# my baby boy has arrived!



## seekingbaby#1

Hey everyone, I haven't been online for a few days now. How's everyone doing? Well, I have some exciting news... My baby boy is born!!! Baby Aiden was born on 1/13/10 at 28weeks/6days. He was tiny he weighed at 1lb 130z. As you all already know I had a emergent cerclage placed at 21 weeks, then my water broke at 24 weeks and I was placed on strict bedrest at the hospital. I kept him for 4 weeks (almost 5) with my water broke ( the proper term is pprom). Although I wish he could have stayed in longer I'm proud of myself for keeping him in that long. God had truly blessed me because 28 weeks is so much better than 24 weeks. Ok, so once the contractions started they couldn't be stopped. The doctor gave me a terbuline shot to try to stop contractions but it didnt work. They just got stronger and stronger. Finally the doctor checked my cervix and I was fully dilated and Aiden's head was ready to pop out lol. They rushed me to labor/delivery. The doctor said " ok, its too late for a epidural, with the next contraction push your baby out". And with the first push Aiden's head was out, the second push his whole body was out :) my bf was so excited! And we were so happy to hear Aiden cry. The nurses and nicu pediatrician were surrounding him cleaning him and doing his assestment. They thought he would need help breathing but he didn't ( thank God for steriod shots). He was perfect just small. He is breathing room air!!! :) I can't believe how much I love him. They finally started feeding him (tube from mouth to stomach) on thursday. They started at 2cc and are slowly moving up. As of today he is on 7cc. I'm pumping for milk but only getting little drops here and there. His nurses told me to bring them in and they add it to his formula. So that's the story guys. I thank you all so much for all the support. You guys are the best!!!! I'll definitly keep you all posted and plan on adding pics soon.


----------



## Marleysgirl

Yay! Congratulations, and well done Aiden on breathing air so soon!


----------



## seekingbaby#1

Thanks :) the nurses say he just needs to gain weight, being so small i dont know how long its gonna take. I can't wait until he's home, but I know he's under good care


----------



## KKSARAH

Congratulations, what a strong little boy you have, he'll be home before you know it :hugs:


----------



## grumpymoo

What fantastic news! Aiden sounds like a fab, strong little baby. Congratulations:happydance:


----------



## embojet

Congratulations! It sounds like he's another strong little fighter, he will be with you before you know it!


----------



## CazH

Congratulations on the birth of Aiden and well done for keeping him in there for that long!! He is a strong baby breathing in air already have they put him on cpap?? If you need to chat or have queries about this road you are now on do not hesitate to contact me. Welcome to the group of very special babies!!:hugs:


----------



## Foogirl

Congratulations!

And well done you for keeping him safe inside for so long:thumbup:

It sounds like he is doing very well. If it is only weight he needs to put on then I shouldn't imagine it will be long before he is home. Abby generally put on 1oz a day. She was home in 6 weeks.

Keep on with the pumping. It will seem like there isn't much going on but give it a couple of weeks and you may well find you wont be able to walk down the baby aisle in the supermarket without your chest feeling like it is clamped in a vice!!

We'll be looking forward to the photos!


----------



## bumpsmum

congratulations and so pleased he was able to hang in there for so long. Fantastic news he is breathing air already he truly is a wee fighter. The milk will soon come in, you'll have that much you will run out of room in the milk fridge/freezer. I had to keep alot at home for a bit xx


----------



## Eightiesbirdx

Awww how lovely, glad to hear you and baby are doing well :) Many congratulations hun xxxx


----------



## Anna Barry

Well done to your little fighter, breathing air already thats amazing!!!!!! Can,t wait to see the pics, keep pumping it will soon come i remember getting 1 mil in a syringe lol, now my freezer no longer has room for food.:haha:


----------



## Gabrielle

Awee...CONGRATS! Well done honey. I have chills all over after reading this!:)

I was soo nervous and had been praying for days about you guys. Im so glad you got to 28 weeks and he sounds like a trooper! 

