# Scared and I dont know where to turn.



## preemie12

Dear ANYONE,

My baby delivered 12 June 2011, all of a sudden when the baby was just in his 30week 6 days. My wife complained of some stomach pain in the middle of the night, so we went to the hospital. The fetal heart beat was 80, and was dipping with increasing frequency. An emergency c-section was done, and the baby was delivered, but at birth there was no heartbeat. Baby was resuscitated with CPR and adrenaline shots. There was a huge blood clot found on the placenta, and my wife had high BP at that time, preeclempsia.

The baby is now in the NICU, but I just came back from meeting the doctor. The baby is on the ventilator, and will be for a while. The kidney and liver seem to have been damaged, possibly caused by lack of blood flow, oxygen when the baby wasn't breathing, and the heart was not beating. That period could have lasted a few minutes.

Doctor says there was blood oozing near the umbilical cord region, a little in the urine and stool. This and the fact that the baby has a deranged blood clotting profile means the baby has had damage to the liver and kidney. We have given plasma blood transfusion.

All we can do is wait and watch. The next 72 hours are critical. And i'm feeling so lost and helpless. Why can't someone just tell me everything is going to be OK? Will our baby have lifelong problems? What other organs are damaged? Will my kid ever lead a normal life? Why did blood come out of the urine - it is a big deal, isn't it?

I am so lost and have no idea what I can do. Can someone pleassssse help me, say something.


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## Poorah

First things first breathe!

The medical staff will never tell you everything is going to be ok, because they can't guarantee it will happen and they would never want to get your hopes up to later dash them. That however does not mean that things will not be ok, just that they can't possibly tell at this stage. 

I would highly recommend you take things hour by hour. As you say, the next 72 hours are crucial, every hour that passes is an hour of that period dealt with. Hopefully the next few hours will give you some evidence that your little one is strong enough to get through this inital crisis and then go on to thrive.

As for your questions, you will soon discover there is no average premature baby. Because they all arrive due to different circumstances and at different stages of development, even babies born at the same gestational age and weight will progress through NICU differently. For the moment, concentrate on your immediate concerns, speak to your medical team, a big part of their job is to help to look after us worried parents. 

Massive hugs to you and to your wife, this is a horribly frightening time. Many of us have been through similar experiences so please feel free to ask any questions you may have and I'm sure people will try their best to answer them.


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## 25weeker

Sorry to hear you and your wife have had such a scary time.

The wait and see is the worst thing to hear but unfortunately that is all you get in neonatal.

Holly my surviving daughter didn't have a heartbeat when born and was fully resuscitated. Her agpar at 1 min was 1 which is the lowest score. As well as that she also had a grade IV ivh. Despite her rocky start she is currently 17 months/13 1/2 corrected and apart from bring small is showing no side effects. We probably won't know fully until she starts school but so far so good.

Sorry I cant give you any specific answers.

I will be thinking of you all over the next 72 hours. 

Take care xx


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## mum35

I don't normally post things but I just want to say hang in there. The whole NICU process is terrifying and an emotional roller coaster. My twins were born at 30 weeks and spent 5 weeks in ICU. It's very frustrating because noone will tell you anything but as an earlier post says it's because no two babies are the same. I found talking to the other parents in the ICU a comfort as you feel very alone but realised that we were all in a similar state of shock and confusion. All the best for you and your little miracle.


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## Marleysgirl

Hi Preemie12 and :hug:

I would so love to tell you that everything is going to be alright but, if you found out next week that it's not, you'd only come back and moan at me for making false promises :blush:

All you can do at this stage is take it an hour at a time. As baby improves, you'll start taking it a day at a time, then a week at a time. You - and baby - will have good days and bad days, two steps forward and one step back. 

Trust in the professionals, be there for your wife (who will be in physical pain from the c/section as well as mental anguish), and take as many photos as you can.


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## katy1310

:hugs:

I don't have any experience of this exact situation, but I too had pre-eclampsia and Sophie was delivered by emergency c-section at 27 weeks. Sophie and I both nearly lost our lives. She's now 15 months old (her due date was a year ago today) and has no apparent problems at all so far, although we don't know what will come up in the future. 

