NICU is a rollercoaster. And I say that knowing full well that the only challenge Evelyn faces currently is feeding and gaining weight, which are not the major challenges a lot of early babies face.
We went this from this morning being told that if she fed well, she would be moved onto the ward with me, to finding ourselves having to put in an NG tube after a few bad blood sugar readings. Then a few great blood sugar readings, (potentially making the NG tube null and void), back to crap readings and knowing that the ward was well out of her reach currently. From breastfeeding on demand, I’m now having to express an extra 20mls of milk to top her up after each feed. Not a huge deal, but my milk isn’t in yet. Formula is not the devil, but I’d prefer to avoid it if I can.
Evelyn’s heels are red raw from the blood draws and the nurses are getting progressively unhappier about having to take more blood. We won’t talk about the bruising from her IV (unneeded and since removed), or the allergic reaction her arm had to the tape that was used to secure it.
Hormones don’t help, and everything u psets me, but mostly the thought of having to go home and leave her here, an hour away. Not that we’re at that point yet, but it’s on the cards at this stage.
They’re still thinking that she is close to 36 weeks, her strong suck (when she finally latches) don’t speak of a baby younger than that.
But it still sucks. Also sucking is hospital food. What kind of fish burgers have spiky bones in them? Mine, apparently.
Blech. It will be okay.
*hugs* lovely ladies
love to you. Can you stay at Ronald McDonald house while she is in NICU? Can they feed her EBM then top up with formula instead of other way around? Hope she is home with you sooner than later
Hugs hugs hugs
It will all be fine, Veronica. She and you will both be home sooner than you think. X
Big hugs and let us know what we can do to help. Annie was born at 36 weeks but thankfully thrived.
That was one of the harder things when I had to go home too. Leaving two little babies in the NICU and traveling each day, separating our family for hours on end.
Sending love.
Big hugs. hoping you are all home together soon
and yup hospital food sucks (that’s why hubby always bought me in stuff lol)
Big hugs to all of you. One breath at a time, hun. She will be fine. Let’s hope that you can leave together.
Again, I hope everything will be fine soon – she sure sounds like a strong little girl, and I hope tha hospital time will be over soon for both of you.
If they try and boot you out, put your foot down. I told them they would have to physically remove me from the building, and that I didn’t care if I was sleeping in a recliner all night, I wasn’t leaving Ronan. Magically they found somewhere for me to stay! If they want her to grow and develop hersuck properly, she needs mum there to help with that – not exhausted for traveling constantly all day.
Hope you’re stay isn’t too long! Ronan was 33w and he was only in there for 20 days, and if her suck is strong then that’s an excellent start!
So sorry to hear she’s still in the NICU. Will be thinking of you all x
Sending my best wishes to you. She’ll be ok:) I know that anxiety about leaving your child behind; was faced with the possibility with my first baby who was also premmy. She was 36 weeks. Luckily, it didn’t come to that for us, and I wish the same for you
Wow – Evelyn. What a BEAUTIFUL name!!! Congratulations so, so much. Max had a sitter called Evelyn once and he called her “Eleven” and it was very cute.
Off to your mums blog right now, to hopefully see a piccie. Have been thinking of you all, a lot, lately. Birth and death and all that’s in-between. Hope her stay in the NICU is short. XXXXXX
I haven’t had internet access for two whole weeks and I get it and all this is in my reader. I have some catching up to do. Congratulations, I hope you haven’t thought I didn’t care that is so not the case I haven’t been able to get on line. Now I am going to read backwards. Love to all of you.xxxxxxx
*hugs* and love, sweetheart. You’ve done brilliantly so far and you will continue to do so. Evelyn Kathleen is a wee beauty, just like her mama! Love you loads xxx
Congrats… so wonderful to have her safely ‘on the ground’ (bit of farmer-speak there!). I know it’s hard when the first days are a bit bumpy – glad she is getting the extra care she needs now. Better safe than sorry. Remember to get yourself some fresh air and Vitamin D – essential to that healthy state of mind!!
Hugs
BB
thinking of you..remember when the tears flow, the milk will flow too, so it is okay to cry while you are pumping. Lots of skin to skin will help your bonding, Evelyn’s temperature and your milk supply. Hospital food can be so yuck! Is there takeaway nearby?
Congrats on your lovely little package!!
my sympathy to you on the NICU rollercoaster…been there done that a few years ago. My little one was a month early and they wouldn’t release her to me until she was sucking…but as she had the nasal tube on she wouldn’t suck because whenever she cried they fed her through that. Kid only had to whimper and she had formula down that tube so fast, despite all my ‘please, breast milk only’ pleas..They would forget to call me to have a go at breast feeding so it was a very depressing cycle. I’d lumber up the two floors from my room to the NICU unit, slow as a snail only to be told ‘you took too long so we had to feed her with formula.
I wish I had been more forth right in my opinions, I knew if she was with me for more than ten minutes here and there she’d do what she was supposed to. But I was very intimidated, sadly.
In our case, every second NICU nurse was a temp, they were woefully overworked and understaffed, and I think dealing with a teary, under confident mother was something they just didn’t want, or need.
Again, my sympathies to you about the current stresses. My NICU cherub came home two weeks after her birth, breast fed for 18 months, and is now thriving at kindy. Enjoy these precious months of newborn….it goes so fast.
But I know you know that.
Congratulations on the arrival of your gorgeous girl. I wish it was an easier start for you all.
Thinking of you and hoping she is out of NICU and in your arms asap.xoxoxox
NICU/SCBU is hard and yes feeding issues are minor but at the same time are still issues so don’t discount them. The younger the premmie the more issues they can have but the emotions are the same. Airlie was born at 27weeks and now this baby I am carrying is low birth weight and will be here witin the week so 36/37weeks and I am still having the same emotions. Leaving your baby in hospital is like nothing else you will experience. I’ve already commented in a post about this so I won’t both recommending on it here. Don’t fight the emotions and don’t discount them either. Thinking of you and totally understand just how you feel. Take care and be kind to yourself xx
Oh the NICU is a rollercoaster – I was so lucky to be staying at a hospital down the road so that I could just jump on a tram to see my first while he was in for three days. It is a surreal feeling like leaving behind a limb, thinking of you x
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