My blog below for Prematurity Awareness was mostly a recap of Richie's arrival and subsequent NICU stay. I don't think I fully captured what I feel it means to be a preemie mom and all that goes along with it, so I'm going to attempt to do that here. I think being the mommy of a preemie is a very special job. It's one no preemie mom takes lightly and it gives mommy-hood a whole new perspective. But it's not without it's unique set of challenges and heartaches and happy days and elation.
- I sometimes feel robbed that I didn't get to spend the extra time with my in-tummy baby. I am grateful that we were able to meet him and I think Fred is secretly happy that Richie came early because then he got to spend the time with him, but I really enjoyed when it was just the two of us and wish it could have lasted longer (like 7 1/2 weeks longer...). I may have been uncomfortable and crabby and complaining, but there were also so many great things about it.
- The NICU made me uncomfortable. I always felt like an outside visitor - afraid to say and do the wrong thing. There were times I had to tell myself that this was MY baby and I could do what I want. But the reality is, that isn't true. You can't do what you want. The nurses dictate what you can and can't do, which at times is nice because you're a new parent and have no clue what you're doing and at times sucks because you're a new parent and all you want to do is be with your baby.
- As Richie grows, I sometimes forget he's a preemie. I read in another preemie mom's blog (sorry, I can't remember whose!) that they're preemies until they're 2. After seeing that, it really showed me that I sometimes forget that he's a preemie just because of his size. I really have to remember and watch it because there are things that preemies need to be extra careful of.
- The travel nurse came over this week to give Richie his first Synagis shot. While she was here, she said that parents are really the ones who can protect their babies the most (she was talking about germ protection). And I was thinking, we're really his only protection! He is with us 24/7 (or will be until he starts daycare) and is completely and totally dependant on us. While this is an awesome responsibility, it takes on a new meaning with a preemie. Preemie lungs are not as developed as a full-term baby. Any sickness that FT babies would be able to fight relatively easily is much, much harder for premature lungs and immune systems to fight off. This makes me terrified on a daily basis.
- Because he was so early (and because this flu season is extra-bad), we've been pretty much quarantined. We stay home almost all the time. Richie has been to a restaurant twice, been to Target once (during a non-peak time), and to a wedding (Fred was in it, so we had to go. I probably should have stayed home with him because it almost caused me to have an anyeruism). Other than that, it's been to the Dr.'s office. He's 11 weeks old today. When I talk about it with people, they all say they understand, but I can tell they don't really. It's amazing how few people understand what having a preemie is all about. I know I didn't before I had one.
- Parents of full-term babies want their little ones to stay little, I think. They fully enjoy this early-baby stage and enjoy watching their LO's grow, but would be ok if it wasn't so fast. Preemie parents have a different take on it. They want their kids to grow as quickly as possible, to get on growth charts and to make up for the time they would have spent in the womb. Fred and I get so excited when he's put on a lot of weight and that he's on the regular growth charts. I just hope that we don't forget to take the time to enjoy his early-babyness.
- Milestones. They don't mean as much to preemie parents. I think we have to learn to let that go. Other people don't understand that our babies won't reach them at the same time as full-term babies. I have to learn to understand that, too. I keep wanting my kid to be the exception and to reach all those milestones right on time. He hasn't and he won't. He was 32 weeks when he was born - of course he isn't going to be the same developmentally as a 2 month-old who was born at 40 weeks! But I have a hard time with that sometimes. I just want to give him all the best.
Ok, that's all I can think of for now, but I'm sure there will be more. I am so tired - that's one thing that is no different for preemie parents - we're just as SLEEP DEPRIVED as full-term parents! :)
Richie-Roo!
Baby Sylvia :)
Friday, November 20, 2009
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Prematurity Awareness Day
"One in eight babies born in our country is premature. The rate of premature birth in America is higher than that of most other developed nations." - March of Dimes
November 17th is Prematurity Awareness Day and to celebrate, I will reflect back on the first 10 weeks of Richie's life!
First, I can't believe it's been 10 weeks already! That's crazy to me. It all started on August 16, 2009, when I first had preterm labor. I was 29w6d and 2 cm dilated and 60%effaced. I was given beta methazone for my baby's lungs and a shot to stop contractions. A fetal fibronectin swab was done and came back positive. I was sent home on bedrest.
Two weeks later, I went to my Dr's appointment. It was September 1st and I was 32 weeks pregnant. No progress was made and a repeat fetal fibronectin swab again came back positive. I was sent home on bedrest.