He is doing wonderful! Amazing! Thats great. Enjoy each day and I know the NICU is hard but he'll be home before you know it! Big hugs to you. Can't wait to see pics.:) xx


----------



## Josephs_Daddy

Congratulations on the birth of Aiden!!!

He'll be home before you know it!!!!!!:happydance:


----------



## Dona

Congratulations hun! xx:cloud9::cloud9:


----------



## Louise N

Have only just seen this, I think you were due around same time as me!

Congrats on your little boy and really pleased to hear he's doing well :flower:


----------



## quail

ive been following your thread im so pleased to hear he is doing well,i will keep my fxd for him to be stronger soon.congrats.xxx


----------



## seekingbaby#1

Thanks everyone I forgot to add he was 14.5 inches at birth and actually was on cpap for about 5 hours after birth. Then he was completly on room air until yesterday :( he began having the A's and B's so they put him on oxygen (nasal cannula) (sp). He also hasn't gained any weight yet. He's currently on 21cc of breastmilk every 4 hours. He lost 10grams lastnight, and the nurses say they aren't worried about it. I can't wait until he starts gaining weight. The doctors mentioned to me that if they aren't happy with his progress, they would add fortifier to his milk. Does anyone have any experiances with milk fortifier?? I'm scared it would be too strong for my baby. I'm terrified of NEC, I've been reading so much about it online. That's why I only want him on breastmilk. The nicu is very overwhelming, I kangaroo him almost everyday. I cry daily because I feel like there's nothing I can do for him. I feel guilty for him having to be born early. When did your preemies start gaining weight?


----------



## Dona

Please please please don't blame yourself. There was nothing you could have done to prevent this. You have a little bundle of joy waiting to come home, he just needs a little extra help to get there. Your his Mummy and he needs you to be strong. Aiden sounds just like my Archie. He was born at 27 weeks and came out all singing and dancing needing nothing to help him breath. He too after a couple of weeks needed o2 but also CPAP. This seams to happen a lot of the time. They just get knackered as their lungs are so tiny. He will get strong over time and hopefully kick the o2 habit. Archie took about 3-4 weeks to put on weight. He went on 50-50 EBM and formula and that seamed to work. Never heard of a fortifier hun - speak to the Dr as they will explain everything to you. Your doing the right thing by giving Aiden Kangaroo care. Archie wasn't really stable enough to get this all the time until he was in HDU. So well done and keep it up as it is the best thing for them. 

Post some pictures of your little boy as we are all really looking forward to seeing him. 

Sending strength Hugs your way :hugs::hugs:

Dona and Archie xx


----------



## seekingbaby#1

this is my baby boy, he is 3 days old in this pic
 



Attached Files:







SDC10474.jpg
File size: 22.3 KB
Views: 46


----------



## seekingbaby#1

here is another pic.
 



Attached Files:







SDC10478.jpg
File size: 37.7 KB
Views: 43


----------



## grumpymoo

He is gorgeous and amazing, and you are doing a fab job! He will no doubt all of a sudden come along in leaps and bounds.

you are doing all you can, kangaroo care and breast milk, a truly good start and more than I could manage.



Don't forget you are going through a really tough time and your hormones are all over the place too:hugs:

xx


----------



## seekingbaby#1

hey Dona, i just read your journal. wow, its amazing how fast your Archie gained weight. It has given me so much hope for my son, thanks so much for allowing us to be able to read his progress. it really helps new moms like myself have hope and strength to make it day by day while our baby's are in the nicu. My son is continiuing to have the A's and B's throughout the day. The nurse said that it is due to his prematurity and they will check to rule out infection. Im so terrified of him being sick because hes so small. i cant imagine someone his size with an infection. I have decided to not kangaroo him anymore until his weight increases and he is clear of infection. also, im scared that by me holding him he is more likely to get in contact with germs. My family still want to have a babyshower for him but im just scared that something will go wrong. I know that there are going to be ups and downs but its so hard to think positive when my baby isnt doing well. As of now hes doing ok, but every hour i feel like something may go wrong. i wish i could be by his side 24hours so i dont miss anything. i visit him for about 4-6 hours a day but i feel like thats not enough. I also call the hospital throughout the day to check on him. Im so thankful for this forum because at times i feel like no1 understands what im going through.