As the others have said, you can just take it a day at a time and the NICU journey is a rollercoaster, but just talk to the nurses, ask anything you don't understand and we are all here for you and your wife. There is so much they can do now for preemies. 

xxx


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## RainbowGift

They can do amazing things in NICUs. I saw some really early babies, with very major problems, get better and better each day. They are now home and doing GREAT! Get to know some other parents there and lean on each other, it's a special bond and a valuable friend who understands exactly what you are going through. That helped me a lot. Blood in the urine indicates certain problems but its not usually as scary as it sounds! It's way more common than you think and most of the time it is not very serious. If it is something serious, the doctors will get right on it. Ask questions! I asked a million. Tell them how you are feeling. Tell them "I'm scared, is there any reassurance you can give me? Have you seen this before? What happened in those cases?" etc.

This is such a tough and cruel way to have to begin parenthood! The way I looked at it is: I am going to be a better parent because I had to endure so many trials at the beginning. I am stronger and more capable now.

Focus on giving love to your baby and be *positive*, there is POWER in that!!

Love, love, love to you and your wife and LOVE, LOVE, LOVE to your baby!!xo


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## preemie12

Thanks so much everyone for your replies and support. It's incredible re-assuring just to hear about things from you. 
Today there was still blood in the urine and the stool. It means definate kidney and liver damage, but the doctor says there's slight improvement. The baby got off the ventilator, but still needs breathing support today. I heard the baby cry for the first time in 2 days. I have never been through such an emotional time in my entire life, and there's just such a sinking feeling. 
But you all are right, have to stay positive and try our best. What's done is done, and just hope that our baby can lead a normal, healthy life like so many of your preemie children.


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## AUGmum

You and ur family are in my thoughts. The NICU journey is filled with ups and downs but know that God doesn't give you anymore than you can handle. Take each day as it comes and i am praying that your little one pulls through.


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## cat81

I just wanted to say congratulations on your baby and I am so sorry that you are having to go through this. You are all in my thoughts and I hope that your baby continues to improve and that you get some good news soon. x


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## Marleysgirl

preemie12 said:


> Thanks so much everyone for your replies and support. It's incredible re-assuring just to hear about things from you.
> Today there was still blood in the urine and the stool. It means definate kidney and liver damage, but *the doctor says there's slight improvement. The baby got off the ventilator, but still needs breathing support today. I heard the baby cry for the first time in 2 days.* I have never been through such an emotional time in my entire life, and there's just such a sinking feeling.
> But you all are right, have to stay positive and try our best. What's done is done, and just hope that our baby can lead a normal, healthy life like so many of your preemie children.

You hid three bits of news in your post ...


The doctor says there's slight improvement :thumbup:

The baby got off the ventilator :thumbup:

You heard the baby cry for the first time in 2 days :thumbup:

These are three wonderful pieces of news :happydance::happydance::happydance:

I know it's very overwhelming at the beginning, but things will get easier as you come to understand more about what is happening around and to your baby. 

Celebrate the good news :flower:


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## RainbowGift

I thought this may help you... it explains how the kidneys are just not mature enough in some preemies and are still forming. Even in full term babies, the kidneys are forming a few weeks after birth. The staff there will regulate fluids and keep a close eye while his kidneys grow. If there is any problem beyond that they will take care of it.

I keep thinking about you and your wife, because I know the "sinking feeling" you are talking about. What a sickness in the soul!!! It is the most terrible feeling ever. You are going to get through this! Keep talking to the staff.

Your news really does sound very good. Already trying ventilator-free time! Already seeing improvements in the urine/stool! Already hearing that voice! These are all REALLY good signs, you have a tough little baby that is making GREAT strides! Focus on the good. I sang a lot, it helped the sick feeling... try it!

Love to you!!!! xoxoxo

Why Kidneys Fail in Preemies
Immature kidneys are the main cause of renal failure in preemies. Babies born prior to 35 weeks do not have fully developed kidneys. In the two weeks following birth of a full-term baby, the kidneys experience a rapid growth process, whereby the kidneys begin to function at full capacity. Diabetes or high blood pressure may also cause renal failure.

Identification/Symptoms
Symptoms of renal failure may include abnormal fluid levels, dehydration, blood in the urine, anemia and abnormal levels of minerals such as glucose, sodium, potassium, calcium and phosphates.

Treatment
The most common treatment for renal failure is regulation of fluids and minerals. For preemies, this means caregivers will calculate the baby's fluid and mineral needs to drops needed per minute, as administered by I.V.

Prevention/Solution
A full-term pregnancy (or pregnancy lasting more than 35 weeks of gestation) increases the odds that a baby will have fully developed kidneys. Once renal failure is detected in a pre-term infant, regulation of minerals and fluids is essential to keeping baby healthy and free of secondary complications.



