For our NICU experience, every time we went to see Carson, we had to wash our hands for two minutes and wear a medical gown. (Those things get hot and my hands were so dry by the end of June, but it was all worth it.)
When we went to visit the NICU while I was on bed rest, it was really sad to see the tiny babies in there and picture our baby in there too. It's not a place where you want your child to be, but if they are, they are in EXTREMELY good hands. They have a dedicated nurse watching over them and checking on them constantly. The nurses are empathetic to the parents and of course, professional. You can tell they love what they do and they are passionate for taking care of the tiny ones of the world!!
Our routine started by 9am every day, since that is when her first feeding of the day started and the neo-natal doctors made their rounds. I always wanted to be there when the doctors were there to hear what they had to say. Her routine was like this: Change her diaper, take her temperature and then try to nurse or feed her a bottle. Then get as much snuggle time as we wanted.
The emotions that I remember from those first few days were happiness, anxiousness and sadness. I know hormones played a role, but it was this emotional roller coaster of being happy that Carson was doing well and was healthy. But I was sad that she was tied up to machines, IVs in her little head and that we couldn't take her home yet. I was anxious because the doctors and nurses never give you a timeline of when she will come home. Only that she must meet certain criteria, so then you are just hoping that she continues on the path of maintaining her own temperature and gaining weight. So that's what we did. We nurtured her when we could get to the NICU and let the wonderful nurses and doctors do the rest.
Pictures in the NICU
Carson all snuggled after a feeding with Daddy.
I heart my bottles - 1 oz to begin with!
Carson and Mommy.
Your post brought me to tears. I remember when little Kenyon was born (4th of July 2006). He wasn't premature. However, there were complications. He was too big for a normal birth. So after about 16 hours of hard labor, Lil Kenyon's heart rate dropped ant they had to perform an emergency C-section. I still remember when the nurse said the dreaded words no father wants to hear when his child and wife are involved...."We need the surgical team stat". I had to ask the front desk for scrubs and I couldn't get a word out because I was trying to force back the tears. I knew that my wife was scared and the last thing she needed to see was weakness in me. Somehow, I was able to gather myself and appear strong for my wife. But to tell you the truth, just reflecting on that day forces me to revisit the emotional rollercoaster that our family endured nearly 5 years ago. sniff sniff
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