Thanks for all of the congrats and well wishes! Jay is doing great and just keeps getting cuter. He's continuing to pass all of his tests. He has a little bit of jaundice, but no more than a lot of full term babies. We're still watching his weight, but they were happy with it when they checked this evening. He was only down 5 ounces from his birth weight (4lb13oz down to 4lb8oz).
I'm sitting here a little bit terrified, though, because around 11 tonight DH threw up the whole contents of his stomach. We're hoping it was a combination of the crappy hospital food and lack of sleep and that it's not a stomach virus. I don't think our little guy or I could handle a virus right now. The nurse said he might as well stay and see how things go since if it is a virus, we've already been exposed. Praying that he feels better and that it was just a fluke because I need him here! This newborn stuff + the extra feedings is no joke.
Me: 29, DH: 31 Married: October 2014 Began TTC: April 2015 BFP #1: 9/18/15. EDD 5/18/16. MC 10/26/15. (9w) BFP #2: 2/27/16. EDD 11/7/16. MC/D&E 4/20/16 (11w) BFP #3: 9/22/16. EDD 5/29/17. DS born 4/24/17 BFP #4: 5/20/18. EDD 1/23/19.
@kns1988 oh no I hope you H starts to feel better!!! I bet it was just stress - or at least I hope so. That sure is the last thing you need - at least you'll know before you go home? Thanks for the update!!
I hope DH feels better soon! I'm glad Jay is rocking all the tests and doing so well for a little munchkin! Hang in there @kns1988. You're doing awesome!!
I might be treating this a little bit like therapy and I've been cooped up in a hospital, so don't mind the long post.
Luckily the GI issues with DH the other night must have just been the food and stress because Jay and I didn't get sick. We were transferred to the peds floor on Wednesday afternoon with the idea that we would go home on Thursday, but we're still in the hospital. Thank God DH and I are able to stay in the room with him at all times and sleep here, but I wish we could have stayed on the maternity floor. The parents are left to fend for themselves for meals in peds, and I'm a breastfeeding mom that gave birth 3.5 days ago - can I have some breakfast, please?
Jay is having trouble maintaining his temperature, but he's right on the cutoff point. They put him in an incubator on the lowest setting (still in my room), and I just take him out for meals every 3 hours, even though I wish I could snuggle with him all the time. Yesterday, his weight was too low to go home and they were worried about elevated bili levels for jaundice. We had some really tough feeds in the morning that led to a lot of tears, but once he got in the warmer and they taught us a new trick with a feeding supply line/syringe, his feedings got a lot better. I'm looking forward to seeing if he gained any weight since yesterday. It's tough, though, because the breastfeed/supply line combo requires 2 sets of hands, so both DH and I are up every few hours for the feedings instead of taking turns like we thought we'd be able to do. I also have to continue to pump after every meal.
It's starting to sink in that even though he isn't a NICU patient, Jay has special needs as a "late preterm" baby. I feel bad for all of the emotions that I'm having because I know it could be so much worse and so much harder, and overall he's doing really great.
Silver linings: - Both of our families have been incredibly supportive and even helped me with feedings yesterday when DH had to leave to get some work done at the camp. - Our realtor is bringing the house settlement to us today so we'll be signing all of the papers without having to leave the hospital. - My recovery from birth is going extremely well and I'm not in pain. - I have a super cute, squishy little baby who I couldn't be more in love with.
Me: 29, DH: 31 Married: October 2014 Began TTC: April 2015 BFP #1: 9/18/15. EDD 5/18/16. MC 10/26/15. (9w) BFP #2: 2/27/16. EDD 11/7/16. MC/D&E 4/20/16 (11w) BFP #3: 9/22/16. EDD 5/29/17. DS born 4/24/17 BFP #4: 5/20/18. EDD 1/23/19.
@kns1988 I'm so sorry to hear you're on the peds floor instead of maternity. Hopefully DH can get you breakfast? It's good to hear Jay is staying out of the NICU. Thank you for sharing the struggles with us. I'm sorry you all are going through this, but Jay has strong parents. It sounds like you and DH are working well together. Do you have a good medical team? It's great your families have been so supportive. Good news about your recovery! It's very inspiring that despite the struggles Jay and y'all are going through, you can find silver linings. Hold onto that ability for positivism! I hope Jay's weight gain is good today and he maintains his temperature well enough for you all to go home! Thinking about you!
