Micro Preemie Part 2

(little late but uploading this now to give you an idea of first week in Preemie parenting)

Mile Stones

To help others understand the difference of a full term baby and a micro preemie. This is what I know and what I have been told. This is not an official medical stand. The info for full term is pulled from this site http://www.whattoexpect.com.

1st week
Normal = By the end of this week, your little bundle of joy is a bigger bundle and is probably peeing and pooping like a pro. Those survival reflexes you've heard about are getting put to good use these days: Your baby is rooting, sucking like there's no tomorrow, grasping your finger, blinking, startling whenever there's a loud noise, crying, and even assuming the fencing pose. Your baby can focus on objects that are eight to 14 inches away now — just the right distance to see you during a feeding.
Our Micro = He may come off the ventilator but don't expect it to last. He has Strep B so he will be on antibiotics for the next 10 days. He may not tolerate feedings and will be heavily supplemented with IV's. His eyes are fused but he may open them by the end of the week. His heart has an extra valve that needs to close so he will be heavily medicated and fasting from feedings. This medication may not work and he could be looking at heart surgery. We can visit him any time except 2:30 to 4. We may not be able to hold him every time or even touch him. If we are sick or have allergies we can't see him at all until we feel better. He is a little petri dish and can pick up any bug that we wouldn't even know we have. We have to scrub for 3 minutes before even entering the NICU and if we get to hold him we have to wear a gown. All things brought in have to be cleaned and electronics (camera's & cell phones) have to be cleaned by special wipes at every visit. We have to use hand sanitizer every time we want to put our hands into his incubator. He will be asleep all the time and he needs to sleep as much as possible. His nervous system is not developed and easily overstimulated. You can't stroke his body without causing his system to freak out. So when you touch him it has to be constant and firm, cupping his head and feet to keep him contained.

Micro Preemie Part 1

I am not an expert on micro preemies. I wouldn't even know where to begin. But this post is to let others know what we have learned in the last 3 weeks. And in the weeks to come.

June 19th 10:30 PM= I was in sad shape. I was bleeding, never a good sign when you are pregnant. We went to the hospital and I was admitted. Monitored throughout the evening and into the next morning.

June 20th AM= Dr's decided I had a combination of placenta abruption and incompetent cervix. (We knew the IC was always a possibility. The Dr's had been watching for signs that it would fail this whole pregnancy and there was never any indication that it would. The possibility of the IC from our last pregnancy 7 years ago also gave us realistic expectations that we could have a NICU baby. We have been constantly asked if we are excited after trying for 7 years for this pregnancy and our response has always been get us to the end of June and we will be. This was the safe zone where his chances of survival would be increased greatly.) Had ultrasound and baby was breach and not close to birth canal.

June 20th Noon= Bed-rest was mentioned and Akahige made the trip home to get things to keep me entertained for a few weeks or months, whatever the case would be, because I wasn't leaving the hospital until the baby came. While he was away, they decided to put me on extreme bed-rest. I had a catheter put in, my bed was tilted so the head was lower then the feet, and I was put on my side.

June 20th 2:30 PM= Akahige returned just as my water broke. 10 minutes after my water broke I was prepped for emergency c-section. I had time for a blessing and then was wheeled into surgery. Akahige was awesome and stayed with me the whole time.

June 20th 3:05 PM= Our son was born, 26weeks and 2 days gestation. Weighing in at 1lb15oz and 14 in. long. He is rushed off to be taken care of and I remained on the table for another 20 minutes as they replaced my innards and stapled me up.



June 2oth 4ish= I was wheeled into recovery where I sat for another 30 to 40 minutes. There we decided on his name and Akahige went to check up on him. As they wheeled me to my room, they took me to NICU where I could see my son for the first time. (It was over an hour after his birth when I got to see him, but I did not get to hold him, or touch him.) I stayed in my room for another 2 hours as they monitored me and my epidural pain. Later that evening I was able to visit him via wheelchair and hold him little hand through the incubator, falling in love with his cuteness.



June 21st= I actually got to hold him, wrapped in a pile of blankets. By this time he was off of the ventilator and put on regular oxygen. He had his IV's going through his stomach and into his artery. His eyes where still fused causing him to make the cutest scrunchy faces.



Rest of the week was a blur of figuring out pumping and sleeping while visiting him as much as possible. I was in the hospital until Friday, June 24th. Akahige was a trooper and stayed each night with me sleeping on the most uncomfortable, squeaky chair. He would go home once a day to shower and I would try to nap in that time. By the end of the week I had skin time with my baby and it helped his vitals stabilize a lot.