On that Thursday, I started to feel more contractions. Since they were more than 5 in an hour, I called my Dr.'s office. They told me to watch them for a couple of hours and see if they got worse or stayed the same. If they got better I could stay at home. They didn't get better, so in we went! I didn't pack anything, I didn't bring anything but my purse and a book for Fred.
It was a busy day in L&D - I attribute it to the full moon! I had to wait to be seen and when they finally checked me, I was 3-4 cm dilated and 80% effaced, with a bulging bag of water. Yikes! I got another shot of terbutaline and they told me they were admitting me for at least the night to try and stop them.
We started an IV with penicillin for Group B Strep and fluids. I started taking another medication to stop the contractions. Then we waited (and no eating for me, just in case!). That night, the contractions were getting worse, not better. I had a lot of back labor and my contractions weren't registering that strongly on the monitor. The nurses had to actually sit by my bedside and feel my stomach whenever I said one was coming. I honestly don't think they really believed that I was having as many contractions as I was.
At 8 am, the Dr. came in and said she'd consulted the neonatologist and together they decided they were going to let me have my baby that day! Terrified, excited, exhausted, surprised - all words that were pretty fitting. I was 5 cm at that point and 100% effaced. I got my epidural and waited.
At 1:30, I was 10 cm - ready to go! I started pushing around 1:45. Because he was sunny side up, he wasn't budging much. He started to be in distress and they threatened me with a c-section, but he came out at 2:51 pm! He didn't cry, but I was never worried because I saw his eyes looking all around. I think he scored a 1 and 4 on his apgars, but then was upgraded to an 8. I got to hold him for about 1 minute and the whole time he was making little cries that sounded like "yeah". Then they whisked him away. Here he was just a few hours after he was born and when I got to see him again:
Our NICU stay was both easy and hard. I was easy because Richie didn't have any health problems or need anything major done to him. His head scan was clear and he breathed room air starting on day 1. He did have jaundice and was under the billi lights for almost a week. He also was in the isolette for about another week. But most of his time was spent as a feeder/grower. I think that's the best way to spend your NICU time, if you have to be there. He had a little neighbor that had been born at 27 weeks and was on oxygen and looked like he would be there for a while. I felt so bad for those parents - they didn't even live in the state! They had been visiting family for their baby shower. Scary.
I say our NICU stay was hard because it SUCKED HARD CORE to leave him there every night. When we drove away from the hospital the first time, it was so much harder than I thought it would be. I was so jealous of all those parents that got to take their babies home with them when they left. It was even hard while I was still in the hospital because I had an empty bassinet in my room, directly across from my bed. In hindsight, I should have asked them to move it. The last few days, I spent all day right at Richie's bedside. Labor and Deliver had to use the parenting rooms for post-partum patients, so me and another mom just hung out in the Special Care Nursery annex, where our babies were. It was the 3 babies, the two of us, and one nurse.
Once we introduced a bottle, Richie started getting feeding down like it was nobody's business! It was amazing how fast he caught on and how soon afterwards we were able to go home! It was so wonderful knowing we would be able to take our little guy home. Here he is the night before discharge:
He came home at 5 pounds, 13 ounces. It was an adjustment being home, but it was SO MUCH NICER than being in the hospital! Here Richie is one day before his one-month birthday and only 5 days after discharge. Two days earlier, he had gained weight and was up to 6 pounds, 3 ounces.
And at two months, we are so blessed to have him in our lives. It's hard to picture life without him, even though he's only been in the world a short time! At his two-month check-up, he was 9 pounds, 6 ounces and gaining steadily!
And even though I'm stressed, overwhelmed, and majorly sleep-deprived, I wouldn't trade being Richie's mom for anything in the world.
November 17th is Prematurity Awareness Day and to celebrate, I will reflect back on the first 10 weeks of Richie's life!
First, I can't believe it's been 10 weeks already! That's crazy to me. It all started on August 16, 2009, when I first had preterm labor. I was 29w6d and 2 cm dilated and 60%effaced. I was given beta methazone for my baby's lungs and a shot to stop contractions. A fetal fibronectin swab was done and came back positive. I was sent home on bedrest.
Two weeks later, I went to my Dr's appointment. It was September 1st and I was 32 weeks pregnant. No progress was made and a repeat fetal fibronectin swab again came back positive. I was sent home on bedrest.
