Birth Story- Part 2- The NICU

Im starting the long over due part two of Surprises birth story... I was waiting till she was out of the NICU to write it but it looks like it will be at least another week, so maybe a part 3 will be in order.

After Surprises birth she was in my room and I was able to nurse her twice. For being a preemie she nursed like a champ. I was excited and loving our new baby girl. My hubbys parents came down (they are about two hours north of us) to help out with the kids while I was in the hospital. R stayed with me till about 5 pm, then went to relieve the babysitter and pick up the kids to bring them to see their new sister. His parents were on their way down to see the baby too. My nurse came in to check Surprises blood sugars, and I said to her that Surprises sister ended up in the NICU due to low blood sugars and I hated having her in there. I totally didnt expect Surprise to have that problem. She poked her heel, put the blood on the test strip and to my great disappointment her sugars were low! The nurse said that the next feeding she would like to do a bottle just to bring the numbers up. I said go right ahead, whatever it takes to keep her out of there. Well my nurse gave a valiant effort, she even did a feeding tube to get the numbers up but they just kept plummeting (they got down to 19, if that means anything to anyone). They kept my baby in the nursery while trying to get her sugars up. My cousin and her family came to see baby but never got to see her, then my hubby and kids came, then my in-laws. We waited for about an hour maybe two (my cousin had left by then). Finally they brought Surprise in for the kids to see her but just for about 5 minutes. They wouldnt let anyone but me hold her. The NICU was on their way down to take our baby. The nurse felt really bad, saying she did all she could do but the numbers just werent going up. So the kids touched her, kissed her, we snapped a couple pictures and away baby sister went.

I went up to see her after everyone left, she was hooked to an IV already and a nurse up there said that hopefully it would only be a couple of days. I hung onto that hope but deep down I knew (especially since Tiny was up in the NICU for a week and she wasnt a preemie) that it would be longer.

The next morning I made my way up there, a nurse cheerfully said to me at the door of Surprises room that they had been trying to get ahold of me (I had chatted with a few people on my way up there) the doctor was standing there too. I thought they had good news. I went into the room and saw a whole bunch of nurses standing around Surprises bed, and the doctor came over to explain what was going on. He said her numbers werent staying up and she wasnt eating well. They were going to have to put an IV in her that would go from her arm and inside stretch up it and across her chest close to her heart. That way they wouldnt have to change the IV port, and it wouldnt be as hard on her veins. Then they made me sign a paper saying that they warned me about possible infection. They had just put a feeding tube in her nose, and she was crying her sweet little head off and they couldnt get her to settle down to put the food in it. The doctor was explaining more to me and I couldnt hold the tears back anymore. I said "Im just warning you, I always get emotional on day two after having a baby.... Im about to start crying." The dam broke then and I started bawling (the gaspy hiccup type of crying). All the nurses came over and started hugging me and giving me tissues. The doctor looked a little uncomfortable and went on to say that it may take longer than they expected for her to go home. I asked if it would be weeks or months. He said he didnt know. They still were needing Surprise to calm down to eat so one of the nurses said "maybe if mommy holds her she'll settle down" I picked her up and she immediately started to calm down, I rocked her with tears spilling down my face and she eventually stopped crying. The nurses were able to get the food into her. I also knew that I wouldnt be nursing my baby any time soon, which was also devastating (I have since been pumping and bringing the milk to the hospital, in hopes of her taking me when she gets home). They finished "gabashing" her (feeding through the tube) and were about to do the IV. I again started crying more and said I was going to leave and come back later. I got sort of control of myself for the walk back to my room, made it there then my nurse asked how my baby was. Well the dam broke again as I tried to explain it all to her. She told me very gently to go into my room and let it all out, she would be there if I needed anything. I went in and called my sister to let her know what was going on. She started crying. Then I called my mom to see if she could make it here any earlier than they were going to. I needed her here so I could go back and forth to the hospital to visit the baby (I was being released that day), kids arent allowed in the NICU so I needed her to watch them. I went on to explain what was going on and she started crying and had to hang up due to tears. I ate, took a shower, got dressed and started packing. R and his dad were on their way to get me. I went back up to visit the baby. They said the IV went in really easy, which made me feel a lot better. R and his dad arrived the sat with the baby for awhile, then we went home... without the joy of having the baby in the vehicle with us. The next day I went back and they said she still wasnt keeping her numbers up and were going to run some tests on Monday to make sure it wasnt more than just a transitional thing. BUT, that Monday I went to the hospital to hear some great news. They said she turned a corner and was finally keeping good blood sugar numbers!!

Ive since been going back and forth every day to snuggle my baby. She rarely cries, and bravely gets her heels poked all the time. She also has to have her bandage around her IV changed. She takes it like the little trooper that she is. I watched her get the feeding tube put into her nose down to her stomach. She didnt like it at all, but calmed down quickly afterwards (and I didnt cry!). I love spending those few hours with her. They let me give her a bath the other day, she has the cutest fluffy hair that sticks straight up. I love her huge alert eyes.

I pump every three hours for 10 min all day and all night and bring the milk to the hospital. She got her IV out yesterday, and they said her next step is to take a full 43 ml on her own, consistently, without help of the feeding tube. They've been working on going up on her amount of food every day, slowly working up to the 43 ml. I asked one of the nurses yesterday for a rough estimate of how much longer she thought it would be. She said roughly at least another week.

There have been blessings in the midst of the trial. Finding parking spots on cold days, in a VERY full parking lot. Nurses and doctors that have been nothing but kind to me and my baby. My mom and dad dropping everything and driving 1100 miles through mountains, across country, in the WINTER to get here to help out. The kids havnt seemed to have a hard time adjusting to me being gone several hours each day. My milk supply has been plenteous even though Im just pumping. Meals being made for us from church friends. All the prayers that I know people are lifting up for us. Its very humbling.

Some prayer requests... That we will soon be able to take our baby home. That she'll nurse (I dont really want to pump for a year. I did that with my first because after trying for three months, he just didnt want to nurse, but back then I didnt have three other children to take care of and extra gear along with the pump to lug around all the time... I dont know if I want to do that again). I have been having a lot of stomach pain in my lower stomach, and may have a hernia. I have a hard, very sore bump above my belly button, that hurts even worse when I pick things up. Monday Im going to go see a doc. I also have mastitis that isnt clearing up. Which makes pumping very uncomfortable.

Well, if you read this very long post this far, thank you :o) A part three, soon to come (hopefully soon!).