----------



## bumpsmum

aww hun, it does get tough at times, Aiden may have minor setbacks but he WILL overcome them and start to gain weight soon, the breathing problems will get easier as his lungs mature and he will develop quickly as he reaches his due date.

You also need to try and give yourself time to rest although it may feel like you are hadrly there, 6 hours a day is alot, im sure a few woman here can sympathise we all did it and it soon wore us out, your still recovering yourself and need to rest as often as you can. It may not seem like a good idea but even getting OH to visit Aiden one evening while you stay at home and rest. You will feel guilty and phone several times but the Unit will be used to it and wont mind at all.

Kangeroo care has so many benefits that outway the risks of him getting germs from you, so long as you dont have a cold or a jippy tummy you will be fine, again limit visitors to those who are not ill. As for the baby shower I understand your prob thinking 'what if'........ and no amount of reassurance will alter that only time and Aiden coming home will make you feel better. Why not even suggest that you would love a baby shower but it would mean so much more ifyou waited til baby Aiden was home and settled to share in all the fun? xxxx


----------



## Foogirl

I agree. It is a good idea to take some time away from it. Mr Foo had a conference at a swanky hotel for 2 nights and I joined him for one of them. I meant not going to the hospital for one day and it was difficult, but we felt so much better for it. He went himself a couple of times, and his mum took me a couple of times, just to get a rest. You really do need to take care of you too. Many don't like to consider anything as a "bonus" But I do think that having a child in the NNICU can have a positive side and one of those is the opportunity to recover from a difficult birth without having to deal with sleepless nights and dirty nappies a dozen times a day. I made sure I got the rest and relaxation I needed so when she came home I could hit the ground running and found I had the energy and emotional capacity to deal better with what she threw at us.

The feeling of helplessness starts to disappear when you get more involved with doing their daily care. I also declined kangaroo care after the first couple of attempts when she got and infection after our first cuddle and was very sick after the second one. I took the view that she was fine in her little box and because I was worried, it wasn't doing me much help either. There was plenty time for cuddles when she got into the cot. But there are benefits from it too, so just do whatever your instinct is telling you.

I can understand friends wanting to throw the shower, but if you want to hold off on it, then just tell them that. People don't really understand what you are going through but most will be willing to learn and keen to do what is best for you. Those who get arsey about it aren't worth worrying about. I had a really hard time with making any real connection with Abby in the beginning. I just didn't want to get too close because what if..... Mr Foo was the same but as she got bigger and it was clear she was going to be absolutely fine, that did change. Having it to celebrate coming home is a great idea. That is one step that people kind of forget to consider as a milestone. Having said that, I'd want it in the days before rather than the days after!


----------



## seekingbaby#1

Aiden is now 10 days old and still hasn't gained any weight :( he is currently on 21cc of breastmilk every 4hours. The doctor is now going to add HMF (human milk fortifier) to the breastmilk to add calories to it. I'm scared this will cause nec. Anyone have any experiances with feeding and weight issues in the nicu?


----------



## Marleysgirl

We had one day off from going to NICU, and the nurses completely understood that I just needed a day to recharge my batteries and get a little "perspective".

With regards to weight gain, Andrew had stop-start times with his gains. His EBM was fortified from very early days, and continued until a couple of weeks after coming home. He almost didn't get discharged because he lost weight on his final day there - I had to nag the staff and explain I'd got everything set up at home, not to mention a tv crew organised to film the home-coming!


----------



## seekingbaby#1

Thanks for replying. Did he have any negative effects from the fortifier? I'm afraid that his stomach isn't strong enough for anything besides breastmilk.


----------



## Marleysgirl

No, no negative effects. 

If you're interested in what it contains, there's a datacard for Cow&Gate here. 