@kns1988: Thank you for sharing with us! I'm sorry for your struggles. It sounds like the feedings are stressful and emotional, and the no-food thing for you doesn't help. However, it's awesome that you have a whole list of silver linings! You are strong and amazing and doing a great job in tough circumstances! Keep going, mama!
Thank you, @jayandaplus and @SKZW! I really needed the encouragement this morning. I wish there was a real life version of the bump for new moms in the hospital. I'd love to go talk to other parents and see how they're holding up, but it'd be a little weird if I started trolling the peds hall looking for friends
@jayandaplus, have your early labor signs from last weekend passed? We do have a good medical team, but I wish there was more consistency. We have a different doctor checking on us practically every day, and each time they say something a little bit different. The nurses in maternity were consistent and fabulous, and they're pretty good over here in peds, too.
Me: 29, DH: 31 Married: October 2014 Began TTC: April 2015 BFP #1: 9/18/15. EDD 5/18/16. MC 10/26/15. (9w) BFP #2: 2/27/16. EDD 11/7/16. MC/D&E 4/20/16 (11w) BFP #3: 9/22/16. EDD 5/29/17. DS born 4/24/17 BFP #4: 5/20/18. EDD 1/23/19.
@kns1988 I just laughed out loud about trolling the hall for friends! That's a brilliant idea! Seriously though I'm glad you're feeling ok and having minimal pain but it must really suck to still be in the hospital but now you're not a patient so no one is helping you directly. So glad you have a good support system. Hopefully baby jay will get his temp and weight up and the bili will turn out to be ok. Also congrats on your house closing and hallelujah for the realtor coming to you instead of you trying to get to them while in the hospital! Keep posting to keep us updated
@kns1988 Thank you for sharing an update! I'm so glad you're recovering well. Hopefully little Jay's temp and weight will improve quickly and you'll be out of there in no time. It sounds like you and your H are making a good team, and I'm glad your family is so supportive!
@kns1988 I'm sorry you've had some struggles, but it sounds like you guys have a great support team. Fingers crossed he keeps eating and gaining weight! Can you talk to staff at the hospital about getting meals? My SIL was breastfeeding when her daughter was in the hospital for a week and they fed her because she was the baby's source of food.
@kns1988 thank you for sharing . Hopefully Jay's stay at the hospital will be over soon. I'm so glad you have a good support system - it sounds like you and your DH make a great team and it's so nice to have supportive family as well.
@kns1988 thanks for sharing. I'm sorry to hear about all your struggles. It's great that you've avoided the NICU though. It sounds like everything is just hard. It you're handing it super well! I'm inspired by your ability to find silver linings even in the thick of everything. Keep going and soon you'll have that squishy baby to take home!!! Hopefully feedings get a little better as time goes on too. Continue to use us as therapy and feel free to reach out on FB too!
@kns1988 Thanks for sharing! I'm glad to hear that you and Jay didn't get sick from DH and that you're not in pain. I'm sorry there have been some bumps in the road. Good for you for seeing (and writing about) the silver linings, though! They're pretty good ones We're all thinking of/rooting for you and your family, even though we can't be there in real life--you can always use TB as therapy! Stay strong!
Glad to hear your holding up. I'm hoping your little guy keeps gaining weight and you can go home soon. If the hospital sends you a survey tell them about the food issues. That's the only way they changed the policy at my hospital for husband's to get food during the maternity process.
Hugs mama. Even outside the NICU, having a baby who doesn't get to go home right away is tough. You are awesome. Triple feeds (BFing, syringe, pump) are really hard so be easy on yourself there too - you won't need to do that forever. Keep us updated - we're here for you! One feed / hour / day at a time. You can do this
@kns1988 My early labor signs are still present. I'm just trying to make it to 37 weeks. Thanks for asking!
