~~ Early Arrivals Check in 9/5 ~~

Aurora1181 · September 2014

This check-in is for ladies whose babies made an early arrival prior to October. I'll post the check in every Friday. Feel free to post below if you want to be added!

When you update us, include some or all of the following:

When was your baby/babies born? What led to the early arrival?
How is baby doing now? Challenges? Successes? Upcoming appointments?
How are you doing?

Pictures are a plus! Show us those beautiful babies!!

I tried compiling a list of early arrivals so these ladies would get the notification for the check in, but I'm positive that I left some people out..

July
@KariAnnM_23 - boy (William) born at 27w3d

@35nhappy
@CynthiaVRey - girl (Aria) born at 31w due to PPROM

August
@Aurora1181 - boy/girl twins born at 32w due to severe preeclampsia and HELLP syndrome
@LaDyBostonRN - boy born at 33w6d
@DivaMom22 - twin boys born at 32w
@DanielleB27 - boy/girl twins (Peter and Sophia) born at 34w2d
@shelly2314 - twin girls born at 33w5d

September
@iloveflipflops - boy born at 32w
@shunt1983 - boy (Michael) born at 33w3d
@ginabina11 - triplets arriving September 24!!!

Aurora1181 · September 2014

I'll go first!!

My twins were born at 32w on the nose after I developed severe preeclampsia and HELLP syndrome. Basically my liver decided to go into acute failure, and once it was recognized, I delivered by c-section about 2 hours later. My blood pressure was fine until two days before the delivery. It was crazy and such a whirlwind.

They're doing great in the NICU. Today marks 3 weeks in the NICU (so they're "35 weeks") and they're getting bigger each day. Baby girl is up to 4lbs 1oz and baby boy is at 4lbs and 14oz. They're learning how to take bottles and we've been working on breastfeeding. Both babies are really good at latching, but not so great at sucking and breathing. In order to leave the NICU they have to take their bottle in 20 minutes or less.. and right now they hardly get any milk from the bottle- or if they do get milk, they choke because they don't know what to do or how to breathe at the same time. We're working on it though and they get better each day. They still have an "NG tube" that goes down their nose into their bellies that gives them their food, but they no longer have oxygen or IVs or anything like that. Just the little tube!

I'm hanging in there- pumping 8 times a day to get them milk, and for now I'm making enough. But it is so hard! Exclusively pumping is like full time job. Not to mention washing all the parts.. ugh!! DH has been sick with a fever so he hasn't been able to visit the babies since Monday- so that's been tough. I go everyday for about 8-10 hours. Going home each night is not easy..

I'm excited to hear about everyone else!

hgielrebmik · September 2014

And add your birth announcements to the BA thread please. I want to start throwing out some love tits! (weaky face)

rosalie12 · September 2014

Love this thread! I'd love to see pictures too!

Aurora1181 · September 2014

ginabina11 said:

@Aurora1181‌ have you tried the sanitizing microwave bags to clean your pump parts? Might be something to think about to help cut down cleaning time! I never pumped for my first LO, but definitely will for these three. My sister swore by those bags when she pumped while working & bought me a stock pile of them! I think each bag gets 5-10 uses maybe?

I have a couple sanitizing bags- one for the hospital and one for home, but it says to wash the parts and THEN sanitize them in the microwave. So maybe the bags you're talking about are different?

DanielleB27 · September 2014

I'd like to add my name to early arrivals! My babies arrived on August 23rd, at 3:26 and 3:28 am.

I had my twins at 34 weeks 2 days after my water broke. We tried doing steroids, but they were started about 9:30 pm on Friday, and I started having contractions at 12:30 am on Saturday. Since baby A was breech, they had to do a c-section.

The c-section went well (I was a lot more calm through the whole thing than I thought I would be, as I have never had surgery before). Both babies had apgar scores of 8 and 9, but did have to go to the NICU.

Sophia was on c-pap for a night to keep her lungs from deflating, and Peter had some issues with his glucose levels. After 13 days, they both were able to go home, and have been home for about 48 hours. They are doing great with bottle feeding my expressed milk, and after seeing our pedi on Monday I hope to start breastfeeding. In the NICU they got way too tired with breastfeeding, so we decided to do bottles, get them home, and then work on it.

Sophia is on the left and Peter is on the right.

iloveflipflops · September 2014

Hi I'd like to be added to this check in my son was born at 32 weeks the day after Labor Day September 2nd. On Labor Day my water broke, my husband and I called the ob and he told us either he my water had broken or that he had kicked my bladder, with the amount of fluid coming out I knew my water had broken I was put into triage and then a labor and delivery room where they tried to monitor the contractions I couldn't even feel and then before I knew it I was 8cm had the epidural and they put a call into my ob that our little guy would be having an early birthday party.If I hadn't started contractions I would have been on hospital bed rest till he arrived. Our little guy is doing well he is currently in the NICU had slight jaundice but as of today had no need for the light , my husband and I have been able to hold him often, and he is getting his feedings through a feeding tube I'm working on cluster pumping breast milk at night to take to him in the NICU. How are you feeling? My husband and are just trying to work everything out with setting up a schedule so that people are visiting him throughout the day. Just trying to take it one day at a time it's so hard to leave him everyday after holding him we're so counting down the days when he gets discharged. I look around the Nicu though and know how thankful I am that such wonderful nurses are taking care of him.

iloveflipflops · September 2014

Sorry for the massive paragraph it wouldn't let me separate what I wrote.

ANGnJON · September 2014

@shelly2314‌ should also be tagged in this thread!

