The End is So near!!

[divadexie]

I am having very mixed emotions right now!

The end of Anna being in hospital is so close! It has been the longest 13 weeks of my life!
But now the end is so near I can almost reach it

I am so exited I can hardly sit still, I just want to keep making sure the house is ready for her coming home.

But I am also scared! I have had 13 weeks of people telling me how to do it and when, how much to feed her, when she sleeps, how often she gets fed etc, I'm terified at having to do it all on my own!
But I cannot wait to be able to do what I want, when I want- hmm that sounded a bit odd! Lol. But sometimes in the hosp I want to have cuddles and I feel like I should leave her because she is settled.

I hardly get to choose what she wears because I am never able to get there in the morning when she gets changed I can't wait to be able to choose what to dress her in.

And I can't wait to take her out in her buggy and show her off!!


I have started writing a blog, from right back when I got my BFP I am hoping I can leave the info with the NNU, so that other prem mums can read it... and will be putting a link in my blog to here, because everyone has been so wonderfull I think anyone who is ttc, expecting or has a baby should be on here



Anyway the other day Anna managed 3 bottles in a row then they decided to start demand feeding, and she hasn't had a tube feed for 36 hours! They have taken the tube out now.

I am told she may get tired and need a tube feed, she might not. I was also told she might have lost weight or not put on as much because they often do when changing from 3hourly to demand, but she put on 2oz, about the same she has been putting on each time they weigh her

As soon as they are sure she won't need a tube feed she can come home!!

 

[AP]

Just noticed on your FB....home is VERY near now!

 

[divadexie]

I know


After the nurse telling me Anna may not put on as much or even lose some weight from changing off the 3hourly to demand- but she had put on another 2oz! And as she has been over 36hours without needing a tube feed, it was removed

The nurses will not leave her longer than 5 hours between feeds and have only had to wake her a couple of times, most of the time she wakes herself

So, when I handed Anna over to Aunty Katie I went to speak to the nurses to ask when we are looking at.

She said ''days, rather than weeks'' course that wasnt good enough for me I wanted a better answer! Lol!

On monday we have to take in our car seat for the test- she is sat in it for 90mins and monitored to make sure her sats dont drop etc.
She has her hearing test monday.
She has bloods to be taken on tues (they do bloods on tues there for any routine tests). That will let them know wether she still needs vitamins (cant remember what its called) twice a day, or back to one.

They don't discharge on a friday, so if she is not home on or before thurs, it will be next monday!!

 

[katy1310]

Oooh, so exciting and I am soooo happy for you!! Reading your post is bringing back so many memories...I had all those feelings, believe me! But, after the first few nights it's really ok. The 2 nights we roomed in with her in the hospital, we didn't sleep - Sophie did but we didn't! We were constantly checking on her because as you know, we were so used to having monitors, nurses etc etc. It was the first time she'd had a night without someone awake nearby! The first couple of nights home we were the same but really quickly we settled into a little routine and it's honestly just how we imagine having any new baby.

Sophie has stuck to her 4 hourly feeds that the hospital had her in, waking up right on cue almost every time! Sometimes she is hungry earlier which we work out by process of elimination, and sometimes she goes longer, especially through the night, but never more than 5 hours just now. She wakes us with little noises when she's hungry in the night, feeds, gets winded and goes back to sleep. We worked out that giving her the vitamins right before her bath then her feed right after her bath works well and everything else has just kind of fallen into place. She is a really contented baby and sleeps through everything - we think that's with her being so used to the noise in neonatal etc!

It's amazing getting her out in the pram at last - be prepared for long conversations with random strangers! ("awww, new baby?" - "no, she's actually 4 months!") I have also had a couple of insensitive comments from complete strangers, such as "Oh well, at least you didn't have to push a big 8lb full term baby out" (Well I think I'd much rather that than a tiny little 1lb 13 baby who spent 12 weeks in hospital, but never mind!)

You will absolutely love having her home, and honestly you soon forget about the hospital and the fact that she had nurses and monitors etc. I can hardly even remember what that time was like, strange though that sounds. It just totally feels like having a new baby at home. Now is your chance to REALLY bond and be her mummy, dress her in what you want, cuddle her when you want, bath her when you want. I remember when we first got Sophie into our room in the hospital and Alan was away meeting his dad in the canteen and I was left alone with Sophie for the first time ever, the first thing I did was change her outfit twice! I know that sounds really daft but I'd brought a few things and wanted to see what she was cutest in - and I'd waited weeks just looking at all these lovely clothes that people had brought her!

Sophie was tiny in her carseat - too small for it and we had to put a folded up blanket under her or the straps were up over her wee ears! She still has to use the blanket but she is much bigger now.

Anna's doing brilliantly with the weight gain - Sophie lost a few ounces when she went onto demand feeding, but then again she was breastfeeding so we had no idea how much she was taking. She is now combination feeding and back to putting on quite a bit - she's gone from 5lb6 to 7lb7 since we got her home 6 weeks ago.

Enjoy every second of having her home because before you know it she will have long outgrown the tiny clothes she is in now and be outgrowing some of her newborn stuff! I'm starting to worry that Sophie isn't going to get to wear all the gorgeous clothes people bought her because she is growing so fast!

Keeping a blog is a great idea, record all those special little moments! I'm miles behind on mine since Sophie came home but have been noting things like her first little smile, weight each week etc so I can update it when I get time!

You've had a really long haul, and done so well, now is your time to enjoy gorgeous little Anna

 

[Agiboma]

Wow great post ladies makes me happy to know my little one will one day come home with me yourbpost brought tests to my eyes

 

[25weeker]

I am really pleased your journey in neonatal is coming to an end.

Your feelings are perfectly normal. I found taking my lo home very surreal. They have been in so long I was thinking is this really happening. Even the first few days at home I couldn't believe it. I had to put a blanket behind my lo back in the car seat as she was tiny and sat crunched over.

Enjoy her when you get her home. xx

 

[Anna_due Dec]

yeah the blanket in the car seat is actually recommended by chiros to save their little backs. The flatter they are the better. Congrats on the finish of the nicu. My son's are 4 (27 weeker) and 1 (31 weeker) and the nicu is like a dream (did that actually happen?). Enjoy it and reclaim those new born baby moments you thought you'd missed, it seems many were just laying dormant.

 

[lynne192]

huge hugs hun glad baby is coming home and that she is well.. my son was 2months premature so nothing compared to your little one but i was really scared, he was sooo tiny etc. he is now 3years old still tiny but now a mega monster!

 

[Agiboma]

congrats hun. enjoy its been a long hard road

 

[SisterRose]

How exciting, congrats and I hope she's home with you very soon!

 

[vermeil]

oh my god how very exciting!! congratulations dear!!

But I am also scared! I have had 13 weeks of people telling me how to do it and when, how much to feed her, when she sleeps, how often she gets fed etc, I'm terified at having to do it all on my own!

I feel exactly the same way!! Vincent was on 21% oxygen on his cpap yesterday for the first time - he`s been below 25% for a week now. And my first thought was OMG he`s getting close to being home! PANIC!! How the HECK will I take care of him without a nurse telling me (for three months) how how to do everything

wooo hoo!! tell us all the tiny details of your planning! We demand daily updates

 

[nineena]

Oh Dixie i'm so pleased to hear this, cant wait to see your coming home post Anna's done absolutely fantastic xx