Read more: Reasons for Renal Failure in a Preemie Infant | eHow.com https://www.ehow.com/facts_6370714_reasons-renal-failure-preemie-infant.html#ixzz1PHb9bhoq


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## AP

I just want to add my congratulations and Marleysgirl is spot on. 
Being off the vent is a step in the right direction :) xxx


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## katy1310

I've been thinking about you all as well. Like the others have said, there were three bits of great news today - slight improvement, off the ventilator and crying. 

Apart from a teeny little cry when she was born, it was weeks before we heard Sophie crying. She was on the ventilator for a couple of days after she was born, and CPAP for 10 weeks, and she was back on the ventilator for a couple of days when she was 3 weeks old.

It's a scary time for any family. Thinking of you all :hugs:


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## preemie12

I cannot express in words how much all of your support means to me. It warms my heart to think there are people out there, who from only the goodness of their heart, are with me, feeling my pain and helping me through this. It means a tremendous amount and I hope you get whatever it is your heart desires.

Rainbowgift, thanks so much for the link. It helped to understand, and give a little hope that the kidneys CAN fix on their own. 

Yesterday the usage of the machine that provides breathing assistance was weaned down a bit more, and hopefully in the next few days it will be removed fully. Lets hope for the best. There's still significant blood in the urine, doctor is saying the kidney and liver have been damaged, but the extent we cannot say. There was also a murmur in the heart, they've called a specialist next week, as there are a couple of holes in the heart - but again the doctor said it might heal on its own. I don't know. Trying to focus on the positive only, but it can be hard at times.

Thank you all once again, you've all been angels.


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## rensben

Just wanted to say that I am thinking of you, your wife and your baby. My son was born at 30 weeks 5 days and although he did not have any other complications it was a very stressful time for my husband and I. The doctors never told us everything would be fine even though my son was in very good health. We took things day by day. We watched and learned a lot in the NICU.We saw some amazing babies pull through some very tough situations. They are stronger than they look and will surprise you with how resiliant they can be. Have faith in your little one. Talk to him every day and let him know you love him and are there. It's really all you can do. Much love to you and your family.


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## vermeil

Hello preemie12! First congratulations on the birth of your baby! You are right, having a preemie is very scary and difficult. Many others have given you great advice so far. Just wanted to add that as scary as it sounds, it's common to have to ressuscitate preemies in the first few days and in the vast majority of the time they are just fine after. They had trouble ressuscitating my son, it took long minutes - the most terrifying day of my life - and a year later he's thriving and doing great.

What I found helped me a lot was to celebrate all the small milestones. The doctors told me these were the first 72 hours, then the first 10 days, then the first 6 weeks. At each of these we actually bought a small cake with candles and did our best to celebrate these steps - even if we were all sorely lacking sleep and scared out of our minds. It gave us something positive to focus on, a good moment to share.

Also ask in the hospital if you can talk to someone about your misgivings. I found that helped immensely too.

Finally the march of dimes website has lots of good info on preemies. 

https://www.marchofdimes.com/prematurity/index_about.asp

Here`s a wonderful, illustrated interactive guide to preemies - highly recommended! For example they explain nicely how to interpret your babies`s gestures via small videos you can watch. It`s reassuring how familiar they were to me.

For Families: Understanding Your Premature Infant: An Interactive Program for Parents
https://www.milesforbabies.org/prematurity/index_families_66216.asp

the section NICU has GREAT tips for us parents 
https://www.milesforbabies.org/index_nicu.asp

:hugs:


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## nineena

Hi there, firstly congrats on the birth of your little one. Nicu is such a very scary and emotional time but as others have said the staff can do AMAZING things and these baby's are so unbelievably strong. 
As you've already said baby's off the ventilator and i presume the CPAP is being reduced too, thats FABULOUS. 

A lot of preemies do have a heart murmur but in some cases they do resolve on their own. We were told Ella had one and by 4months it could no longer be heard.

We're all thinking of you and pray that your baby continues to make good progress xx


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## RainbowGift

My daughter had a heart murmur, too and it went away on it's own. Holes like these are more common than you would think, the organs are not fully developed and are still growing. I'm so glad that you are able to grab for the positive thoughts and you are holding on to them.

