NICU stands for Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.
It's a pretty intense place.
We were only there for 4 1/2 days. This, in the grand scheme of things, is nothing. We have friends whose baby was in for 79 days. We have a better sense of what they went through when they had him.
This is what we learned while Simon was in NICU.
1) Gowning up and scrubbing up before seeing your baby is hard.
2) There are rules to follow - just grandparents and parents are allowed in. (This was exceptionally hard on our siblings. They were only allowed to see Simon through a window... once he was clear of the oxygen. We felt really bad about this.)
3) Every baby in NICU has a story. There were so many helpless and hurting little peanuts. We watched some very little preemies roll in. We watched, from a distance, as their parents tried to connect with them in their little isolates. We were so fortunate that we were able to touch and cuddle Simon right away.
4) NICU nurses are amazing. I learned so much from them. They helped us bathe Simon for the first time. They helped me change his clothes (it was scary at times when he had all his monitors and tubes hooked up). They taught me to nurse. (I actually had some pretty intensive breast-feeding training from a NICU nurse who has some lactation consulting classes. It was painful... I came away bruised but, Simon sure learned to eat.)
5) It's okay to ask for help. I'm a fairly independant girl but, I learned that I definately couldn't do everything on my own in NICU. I had to ask for help for a lot of things. As humbling as this was, it was really good for me.
6) It's okay to cry in public. Post-partum is normally a teary time for women. Most women get to ball their eyes out at home. I got to ball my eyes out in my Mother/Baby room (just as my Mom's friend walked in - sheesh). I balled my eyes out on a rocking chair in NICU while holding Simon in front of all the other nurses and NICU parents. I balled my eyes out in the pumping room. Nothing like the whoosh, whoosh of the breast pump to back my spastic sobbing. Yep - the hospital has seen it's fair share of my tears.
7) There are too many demands on new parents from friends and aquaintances to "see the baby". It was hard enough that Aunties and Uncles couldn't see Simon. We had to explain to countless friends and aquaintances that no, they really shouldn't come up to the hospital to visit because, we'd rather just be in NICU with Simon. It was hard to make some of them understand that this was stressful for us and a visit from them wasn't really the solution we, or Simon needed. It's nice knowing that we are supported however, it was hard to explain that this wasn't the support we needed.
8) Support groups are grand. We met a few parents in NICU and it was nice to sit and rock and talk about our babies with them. We understood what each other was going through to some extent.
We were glad to leave NICU. I hope I never have to go back. However, I did learn a lot there.
4 comments:
Although your experience was difficult and sad, I'm glad the overall was a positive for you guys. My aunt (Tamara) is an NICU nurse. Maybe you met her?
Glad to hear you made it through! It's a tough start. Sorry you had to go through that!
We look forward to the day we get to hold little Simon. Enjoy your time getting to know one another. We'll see you soon!
You were definately not alone in crying in your mother/baby room. I cried all six days I was there with Pooky Bear (she had a heart murmer). I even cried the 2 days I was in the mother/baby unit with Little Monkey. It happens.
How are you adjusting to having Simon at home?
Oh, Jill, what an experience! So hard but how amazing to have made it through all that and now you have your sweet little man home with you. You are doing an amazing job!
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