NICU check-in

ziggy903 · January 2014

Sorry ladies- I completely forgot to post this morning!

1. How old is baby? If premature, tell us adjusted age/gestation as well

2. How long is your expected nicu stay?

3. How is baby doing?

4. How are you feeling, emotionally?

5. Show us a photo!

ziggy903 · January 2014

1. 20 days, 35+1 gestation

2. We are 3 weeks in to an estimated 4-8 weeks at this hospital. Then baby will be hem for awhile, then at a children's hospital for 3-6 weeks after surgery.

3. He's doing wonderfully! He is off the cannula still, and the picc line so the nurses say he can wear clothing now!
We've been learning how to bottle/breast feed this week. He's a pro with the bottle, and at my breast he is getting a decent amount- today at noon he got 18cc at the breast and his normal feeding is 34cc. So we're getting there! The nurses told me this week that if his feedings go as well as they have been, he will be home within two weeks!

4. I'm feeling good. It's still hard to leave him every day, but I am feeling better about it. It's really surreal to me that he will be coming home soon, I keep freaking out and wondering if I have what I need or if I will be ready for him and be a good mom. It's scary!

Heiditylerg · January 2014

He is such a sweetie

were back in nicu. We were there 24 days home 5 now back. My baby has strep c. He was born 33 weeks. Im exhausted, scared and sad. Its very very hard to be a nicu parent

littlepig2 · January 2014

@ziggy903 baby David is so stinking cute!!! I'm glad he's doing so well and hope you guys get to go home soon! :bz

ziggy903 · January 2014

@heiditylerg I have been thinking of you. I am so sorry you have to go through all that! Do the doctors have an estimated time frame for LO this time? I hope he gets big and healthy soon and can go back home soon... For good!

@rach521 thanks! I happen to think he's adorable too, but I might be a biased opinion

I hope he can come home soon, but it scares me too! No monitors for his heart rate and stuff, and no nurses to ask questions to? Ahhhh!

erinel · January 2014

Hi everyone-
I've lurked on the February board my whole pregnancy, but never commented. Now my baby is in the nicu, so I thought I'd join this thread for support.
Sorry ladies- I completely forgot to post this morning!

1. How old is baby? If premature, tell us adjusted age/gestation as well
He is 15 days old, born at 35w4d

2. How long is your expected nicu stay?
We are unsure right now. He has adeno virus and possible bacterial pneumonia, so we have a good deal to get through before they will give us a guess at a timeline.

3. How is baby doing?
He's doing ok today, mostly stable and no change since yesterday, and they are taking that as a good thing. Friday night was the scariest, and the NP told us to prepare for the worst, making it the most terrifying night of my life. We are hoping he doesn't have another night like that (elevated heart rate and breathing, fever, low oxygen saturation), but it's a possibility, and I'm trying to brace for that.

4. How are you feeling, emotionally?
Pretty terrible. I cry a lot, this is all so scary. We were a little more positive today with how he is doing, but I still have my moments. My husband has been so strong and supportive, without him I don't know what I'd do. Fortunately we are able to stay in the room with our son, so we have spent every day and night here, and don't plan on stopping until we can bring him home.

5. Show us a photo!
Don't know how to on mobile, but I'll try later.

erinel · January 2014

Ziggy, David is so cute! I'm glad things seem to be going well with him!

ziggy903 · January 2014

@erinel welcome, but I'm sorry you're joining us here

I'm so glad your LO made it through Friday night, I can't imagine how scary that was! I'll keep your LO in my thoughts for sure, and you can lean on f14 for support when you need it- it's been a wonderful place for me with a stressful pregnancy and all this preemie stuff, the women here are really amazing.

ziggy903 · January 2014

@junebugz1 he is so cute with the football! And I totally feel you on the emotional stuff- the first week was the hardest for me, but that doesn't mean it's "easy" to leave him now. I still cry at home most nights, and I think it's all part of the NICU deal. The first ride home and the first night pumping at home without him was probably the saddest night of my life- it sucks and I hate that you had to go through it too

I pray that baby James fills those diapers often and doesn't have CF.

@ivedonethisb4 I'm so happy Georgiana is doing better! An open bed is a huge step forward! Have you met with lactation about your supply issues?

erinel · January 2014

Thank you for the warm welcome. I'm sorry that we all are in this situation, but I'm glad we have somewhere to turn for support.

slwprincess · January 2014

ivedonethisb4 said:

@ziggy903 yes but nothing she suggests seems to work... Basically eat more, drink more, pump more & be away from Georgiana more doing those things. ETA: I pump every 2-3 hours with the rare occasion of sleeping through my alarm. I eat & snack. Drinking is harder but I get as much water as I can plus juices and such.

Hugs sweetie! I struggled with my supply soooo much when DS was in the NICU and after he came home b/c he had tongue tie and other issues. It is such a mental thing in sooooo many ways- you are stressed about baby's health, that causes your supply to hold back, you pump and don't get much (because your body is smart enough to know that noisy piece of plastic is NOT your baby!), and that causes you to stress more about how few ounces are in those damn bottles, and then that causes you to stress more about baby's health. It is a vicious, vicious cycle.

