first pregnancy. All I can do now is pray that this little girl stays in.
I look forward to getting to know you ladies. Good luck with all your beautiful babies.
Re: Intro-Previous 25 weeker
Thank you so much for sharing your story! My twins were born at 26w4d and I'm constantly worried about their future and how they will progress. I know each child is different but hearing about Caden gives my hope that my boys will be just fine!
Congrats on your pregnancy and I'll be praying that the cerclage holds and you get a "bring home" baby girl!
The night Caden was born I read a story about a little 25 weeker that made it through the NICU. It was that story that got me through the next three months. I held onto hope that he would be like that little boy. Sometimes that is all you can do.
I became pregnant when I was 19. I am and was a gymnastics instructor. With my very irregular periods I did not find out I was pregnant until i was just over 4 months along. Needless to say, due to my career, my son was born at 26 weeks and 4 days. He was also 1lb. 14oz. However, his experience in the NICU was very different. I think it was because i was given steriod shots before he came to join us. After two days on a ventilator he was breathing with a CPAP, after a week with CPAP he was breathing on a canula (simply forced air). My miracle man! He stayed in the hospital with no other issues for months until my actual due date. Being so young, it was a very scary situation... I would not wish what happened to us on anyone. I am glad that we were able to take our little guy home with us, some people don't get to do that.
Wondering, how old is your son now? Is he doing well? My son is going to be 5 in Feb. 2013. He is going to preschool. He is a little smaller than most children his age but is definitely where he needs to be with fine and gross motor skills. He is a little hyper active...but what 4 year old isn't!!
We have a lot in common. I was a gymnast too until about 19 and then I got pregnant with my son when I was 20.
Caden is doing well. He is average for height and weight. He was small for the first five years, but he has seemed to grow out of it. Caden is also very bright. We don't have an developmental issues and he is even in advanced classes as school. I refused to put his birth weight down when I registered him for school because I did not want to have him classified. It never became a problem. Good luck with your little one.