KariAnnM 23 · September 2014

I'm late to checking in.
William was due 10/16 but came early on 7/20 at 27 weeks and 3 days. I was on hospital bedrest for 10 weeks at that point due to losing twin A (delayed interval delivery. I had an emergency c-section after I started bleeding...a lot! We found out later that William's umbilical cord was wrapped around his neck twice ultimately leading to placental abruption.
He was born at 2lbs 5oz and 13.5 inches. He is now 7 weeks old and 4lbs 5oz 16.5 inches.
At 10 days old he was diagnosed with a heart condition. (VSD with left ventricle to right atrium shunt) Thankfully it is not interfering with his progress but the cardiologist says he will need to have open heart surgery to repair it at some point.

I would post a picture but I am on my phone and it never lets me.

shunt1983 · September 2014

So I just had my son Michael at 33w3d. Emergency c section he was breech in labor etc. Hes doing okay hes on cpap & oxygen. And im so worried about him. I also have 3 other kids at home so splitting the time between the two is going to be so tough. I know well get through it and top of it recovering from the c section. Very overwhelmed hes in great care. Im just going to feel guilty about it all.

CynthiaVRey · September 2014

Totally feeling your pain on the feeling guilty hugs !!!

CynthiaVRey · September 2014

Gave birth to my daughter Aria at 31 weeks July 29 due to pprom she was born at 2 pounds 3 ounces and she's currently in nicu and weighs 4.14 and is making progress .bshe was born emergency c section, recovering and the back and forth is really tough but were managing . She just got diagnosed with reflux which scares me seems as if she takes one step foward and two steps back but overall is doing great.

CynthiaVRey · September 2014

For all the moms with babies in nicu how many hour are you spending there ? I feel so guilty every minute I'm gone but the back and forth is so hard plus taking care of things at home and other things requires me to be gone as well

shunt1983 · September 2014

Im not sure what Im supposed to do. But my goal is 6-7 hours. This way as he gets older Ill be able to do 2 care to care visits. One in the morning or afternoon depending on scheduling and babysitting for my younger one & one every evening. 4 days a week weekends and tues/fri I can do more because all 3 kids have school all ne friend is a nicu rt and she recommended this to me. She has 4 kids like me and she has helped me alot. Now we are lucky only 10 minutes away. She also said while hes on cpap its okay if I miss more because Im not allowed to hold him much and he just needs rest until that gets better.

Aurora1181 · September 2014

CynthiaVRey said:

For all the moms with babies in nicu how many hour are you spending there ? I feel so guilty every minute I'm gone but the back and forth is so hard plus taking care of things at home and other things requires me to be gone as well

I don't have other kids and live about 20 minutes from the hospital, so what I do is pump at home at 6am, then eat breakfast, shower, get ready (which basically means put on yoga pants and my hair in a pony tail.. lol), and head up to the hospital at 9am. I pump at least once at the hospital, stay until lunch time, then head home to eat lunch. Pump two more times at home (noon and 3pm) and then go back to the hospital when my husband gets home from work (4pm) and stay until we are starving and head home to scarf a late dinner. ie. cereal or whatever we can scrounge up. We've also ordered food to the NICU before- like pizza or sandwiches or whatever- and will sometimes eat in the waiting room. We're home around 10pm. So total, all day, I probably spend 8 or 9 hours. It is exhausting.

saraheh007 · September 2014

I just wanted to send hugs to all of you NICU moms. I do not have experience but reading your struggles tugs at my heart. I can't imagine trying to juggle everything with a child in the hospital and the feelings you must be having.

The fact that you are struggling with guilt and questioning yourselves shows that you are excellent moms and doing the best you can for your kids. Try not to be hard on yourselves and take time to take care of you too.

I hope all of your LO's are home safely very soon. T&P to you all!

LaDyBostonRN · September 2014

So glad for this. It's been hard to be active on this board given everything that has happened, and this is a way for me to sick around, in some way. Here's my random rant.

I think you all know I delivered at 33w6d from PPROM, complicated by Chorio. Also developed a BITCH ASS full body itchy/painful rash from delayed reaction to the antibiotics I had during labor about 5 days after delivery. So it has been crazy dealing with a baby in the NICU, and this rash, and all the other things going on.

saraheh007 Your comment really means a lot, thanks

CynthiaVRey I pump at 5AM, then sleep until 8 and pump again. We get up, shower, and work on the nursery and getting our house in order. We had NOTHING done for the baby, so we are trying to catch up. We then usually head to the hospital around 2/3pm (we live about 35 minutes away, but with traffic usually about 1 hour away). We get there anywhere between 4 and 4:45 and stay for the 5pm and 8pm feeding. We have a dog at home so we can't leave her for a very long time. We also have to try to find some decent food in between. I agree, it's very exhausting.

I have this love hate relationship with the NICU/hospital. I HATE being there, but I can't get enough of my son. I feel guilty saying this, but it's true. Being in that room with him having all those wires coming from him, having to breast feed and pump with no privacy, listening to everyone's opinions, it sucks. Thank god he doesn't have his breathing tube anymore, just the feeding tube.

Here are some pics of my little man. LOVE HIM SO MUCH.

Aurora1181 said:

ginabina11 said:

@Aurora1181‌ have you tried the sanitizing microwave bags to clean your pump parts? Might be something to think about to help cut down cleaning time! I never pumped for my first LO, but definitely will for these three. My sister swore by those bags when she pumped while working & bought me a stock pile of them! I think each bag gets 5-10 uses maybe?

I have a couple sanitizing bags- one for the hospital and one for home, but it says to wash the parts and THEN sanitize them in the microwave. So maybe the bags you're talking about are different?

@Aurora1181‌ This is what I do.

ttucceri · September 2014

Out little girl was due October 19. She had plans of her own and was born September 8, 6 weeks early! She is currently in the NICU at our hospital but is making incredible growth at only 31 1/2 hours old. She's already breathing on her own!! Still waiting for her to feed more than a few ounces but it's looking like her stay there won't be long!

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