My son (I had twins) also had a problem with his heart. It's called SVT (supraventricular tachycardia). The electrical impulses get messed up because a tiny area didn't develop correctly to bridge the impulses. His heart rate would go up past 220 and he was put on medication to lower it. I was sent home thinking that I would be rushing to the hospital with him when I least expected it and using tactics like putting ice all over his face to slow the heart.... I was soooo sick and scared about this. Well.... I listen to his heart at home, and it is always sounding stable. His cardiologist visits are always great and his cardiologist now says that it looks like he has grown out of it. Still, he will take meds 'til he is nine months, just in case. It's a good example for you, of how something so terribly scary can turn out so well.

I continue to think about the three of you. I said a prayer for your babe today. xoxo LOVE!


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## Marleysgirl

Thanks for the update, preemie12 (Dad) - and another day with good news, the Cpap is already being turned down :D

How is Mum doing? Is she still in hospital, or has she been allowed to come home yet? I was fortunate in having a private room on the Postnatal ward, just down the corridor from NICU - so I stayed in as long as I could (a fortnight) so that I was as close as possible for as long as possible. Also, has anybody talked with her yet about expressing her milk and freezing it ready for when baby starts being fed?


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## PrincessPea

Huge congratulations on the birth of your amazing baby! xx

I cant really add anything that hasnt been said but take it one day at a time, you will get there.

My thoughts are with you. xx


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## preemie12

Hi everyone. Thanks for the replies, and than your Vermeil for the website link, it was extremely informative and useful. Whenever I get a spare moment, I'll pick up a book on preemies to get through this.
The baby is having ups and downs... yesterday I took the mommy there for the first time and she was shocked to see how tiny he was, even though she saw many photos and videos of him. We had quite a scare, as twice the heartrate of the baby dipped down from 150 to 80 bpm. I know the nurses know what they are doing, but its scary to see those episodes.
Baby is still passing blood in urine, and the CPAP usage has been turned up as the baby is not ready to try breathing that independantly. I've got to just keep positive and focus on the good....
thx so much for all your support and genuine concern. You're all such good souls.


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## Agiboma

Hello,

Congrats on the birth of your LO, well the girls have pretty much said it all but i wanted you to know and please keep this in your mind that the NICU is a complete rollar coaster ride except your not at a them park its real life and that is what makes it the scariest. My son was born @ 25 weeks we spent 15 weeks in the hospital, he's almost 1 year now and doing great.
My son also had a heart murmer and had surgery @ 31 weeks gestation to correct it, PDA is very common in preemie babies all babies have a pda only difference is that it closes a few hours after birth in term babies. Also the slow heart rate is very common we went thought what they call "spells" up until 38 weeks.
A "spell" is when the heart rate slows and also the respirations slows @ the same time, because of the immature circulatory system this is common in premies and its something your LO will outgrow as they come closer to the due date.
My thought are with your family sending you lots of positive energy


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## RainbowGift

Yup.... the heart rate dipping under 80 is common. It is still SO SCARY, and used to jangle my nerves so much. My son would have these (bradycardia) episodes even when he was almost ready to be discharged-- but would drink his expressed breast milk too fast and choke. The choking would always be paired with a brady. I came to realize that all babies have bradycardias, but since they are not on monitors, the parents never know. That made me feel a little better. Our preemie babies have more than their share, because it's not just when they are choking on milk... their systems are still learning how to juggle everything and breathe at the same time. The monitors create a safe feeling AND an unsafe feeling in the parents. I hope your wife is able to start spending lots of time in the unit. Is she planning on breast feeding? Love to you all!


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## PrincessPea

You should have a look at the VIP thread at the top of this section. I know when my LO was in the NICU, looking in that section at everyones stories helped me a lot as it gave me hope. xx


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## preemie12

Thanks princesspea... the VIP section had a lot of photographs and was so heart-warming to see such good changes in the preemies. It definately did lift my spirits.

Rainbowgift, my wife has made 1 trip to the baby so far, and should start going regularly as soon as she's fit. But we've been expressing milk like crazy, even though the baby feed is just 2ml per feed.

The baby opened his eyes for quite some time today... it was amazing! He looks so helpless, but I truly believe that me going there is helping my baby recover. I can't do much, but at least I can be there for my baby. And going there has made me a bit more comfortable with the NICU.

Now next step is when the baby can get off the CPAP/ventilator... just taking it a day at a time.