I'm glad you like the nurses. That's really frustrating about the doctors, hopefully they're at least not contradicting each other's care plans. How's today going? Like @mdlorenz take it one feed/weight/text at a time.
As for friends, have you looked into new mom groups? Maybe ask a nurse. My midwife practice has a new mom group that meets once a week. There might be something in the community or hospital.
Thanks, everyone! We aren't going home today because he didn't gain yesterday. The good news is that his temp was good this morning so he doesn't have to be in the oscillator today, and I get to hold him as much as I want. We will probably be here at least through the weekend and maybe longer, but I'm just happy to be where he's going to get care. I don't want to be sent home prematurely and then have issues at home or have to be readmitted.
We closed on our house today!! They brought the paperwork to us at the hospital. I also took my first trip outside of the hospital since we were admitted on Monday so that we could get the cashier's check for closing costs. It's beautiful outside, and now I'm exhausted
Me: 29, DH: 31 Married: October 2014 Began TTC: April 2015 BFP #1: 9/18/15. EDD 5/18/16. MC 10/26/15. (9w) BFP #2: 2/27/16. EDD 11/7/16. MC/D&E 4/20/16 (11w) BFP #3: 9/22/16. EDD 5/29/17. DS born 4/24/17 BFP #4: 5/20/18. EDD 1/23/19.
Congratulations! Snuggle that baby! Woo hoo on closing on your house! Lots of good things happening today. Hope the weather stays nice for you and that Jay continues to improve.
So nice to see an update! I'm sorry that Jay is stuck at the hospital...I hope you have a great weekend filled with weight gain!! Thinking of you and your family...congrats on the house closing!!
@kns1988 C&O are doing well. I pump and bottle feed because that was the quickest way out of the NICU and O barely opens his mouth enough to take a bottle (let alone my squishy nipple). C nurses on occasion especially when nothing else calms her down. I think it's good for our souls even though it's not what's primarily helping her grow. Thanks for asking *done hijacking thread*
@kns1988 So glad you made it out of the hospital, closed on your house (huge YAY!) and that Jay's temperature is doing better! Great news! You're doing so awesome!
@kns1988 thank you for sharing your experience... I'm so happy about your home, what a relief that must be amidst all the action! Congrats FX you get to go home soon.
I also love your comment about checking in on other parents, lol. Maybe you can arrange a "mixer" in the hall with energy bars and hospital soft-serve! Lol
Re: Jason Arthur's birth story (+update 2)
I'm sitting here a little bit terrified, though, because around 11 tonight DH threw up the whole contents of his stomach. We're hoping it was a combination of the crappy hospital food and lack of sleep and that it's not a stomach virus. I don't think our little guy or I could handle a virus right now. The nurse said he might as well stay and see how things go since if it is a virus, we've already been exposed. Praying that he feels better and that it was just a fluke because I need him here! This newborn stuff + the extra feedings is no joke.
Married: October 2014
Began TTC: April 2015
BFP #1: 9/18/15. EDD 5/18/16. MC 10/26/15. (9w)
BFP #2: 2/27/16. EDD 11/7/16. MC/D&E 4/20/16 (11w)
BFP #3: 9/22/16. EDD 5/29/17. DS born 4/24/17
BFP #4: 5/20/18. EDD 1/23/19.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DS1 7/24/15
DS2 5/7/17
Luckily the GI issues with DH the other night must have just been the food and stress because Jay and I didn't get sick. We were transferred to the peds floor on Wednesday afternoon with the idea that we would go home on Thursday, but we're still in the hospital. Thank God DH and I are able to stay in the room with him at all times and sleep here, but I wish we could have stayed on the maternity floor. The parents are left to fend for themselves for meals in peds, and I'm a breastfeeding mom that gave birth 3.5 days ago - can I have some breakfast, please?
