I am a lurker but just wanted to say congratulations!
Your story sounds a lot like mine, only I was 32 weeks, 1 day. Dd weighed 3lbs 4 oz and spent 1 week in a NICU at a Children's Hospital, then was transferred to our local hospital (which was not an official NICU at the time) and spent 5 weeks there. It was a long road, but she is now a healthy 10 (almost 11 year old).
I know I don't "know" you, but please feel free to PM me if you have questions or just need someone to talk to.
Post by longtimenopost on Jan 25, 2016 14:04:28 GMT -5
raangoli congrats and so many hugs! My 26 weeker had some complications but she is absolutely amazing and so worth every second of heartache.
Also, I don't know if this is on your mind but it is totally possible to have a good breastfeeding relationship with a preemie. I BFed A for 2 years. Let us know if you need any help with NICU issues, pumping, or whatever else!
patches31709 Thank you for sharing your story. I'm going to be sad to leave with her but I want her to be strong and healthy for when she can come home, regardless of how long that may take. It's just going to be hard.
It's definitely very hard to be discharged and leave without your baby. It's not at all how it's "supposed" to go. When I was discharged and the orderly came to escort me out, she said "No baby?" ....I wanted to beat the girl into oblivion. What if something had happened and my baby wasn't "just" in the NICU?
I can't believe she said that. Hobbes was in the NICU for a couple days, and it was iffy whether she'd get to come home with me. (She did, but we didn't know she would until right before.) I had so many feels about the whole thing, I know if I'd had to leave without her and someone said that to me I'd have broken down in sobs.
lmbml it's definitely a crazy feeling. I thought I felt her kick. No. That probably was gas now.
sent they are so incredibly tiny. It's surreal almost!
thom the story feels like I'm talking about a plot to a movie or something half the time. Like was that real life? I did ask both MH and my L&D nurse that several times when we went what felt like 0 to 60.
nomad I'm glad to hear your girls are doing well. I actually was able to hold her and do skin to skin even though she's on the cpap machine. It was a beautiful and calming experience for both of us I think
styme46 I'm sorry you have had a similar experience but I'm glad to hear that your DD is doing well. It gives me hope for sure.
longtimenopost thank you! I may well reach out to you for breastfeeding advice. I'm pumping and hand expressing but so far nothing. It's only been 24+ hours so I know this is normal.
Congratulations on the birth of your daughter! I'm sure it must be scary to deliver that early. I will keep you all in my thoughts - I hope she can go home soon!
longtimenopost thank you! I may well reach out to you for breastfeeding advice. I'm pumping and hand expressing but so far nothing. It's only been 24+ hours so I know this is normal.
Yeah, you probably won't get much with a pump yet, but maybe in a couple of days! Do you have a pumping bra? here is a good one. I had two and just wore them under my shirts. When it was time to pump (8 times a day) I just lifted the shirt and hooked up.
Can you hand express any drops of colostrum? The first couple of days I would hand express into a spoon (I'm talking tiny drops here) and suck them up with a medicine dropper. The nurses would rub it on her gums.
longtimenopost thank you! I may well reach out to you for breastfeeding advice. I'm pumping and hand expressing but so far nothing. It's only been 24+ hours so I know this is normal.
Yeah, you probably won't get much with a pump yet, but maybe in a couple of days! Do you have a pumping bra? here is a good one. I had two and just wore them under my shirts. When it was time to pump (8 times a day) I just lifted the shirt and hooked up.
Can you hand express any drops of colostrum? The first couple of days I would hand express into a spoon (I'm talking tiny drops here) and suck them up with a medicine dropper. The nurses would rub it on her gums.
I have been able to get like a drop here and there but nothing I can save. I'm hoping that it's a good sign of things to come. Thanks for the bra rec. I'll have to get them.
A drop is good! Keep at it! Do you need anything that we can offer from our various screens? Pumping advice? Time wasters? Anecdotes about the NICU? Between the boards there's a lot of people who can help if you need something. How are you feeling?
A drop is good! Keep at it! Do you need anything that we can offer from our various screens? Pumping advice? Time wasters? Anecdotes about the NICU? Between the boards there's a lot of people who can help if you need something. How are you feeling?
I'm feeling ok. Tired and I have to stay on top of the pain meds otherwise the slightest wrong move is like whoa.
I'll take any stories from the nicu and how breastfeeding worked eventually. I know she was early and so that affects my milk probably but pep talks are welcome!
Post by jennistarr1 on Jan 25, 2016 18:31:32 GMT -5
When my daughter was in the NICU, i would breastfeed her there seriously like 45 minutes on each boob. When I was done the nurses were like "that's great, now give her this" and give me like a 2 ounce bottle. I would feed it to her and then she threw up each time.
I was felt like...geez, all the charts I have tell me that her stomach can only take like a tsp and I'm sure she got the after an hour and half on boob...two ounces is definitely too much, right
but I did as I was told and honestly, she did fine with breastfeeding. things have a way of working out
It's definitely very hard to be discharged and leave without your baby. It's not at all how it's "supposed" to go. When I was discharged and the orderly came to escort me out, she said "No baby?" ....I wanted to beat the girl into oblivion. What if something had happened and my baby wasn't "just" in the NICU?
I can't believe she said that. Hobbes was in the NICU for a couple days, and it was iffy whether she'd get to come home with me. (She did, but we didn't know she would until right before.) I had so many feels about the whole thing, I know if I'd had to leave without her and someone said that to me I'd have broken down in sobs.
DH and I just stared at each other, not believing what we heard. Part of me wishes I had called to complain/at least mention it so somehow could talk to her, but life got in the way of that.
Yeah, you probably won't get much with a pump yet, but maybe in a couple of days! Do you have a pumping bra? here is a good one. I had two and just wore them under my shirts. When it was time to pump (8 times a day) I just lifted the shirt and hooked up.
Can you hand express any drops of colostrum? The first couple of days I would hand express into a spoon (I'm talking tiny drops here) and suck them up with a medicine dropper. The nurses would rub it on her gums.
I have been able to get like a drop here and there but nothing I can save. I'm hoping that it's a good sign of things to come. Thanks for the bra rec. I'll have to get them.
Drops are good! DD's first feeding was 4 mm, so little, so any drops you get will go further than you think.