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## AP

Fab to hear he opened his eyes! You being there will help. :hugs: Bear in mind he can hear your voice outside the womb before this so take a book in and read a story, or even the paper. My 27wker Alex got to hear all about the life and times of Michael Jackson ;)

My mum had me at 29 weeks emergency c section, the nurse had to practically force my dad to touch me in the incubator to keep me going (he liked to tell me this when he was drunk and emotional :rofl:)


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## RainbowGift

Happy Father's Day!!!! :)


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## Agiboma

happy fathers day daddy thinking of you and your family


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## preemie12

Hi All,

The baby's doing better.... first day yesterday no blood in the urine, so the kidney seems to be improving, but still some ways to go. Baby's back on ventilator, as he was having frequent episodes of apnea, so doc put him back on it.
But I'm upset at my doc. I know she was doing her job, but it was my wife's first meeting with the doc, and instead of focussing or mentioning the positives - ie no blood in urine, ultrasound of brain shows no problem, liver damage seems to have healed... she kept on emphasizing how ANY organ could be damaged. She said the events at birth may have caused any damage to any organs, and this could only be detected later. The brain seems normal, but, these are her exact words, "whether the baby turns out to be a genius or is ********, i cannot say". How insensitive is that?! And that too to my wife who is meeting her for the first time. While I agree we should know the risks involved, but shouldnt we take happiness in the improvements rather than worry us about future? After the meeting with the doc, we were both so quiet, and there was an overall feeling of uncertainty and helplessness once again....

Can't wait till my little tyke comes home and shows the world what hes made of...


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## preemie12

imagine baby and bump didnt want people to read the word my doctor used to US. I can't believe she said that.... the ******** is another word for mentally handicapped.


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## Marleysgirl

I don't know about anybody else, but our NICU doctor was similarly blunt about Andrew's potential problems. He had a bleed on his brain before birth, and the doctor said that it could affect absolutely anything from then on - she couldn't tell us what or when. He's got a hearing loss, and developed epilepsy last year (successfully treated and non recurring), both of which have now simply been put down to "the brain bleed".

However, she did this in a kind way and I was grateful for her being so frank. It meant that we could celebrate every small step/progress that he made from then on.


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## preemie12

Yeah you're right Marleysgirl. Anything could go wrong, and they want us to be prepared. Like today, I just found out, that our baby has got PDA and 3 holes in his heart. They had disappeared but have since reappeared. The baby was having mother's milk, slowly increasing, kidney's were improving... and now today milk is taken off, they're administring ibuprofen, it's going to put a strain on the already damaged kidney. Our baby also needs blood transfusion as he is anemic.

How do you all deal with the uncertainty? That everyday it might be something new? Or something that reoccurs? It feels like everyday someone is ripping out your heart, and there's nothing you can do about it.


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## Agiboma

Keep telling yourself daddy that its a rollar coaster full of up and downs literally everyday its something new in NICU, best thing to do is to truly celebrate the good days, so the bad days dont get you so down, NICU is difficult hardest thing i ever expereinced in my life and their is no coping mechanism i can think of that will make it bearable you just manage, hang in their daddy :hugs:


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## Marleysgirl

preemie12 said:


> How do you all deal with the uncertainty? That everyday it might be something new? Or something that reoccurs? It feels like everyday someone is ripping out your heart, and there's nothing you can do about it.

That's exactly why you need to celebrate the good stuff :hugs:

Andrew had transfusions too, I think he had three in total, due to low haemoglobin levels.


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## Hotmum

Hey preemie dad ! Congrats on the birth of your son !

I just know how scary it can be... The monitors, NICU, ventilador
Good to hear that he is improving ! Sounds like a little fighter, I am a mommy of 2 preemies and use to see small babies ( had couple friends with preemies and my Goddaughter is a 25 weeker ) but everyone else who is not use to preemies use to visit me and my girl in the NICU and tell me how small she was... I think she wasn't thaaat small, but I was use to preemies so, anyways ! 
The heart rate drop is called bradycardia and good news is : They outgrow it ! =D
My baby girl had bradys for weeks! just a week before comming home she was really bradyfree and apnea too, she use to have apnea, but just like my little lady ur little fighter will outgrow it ;)
the kidneys and PDA is a wait and see game =( hopefully the meds will do the trick for the kidneys and the PDA really depends baby to baby, some need surgery some just close it by itself ( my Goddaughter did !)... I really hope things get better !

Was a loooooong 38 days before she finally came home, but as soon as they turn that corner they are just like newborns!

U will be in my prayers... Keep us updated!


