my baby boy has arrived!

[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

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

 

[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]

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.

 

[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]

 

[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