On that Thursday, I started to feel more contractions. Since they were more than 5 in an hour, I called my Dr.'s office. They told me to watch them for a couple of hours and see if they got worse or stayed the same. If they got better I could stay at home. They didn't get better, so in we went! I didn't pack anything, I didn't bring anything but my purse and a book for Fred.
It was a busy day in L&D - I attribute it to the full moon! I had to wait to be seen and when they finally checked me, I was 3-4 cm dilated and 80% effaced, with a bulging bag of water. Yikes! I got another shot of terbutaline and they told me they were admitting me for at least the night to try and stop them.
We started an IV with penicillin for Group B Strep and fluids. I started taking another medication to stop the contractions. Then we waited (and no eating for me, just in case!). That night, the contractions were getting worse, not better. I had a lot of back labor and my contractions weren't registering that strongly on the monitor. The nurses had to actually sit by my bedside and feel my stomach whenever I said one was coming. I honestly don't think they really believed that I was having as many contractions as I was.
At 8 am, the Dr. came in and said she'd consulted the neonatologist and together they decided they were going to let me have my baby that day! Terrified, excited, exhausted, surprised - all words that were pretty fitting. I was 5 cm at that point and 100% effaced. I got my epidural and waited.
At 1:30, I was 10 cm - ready to go! I started pushing around 1:45. Because he was sunny side up, he wasn't budging much. He started to be in distress and they threatened me with a c-section, but he came out at 2:51 pm! He didn't cry, but I was never worried because I saw his eyes looking all around. I think he scored a 1 and 4 on his apgars, but then was upgraded to an 8. I got to hold him for about 1 minute and the whole time he was making little cries that sounded like "yeah". Then they whisked him away. Here he was just a few hours after he was born and when I got to see him again:
Our NICU stay was both easy and hard. I was easy because Richie didn't have any health problems or need anything major done to him. His head scan was clear and he breathed room air starting on day 1. He did have jaundice and was under the billi lights for almost a week. He also was in the isolette for about another week. But most of his time was spent as a feeder/grower. I think that's the best way to spend your NICU time, if you have to be there. He had a little neighbor that had been born at 27 weeks and was on oxygen and looked like he would be there for a while. I felt so bad for those parents - they didn't even live in the state! They had been visiting family for their baby shower. Scary.
I say our NICU stay was hard because it SUCKED HARD CORE to leave him there every night. When we drove away from the hospital the first time, it was so much harder than I thought it would be. I was so jealous of all those parents that got to take their babies home with them when they left. It was even hard while I was still in the hospital because I had an empty bassinet in my room, directly across from my bed. In hindsight, I should have asked them to move it. The last few days, I spent all day right at Richie's bedside. Labor and Deliver had to use the parenting rooms for post-partum patients, so me and another mom just hung out in the Special Care Nursery annex, where our babies were. It was the 3 babies, the two of us, and one nurse.
Once we introduced a bottle, Richie started getting feeding down like it was nobody's business! It was amazing how fast he caught on and how soon afterwards we were able to go home! It was so wonderful knowing we would be able to take our little guy home. Here he is the night before discharge:
He came home at 5 pounds, 13 ounces. It was an adjustment being home, but it was SO MUCH NICER than being in the hospital! Here Richie is one day before his one-month birthday and only 5 days after discharge. Two days earlier, he had gained weight and was up to 6 pounds, 3 ounces.
And at two months, we are so blessed to have him in our lives. It's hard to picture life without him, even though he's only been in the world a short time! At his two-month check-up, he was 9 pounds, 6 ounces and gaining steadily!
And even though I'm stressed, overwhelmed, and majorly sleep-deprived, I wouldn't trade being Richie's mom for anything in the world.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
The Latest Stats
He's on the regular growth charts!!!! He is growing perfectly and is doing great!
Weight: 9 pounds, 6 ounces!
5-10th percentile
Height: 20 1/2 inches
Not on charts yet, but close! Making steady growth - only 3 percentage points away!
Head: 14 1/2 inches
4th percentile
Weight: 9 pounds, 6 ounces!
5-10th percentile
Height: 20 1/2 inches
Not on charts yet, but close! Making steady growth - only 3 percentage points away!
Head: 14 1/2 inches
4th percentile
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Richie is 2 Months Old!
It's amazing how time flies! He goes in tomorrow for his 2-month shots, so I'll update on stats after that, but in the mean time, here are some pictures of Richie on Halloween!
As a pumpkin...
And as a lobster!
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