It's specifically designed for purpose - neonatal babies needing extra calories, in a form that can be added to breastmilk rather than putting the baby onto fortified formula mix.

If the unit are suggesting it, trust them that his stomach is okay to take it :kiss:


----------



## seekingbaby#1

I went to see Aiden today and I broke down. I couldn't stop crying. The nurses kept saying how good he was doing but it hurts me to see my baby so small. After I got myself together I held him. I told him how much I love him and that he has a lot of family waiting for him. He is still having the A's and B's which has the nurses running over to check on him. that's the scariest part, the nurses say that its normal for preemies to do this because there brains don't know to breath all the time. They told me that preemies usually outgrow this by there due date. Since the birth I have lost my appetite, I'm almost forcing myself to eat. I'm also noticing that I'm isolating myself from my friends and family. I just feel like being alone.


----------



## Foogirl

seekingbaby#1 said:


> I went to see Aiden today and I broke down. I couldn't stop crying. The nurses kept saying how good he was doing but it hurts me to see my baby so small. After I got myself together I held him. I told him how much I love him and that he has a lot of family waiting for him. He is still having the A's and B's which has the nurses running over to check on him. that's the scariest part, the nurses say that its normal for preemies to do this because there brains don't know to breath all the time. They told me that preemies usually outgrow this by there due date. Since the birth I have lost my appetite, I'm almost forcing myself to eat. I'm also noticing that I'm isolating myself from my friends and family. I just feel like being alone.

You've got to eat to keep that milk flowing!

Premature babies have so much to learn in their first weeks, of course they will take a bit of time. It sounds like he is being well looked after.

I did the same in isolating myself from certain people. I couldn't bear to hear them talking about things they had no experience of. All I can say is, those I did rely on were invaluable. Taking time to yourself is essential, but sometimes a firm waterproof shoulder really helps too.


----------



## seekingbaby#1

I'm trying to eat but I can't concentrate. I've lost focus on almost everything, Aiden has taken over my mind lol.


----------



## Marleysgirl

Do you have someone there who can "make you eat"? ;) My OH was brilliant at making sure that I carried on having breakfast before we went out, cups of coffee while up at the unit, that kind of thing. As Foo says, you need the nutrition to help your EBM production, and to maintain your strength ready for when Aiden gets bigger.

:hugs:


----------



## annie111

Hi
My son was born at 29 weeks weighing 1lb 8oz. He dropped to just under 1lb 5oz and did not regain his birthweight until approx 3 weeks.

He also had BMF from about 10 days old (started on it when his weight was 1lb 5oz). They told me that the most important part to avoid NEC was the gut priming - which was done slowly with just EMB.

My son was in hospital for 10 weeks and came home still only weighing 3lb 7oz but well and healthy othertwise. 

Try not to get hung up on the weight issue and kangarooing will help your son gain weight more quickly and need less oxygen. I look forward to reaing updates


----------



## babybaillie

Congratulations. Aiden sounds like a wee fighter xx


----------



## BBonBoard

:hugs:


----------



## louise1302

congratulations you have a little fighter there x


----------



## seekingbaby#1

Thanks so much ladies! 

Annie thanks for sharing your experiance with me. How is your son doing now? NEC is more common in formula fed preemies that's 1 of the main reasons I decided to breastfeed. They add 1 packet of fortifier every feeding ( he's at 21cc or ml of breastmilk every 4hours), they might add another pack of fortifier starting tomorrow. So it would be 4 extra calories added to his feedings. Its good to read that everything turned out well for your baby.


----------



## k4tie

Congrats :)


----------



## mommyof3girls

Congrats! I'm glad that he is doing well. Sorry this is late I'm just now seeing the post.


----------



## seekingbaby#1

Thank you, he's doing great. He's currently 2lb 12oz. The nurses say once preemies reach 3lbs they usually gain weight faster. Hopefully that's true


----------



## chele

I've also just been alerted to your gorgeous little preemie from the april section. I am glad he is doing well and gaining some weight. You'll have him home in no time at all.
:hugs:


----------



## mrsraggle

What a gorgeous boy! Congrats! x


----------



## bumpsmum

glad to hear Aiden is now gaing weight, another few ounces you will start to see and feel a real difference x


----------



## 555ann555

Sorry my congrats are so late, we just found out today in the April 2010 thread, so you may have a few more of us who are/were due at the same time as you! 

