Life and Love in the NICU

I never realized how easy days can blur together when you are living/doing things so out of the normal routine of life.  I wish I had kept a journal with stats and milestones from the time we were in the NICU.  I will try my best to piece it all together now...

Preface to the post...  Preemie babies are underdeveloped and you can't speed up developing.  Many premature babies don't have fully developed lungs or other organs depending on how early the baby is born. Preemies can not keep their bodies warm on their own... they have to develop the skill or basically teach their body to use the small amount of energy that they have to stay warm.  Preemies also often don't know how to suck or to swallow... they haven't developed the eating skill.  Studies have shown that when "mom and dad" put their infants directly skin to skin that is the closest thing that mimics the womb and they can supposedly develop quicker... Laying directly on mom can help them learn to regulate body temperature and often they learn to eat sooner.  They recognize the smell and heartbeat of the mom from when they were inside the womb.  When a baby is born prematurely they have 2 ages... The age they are from birth and the Adjusted Gestational Age.  The adjusted age is how old they are in weeks/days/months relating to their original due date.  Until age 1 or 2 they develop at their adjusted age.  If a full term baby learns to sit around 5 months, then a 6 week premature baby may not sit until around 6 1/2 months.

LIFE in the NICU

Leah and Noah were born on February 4, 2014 which is 34 weeks and 2 days- 6 weeks premature.  After they were born, they were immediately taken to the NICU.  Because I had a c-section I had to be in recovery for a while and until I could stand up on my own to get into a wheel chair or walk I couldn't go see my babies.  The hardest part of having a c-section is waiting to be with your babies.  Trevor was with them quite a lot and that made me feel better.  After they were born they were given a caffeine shot to help develop their lungs.  They were put into isolette beds (cribs/beds that help them stay warm) and put on oxygen.

Day 1 in Nicu

 Both of them came off the oxygen in less than 24 hours cause their lungs were developed enough and they were able to breath on their own.  They both had IV lines put in and they both had feeding tubes.  As a precaution they were both on Gentamycin (an antibiotic) at birth, but that was stopped on day 2 or 3 (I think).  They had multiple labs in the first 5 days of life.  Noah had high levels when they did his bili ruebin check, so when he was 4 days old he was put on bili lights for his jaundice.

Lights for Jaundice

 He came back off the lights after about 30 hours.  When Noah was 6 days old, he was moved to an open crib because he was able to maintain his body temperature without the help of an isolette bed.

Open Crib

   Leah started nursing pretty well around 5 days old, and she got her feeding tube taken out on day 6.  Unfortunately, she used so much of her energy eating so well so young she stopped eating good and ended up with her feeding tube back in.  Leah moved to an open crib (started maintaining her own temperature) on day 9.

Open Crib!

 After day 9 it became a waiting game.  Finally the Sunday before we came home, the boys got to come in and meet their new babies.  Caleb loved holding them, but Kelson was a little to nervous to even touch them at first.

Meeting brothers

Both babies were very healthy, and we just had to wait for them to learn how to eat.  Something you can't force them to do.  Eventually they figured out how to eat and we got to come home on day 16!!  Before NICU babies can go home they have to pass a carseat test.

Car seat test

 The car seat test is where they put the baby in the car seat for 90 minutes and monitor their oxygen levels.  If the oxygen levels alarm more than 1 time they fail the test.  Luckily both Leah and Noah were able to do the test at the same time and they both passed.  The night before we got to come home they got to "room in"  which means, me and the babies all got to stay in a hospital room and I could care for the babies as if I was at home, but had the availability of a nurse if I needed one!

GOING HOME!!

LOVE in the NICU
While we were in the NICU, we had the BEST care!!  Doctors, Nurse Practitioners, Respiratory Therapists, and Nurses trained to work in the NICU are AMAZING.  St. George has the BEST staff!  I'm not even sure how to put into words how grateful I am to so many of the staff there.  Dr. Carroll and Dr. Ridout are the kindest, most sympathetic doctors.  Barb is the BEST Nurse Practitioner in St. George!  She is not only very knowledgeable, but very personable, and knows how to lighten the mood when you are feeling pretty down.  She is absolutely amazing!  And then there are the nurses... there is not enough words to say how wonderful they are.  They are amazing with the babies and also with the mothers.  It is NOT easy emotionally to have babies in the NICU and they totally give you a shoulder to cry on and really listen!  They held and loved our babies when we couldn't be there!  They have special qualities that make them all great nurses.  It takes an amazing person to be a NICU nurse.  Thanks to all who cared for our sweet little Noah and Leah.  But a special thanks to Shanna, Shauna, and Marnie!