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## vermeil

oooh no more blood in urine that's definitely great news! congratulations :thumbup:

I see you are at the ten day mark! That is a MAJOR milestone! WOO HOO! *dances* Yet another small thing to celebrate :thumbup:



preemie12 said:


> How do you all deal with the uncertainty? That everyday it might be something new? Or something that reoccurs? It feels like everyday someone is ripping out your heart, and there's nothing you can do about it.

You just somehow find the strength and keep going, because you need to be there for your little fighter. I know it is very, very hard...Most here will say it's the hardest thing they ever did their whole lives. I was in pure survival mode for months, just trying to get through each day and hang on to every tiny little bit of good news.

My son had over 10 transfusions, 2 within 24 hours of life, they're very common! PDA and heart issues are (unfortunately) very common, but generally are treated routinely and babies recover fully from them. As for going back on ventilation, my son was on an oscillator (the big huge scary machine that is more invasive than ventilation) for weeks, then ventilation, then cpap, then eventually just passive oxygen - in fact he switched between the first three so often I felt like a pro inhalotherapist by the time we were done, knowing the inner workings of all of them :blush:

A trick that I found helped immensely is to have ONE person you give news to daily, and have that person inform ALL your friends and family. In the first few weeks I could barely give daily news to my mother - even that I found very hard. She in turn was contacted by everyone else. It took a HUGE load off us the parents, allowing us our peace and quiet to fully focus on baby.

And I cannot believe just how insensitive that doctor was to your wife!! That's just awful!! I also received the Talk about possible long term issues. At least to us they were very gentle and diplomatic about it. It seems a common trend, doctors tell preemie parents the worst possible scenario, scaring them half to death. But often preemie babies turn out just fine - it's amazing how their small developping bodies can heal, adapt and outgrow any number of complications!

Please keep us informed... Your family will be in my thoughts.


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## preemie12

Thanks for the comments and suggestions. You're right, this is by far the most difficult experience in my life, but it definately is making us stronger, and if anything it has taught me to live in the moment, and appreciate everything in this very moment. Because everything can change in one instant.

Will give update when there's some good news... at the moment its just a waiting game.

Right now our whole family is having ups and downs. Some days my wife is super down, some days I'm out of it, today my mom has lost it and suddenly has become super quiet as she's worried sick. But what do you do? We just have to focus on the positives and know that worrying doesn't help. Not us, and especially not the baby.

Thanks guys!


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## AP

don't sweat the stuff you just don't know about :hugs: Alex had a Grade IV brain bleed and they told us worst case scenarios. And so much so I didn't expect a hell of a lot from this little girl. I worried for a whole year about the what ifs. And here she is next to me trying to swipe the ipad :rofl:

Like Marleysgirl says, celebrate the good stuff, everything feels fabulous when they achieve something. I have a full termer baby now and I can tell you as much as I love her and appreciate the things shes doing, its expected, im happy, it's textbook, -but with preemies, you cant expect too much, so when the fab things come from Alex I am overjoyed. So much pride.


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## RainbowGift

How are things going? :flower:


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## preemie12

An update has been long due.... my baby is getting better. After the initial 4 weeks of crazy ups and downs, for the last 10 days he's been pretty stable.

He's off the CPAP, so breathing on his own. The IV came off, so he's getting his full nutrition from his mum's milk (through a tube in the mouth). And generally he is progressing, still underweight, but slowly but surely he should increase. He's now 1.55kg - 36weeks 3 days. Today we just got some good news that he's moving out of the NICU and into another ward! I don't know if i'm happy or not, as it's scary not having the full care and support of the NICU staff who we've come to grow close to.

Heart problem is still there, he's got a fairly large VSD and moderate ASD, but the cardiologist says we'll deal with this later.

But all in all, he's come a long way. I really can't thank all of you enough who've helped us get through this time. They really are little miracles and have tremendous strength. 

And to all those new preemie mums with complications, you give your baby full support and believe in them, they WILL come through on top of things.


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## 25weeker

:happydance: :happydance: glad to hear he is doing well


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## bokibaby

sing to your baby!talk to him/her,educate your self about,corticosteroids,and hang in there!just love your baby.


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## katy1310

Aw, so glad to hear he's doing so well :)

It is scary moving out of NICU and into another ward, but at the same time, it's a huge step in the right direction, and you have to remember that they are moving him there because they know he can cope without the one to one care that you've probably been used to in NICU. I remember telling the nurses how scared I was when Sophie was moved and they told me "NICU is for very tiny and very sick babies, Sophie is now neither of those things so it's a sign that she's doing really well" - that made it easier to deal with! 

xx


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