It is so good to hear little Aiden is putting on weight :flower:


----------



## pinktaffy

i only found out about your baby today aswell in the aprill thread. u must be so proud he sounds like a real fighter . and hes gaining waight really well now u must be so proud. he is so cute congrats xx


----------



## seekingbaby#1

Thanks ladies. Yes he's doing awesome. He's a feeder/grower. I'm doing alright. I still have my days where I'm very emotional. Now I worry about things like caring for him at home without the help of the nurses and monitors. I also have been thinking a lot about his development as he gets older (catching up with peers).


----------



## toptrump

Sorry it is late, but Congratulations, he is gorgeous and I am sure he will be home with his mummy before you know it :) xxx


----------



## mandzzzz

Hope he's still doin well xx


----------



## lizziedripping

seekingbaby#1 said:


> Thanks ladies. Yes he's doing awesome. He's a feeder/grower. I'm doing alright. I still have my days where I'm very emotional. Now I worry about things like caring for him at home without the help of the nurses and monitors. I also have been thinking a lot about his development as he gets older (catching up with peers).

Aww hun, congrats on the birth of your little boy :hugs:

Please try not to worry about how you'll manage at home, and his progress in relation to his peers. As the mum of a 24weeker, I can tell you that 28/29wks is a brilliant gestation which far fewer complications or long term problems.

Ironically, my son was born at full-term weighing over 9Ibs, and he didn't crawl at all, didn't walk til he was 18months old, and didn't speak til he was 3 (literally) - very frustrating! At 7 he is now a bright and happy child btw - boys can sometimes just be very slow to start, and very lazy :winkwink:

On the other hand, Evie, born at 24wks, sat early, crawled, and walked early! What's all that about? If she can, your son has every chance of being ok hun. I have never found a discrepency between the devlopment of Evie and that of her peers. She is a very "young" 5yr old, but only because she is the baby of the family, and we have always treated her as such. Otherwise she is very switched on, and much sharper than her older brother.

Aiden may be a little slower to reach milestone purely due to the natural variations between babies, and the fact that he is a boy. Don't assume this is due to his prematurity, and don't let people "pidgeon hole" him either. Even if there was an initial developmental delay - he'll be where everyone else is by the time he reaches achool age. They say that all boys are born with slightly immature brains at birth compared with girls, and should in fact start school a year later, so keep that in mind when you're having paranoid moments.

As for caring for him without nurses and monitors - you'll be brilliant love. It's surprisingly easy, and he won't be allowed home until clinicians feel he is well and truly ready.

The whole preemie experience is a scary one, but I have every confidence your little darlin' will be fighting fit and healthy. Good luck, and keep us posted :hugs::hugs:


----------



## seekingbaby#1

Thanks so much for sharing your experiences with me. I believe in my heart that Aiden will do well. He's been doing great in the nicu he weighs 3lb 3oz now!!! He has even started drinking from a bottle 3 days ago. They try the bottle once a day and he's been drinking 20cc/ml. I'm so proud of him :) I think even if my son was fullterm I would worry about something lol. When Aiden was first born I used to cry every day until my moms friend called me. She said " you are so lucky to be able to give birth to a live baby that is thriving and although small, is healthy. Everytime I get pregnant I miscarry before I reach the 2nd trimester. I wish I could have a chance to have a baby , even premature. You are blessed." That's when I realized that I was acting ungrateful because although my son was born early God still blessed me because he is alive and healthy. While I visit my son in the nicu I see fullterm babies with so many complications. The nurse told me that the smaller babies often do better than fullterm babies in the nicu because smaller babies are dealing with issues of prematurity and most just need to gain weight/grow, fullterm babies in the nicu often have major issues that are abnormal.