Jay is having trouble maintaining his temperature, but he's right on the cutoff point. They put him in an incubator on the lowest setting (still in my room), and I just take him out for meals every 3 hours, even though I wish I could snuggle with him all the time. Yesterday, his weight was too low to go home and they were worried about elevated bili levels for jaundice. We had some really tough feeds in the morning that led to a lot of tears, but once he got in the warmer and they taught us a new trick with a feeding supply line/syringe, his feedings got a lot better. I'm looking forward to seeing if he gained any weight since yesterday. It's tough, though, because the breastfeed/supply line combo requires 2 sets of hands, so both DH and I are up every few hours for the feedings instead of taking turns like we thought we'd be able to do. I also have to continue to pump after every meal.
It's starting to sink in that even though he isn't a NICU patient, Jay has special needs as a "late preterm" baby. I feel bad for all of the emotions that I'm having because I know it could be so much worse and so much harder, and overall he's doing really great.
Silver linings:
- Both of our families have been incredibly supportive and even helped me with feedings yesterday when DH had to leave to get some work done at the camp.
- Our realtor is bringing the house settlement to us today so we'll be signing all of the papers without having to leave the hospital.
- My recovery from birth is going extremely well and I'm not in pain.
- I have a super cute, squishy little baby who I couldn't be more in love with.
Married: October 2014
Began TTC: April 2015
BFP #1: 9/18/15. EDD 5/18/16. MC 10/26/15. (9w)
BFP #2: 2/27/16. EDD 11/7/16. MC/D&E 4/20/16 (11w)
BFP #3: 9/22/16. EDD 5/29/17. DS born 4/24/17
BFP #4: 5/20/18. EDD 1/23/19.
@jayandaplus, have your early labor signs from last weekend passed? We do have a good medical team, but I wish there was more consistency. We have a different doctor checking on us practically every day, and each time they say something a little bit different. The nurses in maternity were consistent and fabulous, and they're pretty good over here in peds, too.
Married: October 2014
Began TTC: April 2015
BFP #1: 9/18/15. EDD 5/18/16. MC 10/26/15. (9w)
BFP #2: 2/27/16. EDD 11/7/16. MC/D&E 4/20/16 (11w)
BFP #3: 9/22/16. EDD 5/29/17. DS born 4/24/17
BFP #4: 5/20/18. EDD 1/23/19.
Continue to use us as therapy and feel free to reach out on FB too!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I'm glad you like the nurses. That's really frustrating about the doctors, hopefully they're at least not contradicting each other's care plans. How's today going? Like @mdlorenz take it one feed/weight/text at a time.
As for friends, have you looked into new mom groups? Maybe ask a nurse. My midwife practice has a new mom group that meets once a week. There might be something in the community or hospital.
Thinking about you and Jay!
We closed on our house today!! They brought the paperwork to us at the hospital. I also took my first trip outside of the hospital since we were admitted on Monday so that we could get the cashier's check for closing costs. It's beautiful outside, and now I'm exhausted
Married: October 2014
Began TTC: April 2015
BFP #1: 9/18/15. EDD 5/18/16. MC 10/26/15. (9w)
BFP #2: 2/27/16. EDD 11/7/16. MC/D&E 4/20/16 (11w)
BFP #3: 9/22/16. EDD 5/29/17. DS born 4/24/17
BFP #4: 5/20/18. EDD 1/23/19.
Married: October 2014
Began TTC: April 2015
BFP #1: 9/18/15. EDD 5/18/16. MC 10/26/15. (9w)
BFP #2: 2/27/16. EDD 11/7/16. MC/D&E 4/20/16 (11w)
BFP #3: 9/22/16. EDD 5/29/17. DS born 4/24/17
BFP #4: 5/20/18. EDD 1/23/19.
*done hijacking thread*
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Married 8/27/2011
BFP #1 9/28/2011 DS born 5/22/2012
BFP #2 4/24/2013 m/c 4/25/2013 at 4w
BFP #3 1/31/2014 DD born 10/14/2014
BFP #4 1/20/2016 m/c 2/12/2014 at 7w2d
BFP #5 8/19/2016 DS2 born 4/29/2017
BFP #6 3/7/2018 EDD 11/18/2018
I also love your comment about checking in on other parents, lol. Maybe you can arrange a "mixer" in the hall with energy bars and hospital soft-serve! Lol
So happy to hear about your house! Such a relief that must be.
FX you get to take baby Jay home soon!