And you've got thyroid issues too on top of everything else, right? I'm telling you, that can really impact it as well. With both my babies, I did not see any increase in supply until I let go of the thought of exclusive BF and made my peace with supplementing. Suddenly, when I just let go and accepted that formula was going to be part of the deal, my supply finally went up and I started to get a little more in those pump bottles! So please, don't beat yourself up over this- it will be the best thing for both of you! And I've shared this before but the very best advice that I got came from my pediatrician (who is teaching there at CHOA now, btw, not sure if he's in the NICU or not, but if you guys run into Dr. Dixon... he's freaking awesome ;-)). He told me to stop looking at formula as inferior food and instead to trust that it was going to give my baby all the nutrients he needed and my extra nursing and pumping sessions were highly nutritious snacks that were still building up his immune system as well. Both had a very different purpose and both were very important. For some reason, that advice clicked in my exhausted brain and after that, I was able to let go and we both did great!

Oh and hang in there NICU mama's! I'm thinking and praying for you all everyday!

Heiditylerg · January 2014

Hopefully he will be home in a week or two

AngieV84 · January 2014

I haven't been on here much lately...so exhausted.

1. How old is baby? If premature, tell us adjusted age/gestation as well
18 days. 38 weeks 2 days

2. How long is your expected nicu stay?
Jackson was in for 12 days, Dominic will most likely still be in there for another week or so (or longer, we really don't have a time frame)

3. How is baby doing?
Jackson is doing great at home. Once he learned to coordinate suck and swallow, he's been just fine.
Dominic was doing great with taking bottles, but then declined and the nurses got worried so they called in a speech therapist to work with him. He's doing a little better now with the bottles but still gets way too tired out. So he still has ways to go with that and maintaining his temperature and sugar levels.

4. How are you feeling, emotionally?
I have my ups and downs. Sometimes my husband and I take turns going to visit Dominic when we don't have a babysitter, so yesterday I went by myself and almost had a breakdown on the way home. Going back and forth from the nicu while trying to take care of brother is really difficult. I'm pumping every two hours and still barely only making enough for Dominic, so Jackson gets formula. It's all so exhausting.

5. Show us a photo!

erinel · January 2014

Today was terrible. Q started out doing well, but quickly took a turn for the worse, and now he is intubated. We have had so many doctors working on him, including some infectious diseases doctors that are thinking about trying some experimental medications on him.
We decided to have the hospital deacon baptize Q, just in case.
I keep pumping, because it is the only thing I can do that makes me feel helpful. I'm barely eating and sleeping, but I force myself to get something just so that I can keep producing enough milk for when he gets better.

ziggy903 · January 2014

@erinel I'm so sorry

I will continue to keep him in my prayers.

erinel · January 2014

Thanks y'all. He's a strong little guy, so he's kind of fighting the ventilator, and now they are putting him on a morphine drip. Praying he lets the ventilator do it's job so that he can get better.

Heiditylerg · January 2014

@erinel Praying for your little man. Were in the NICU also. 34 days. I know exactly what you mean about pumping to feel helpful. Its great news your little one is breathing over the vent!! Stay strong!!

ziggy903 · January 2014

@erinel how is Q doing?

VeronicaAnn143 · January 2014

Thinking about all of you ladies with NUCU babies!! Lots of love and prayers. @erinel praying for your LO.

erinel · January 2014

Thanks y'all, sorry I haven't checked in for a couple of days. Q is doing well, still really really sick, but stable. We aren't out of the woods, but we can actually breathe a little bit. The goal is to keep him stable for a couple more days before doing work on improving him.
Heiditylerg, 34 days is a long time, how are you holding up? Are you able to stay with your baby?
Ziggy, how is David?

ziggy903 · January 2014

@erinel stable is wonderful!! Oh I'm so happy you can breathe a bit.
David is doing great! He isn't doing too well with the breastfeeding, but he's a pro at the bottle! He's getting 5-6 bottles a day out of 8 total feedings. I'm *really* freaking out about him coming home soon. It's too real!

erinel · January 2014

That is fantastic! Are you pumping for those bottle feedings? Quint has been purely on an IV for nutrition the past several days, so I've been pumping and building up quite a stash.

ziggy903 · January 2014

@erinel I have been! He's been getting my milk since he was a few days old- he got donor milk before that. At the beginning he was getting iv nutrition while he worked up to full feeds, but he's been getting my milk one way or another for awhile

Heiditylerg · February 2014

@erinel Liam was moved to a different floor since he is off the ventilator. We can stay over night with him. Its been great. He may get to come home after feb 7th!!!!
How is your little one

erinel · February 2014

@Heiditylerg February 7th is so soon! How exciting!
Q is mostly stable, although we've been fighting a low blood pressure and oxygen saturation. They gave him steroids last night and this morning that should have helped, but unfortunately didn't. They are giving him yet another transfusion now, and hopefully that will help a little.
The infectious diseases doctors are happy that his liver results are a little better, so that's something positive.
I'm starting to really feel the exhaustion. Last night I was really worried at some if his stats so I didn't want to sleep, but I fell asleep anyway almost immediately, and even slept through the alarm I set for when it was time to pump. I feel a little better this morning, so hopefully we have a good day and I can sleep again tonight.

Heiditylerg · February 2014

Hang in there @erinel, remember to take care of yourself. Get rest. Sometimes I got longer stretches at night and dont pump just so I can sleep. Although its hard to sleep with nurses coming in all the time, it still helps. What hospital are you at?

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