----------



## shell74

Congratulations, glad he's doing well x


----------



## lizziedripping

seekingbaby#1 said:


> Thanks so much for sharing your experiences with me. I believe in my heart that Aiden will do well. He's been doing great in the nicu he weighs 3lb 3oz now!!! He has even started drinking from a bottle 3 days ago. They try the bottle once a day and he's been drinking 20cc/ml. I'm so proud of him :) I think even if my son was fullterm I would worry about something lol. When Aiden was first born I used to cry every day until my moms friend called me. She said " you are so lucky to be able to give birth to a live baby that is thriving and although small, is healthy. Everytime I get pregnant I miscarry before I reach the 2nd trimester. I wish I could have a chance to have a baby , even premature. You are blessed." That's when I realized that I was acting ungrateful because although my son was born early God still blessed me because he is alive and healthy. While I visit my son in the nicu I see fullterm babies with so many complications. The nurse told me that the smaller babies often do better than fullterm babies in the nicu because smaller babies are dealing with issues of prematurity and most just need to gain weight/grow, fullterm babies in the nicu often have major issues that are abnormal.

I can see where your mum's friend was coming from, but unless you've been thru the preemie experience, you cannot understand how distressing it is. You shouldn't feel ungrateful because you were upset and sad about your son's early arrival.

It is horrifying and shocking to have a baby early, when you had so many hopes and dreams about giving birth, and bringing home a "healthy baby". Pouring over an incubator, not knowing what the outcome will be is really tough. It's easy to say "What are you crying about, your baby is here and alive" - hmmm, not that simple tho is it? 

I grieved for the loss of the dream - felt terrible guilt that my baby wasn't where she should be (in my tum), and instead was being transfused twice daily, injected every hour, and enduring awful suffering :cry: Yes, she's here now, yes she's healthy, but I still cry sometimes at the start she had, and how that was my fault.

You are a brave wonderful mum - you love this boy so much already, that you feel deeply enough to be struggling with his early arrival. DO NOT feel guilty about that fact my sweet :hugs:

Mother nature is a wonderful thing, and equips these preemies with the ability to endure being born before 30wks. Apparently, when labour starts early, the body produces a hormone which matures the lungs more quickly, and changes a mother's breast milk. The milk has more immunoglobulins than a full term mum's, these molecules give the preemie advanced immunity against infection. Immunity which is normally passed from mum to baby in the womb at around 34wks. The breast milk is made up almost entirely of these immune cells specifically for your preemie - amazing! The more distressed the baby is inutero at this early gestation, the more mature the lungs are - mother nature makes sure of it!

God I know some crap :haha:

Good luck with Aiden hun - you are doing so well xxx


----------



## seekingbaby#1

You are 100% right, unless someone has been through our shoes they will never know or understand how it feels to have a preemie. Thanks


----------



## Olivias_mum

hi :) my little girl was born at 29+1 n was in NICU for 9 weeks. She was ventilated for 9 days then on cpap for about 5 weeks and very nearly came home on oxygen!Sounds liek your little boy is doing amazingly well! Try and stay strong for him, i know its difficult i used to cry all the time when she was first born, its not our fault though its just what nature intended for our babies!They are very very strong little people! xxxx


----------



## seekingbaby#1

Well Aiden is now 3lb 13oz! But he has had a setback :( he's on oxygen because he is breathing fast especially during feeds (bottle). I'm so scared that he will come home on oxygen or have lung issues. They have slowed down with bottle feeding due to his breathing, so he is getting tubefed (thru nose). They gave him lasix to remove excess fluid in his body and lungs. Hopefully that will help his breathing. Has anyone gone through this before?? I just want to cry when I see him breathing fast


----------



## grumpymoo

Gosh you are really going through it:hugs: I dont know about that I'm afraid but just wanted to say that Aiden sounds like he is doing really well with his weight gain.

I would say you have every right to feel crappy, you are going through a really long and emotional journey. Feeling crappy does not mean that you don't feel incredibly incredibly blessed as well though:hugs:


----------

