New Mother and Father and really scared....

Hello, and welcome to Share! You have found the perfect place to get information from other mothers that have experienced much of the same things you have! I hope that you are able to find the answers to any questions that you have! I'm glad it sounds like Aiyanna is doing well and hopefully heading home soon!

Hello. When my Kyleigh was born she was 34 weeks 1-3-2010 and they originally told me she wouldnt go home until her original due date 2-14-2010. Everyday my husband and I visited her she progressed more and more, they say girls do better as premature babies. She only ended up staying in the NICU for 8 days and then we got to bring her home. Trust me the nurses are so great they teach you how to take care of your baby so you will be great parents. Shes my first as well and it was the hardest thing I have to endure but also the most rewarding. Just take one day at a time and if you have questions just ask the nurses and doctors they are there for you. The baby will come home when she is ready it depends on her progression and i dont think they can give you an exact date because she could do magnificent and come home alot earlier. My baby is now a month old still should be in my tummy and she now weighs 6lbs 7oz her birth weight was 4lbs 11oz. Best of Luck being a mommy is the most rewarding thing in life.

We had both of our children at 29 weeks and our daughter came home weighing almost 5 pounds and our son came home weighing almost 4 pounds. You will know what your baby needs we she is home it will be a learning process but it will get easier. Another good thing to have is a great pediatrician who you can call with questions and don't be afraid to call no question is a silly question.

I understand your fears of bringing home a baby...every parent faces the same thing even parents of full term healthy babies, but for the POP it's a different story. You will know what to do and anything you have questions about you have Share! Also, your pediatrician and some NICUs do follow ups with their families, so you will hopefully have lots of support.

Good luck in the next few weeks and cherish those days at home

Kristyn

Congratulations on your baby girl! My advice to you about learning to care for her is to ask lots of questions to the NICU nurses. They are a great resource! If they don't offer to let you care for her while in the NICU then ask them if you can change a diaper, give her a bath, feed her, hold her ect. They will show you the best way to do everything, don't be afraid to ask how. I guess in some ways NICU parents are lucky, we have great nurses to show us how to do everything, while "term" babies just get handed off to mom & dad leaving them to stumble through everything!

Congratulations on the birth of your daughter! Our son Donovan was born 7 1/2 weeks early at 32 weeks. He was born on Sept 23, 2009 but his due date was Nov 11, 2009. I went into sudden onset severe preeclampsia so he had to be born. He was breech and had to be delivered by C section. He weighed 5 lbs 13 oz. I have diabetes type 1 so that contributed to him being a bigger baby. We are first time parents and didn't know anyone that had a premature baby and the NICU experience. He was in the NICU for 32 days. We were lucky because he didn't have any major problems, he just had to develop like he would've inside. He is now a healthy boy at 5 months and at 17 lbs! I totally agree with Dragonfly 74's advice. There's two things I would like to share - First, they wouldn't tell us a date either of when he could come home. But believe me, when the time comes things will happen very quickly. The nurses said everything just suddenly seems to align right and they may be coming home with only a 24-48 hour "notice". If she is having some minor breathing bouts, they will send you home with a monitor. We had Donovan sleep in our room in a bassinet the first month home to help put us at ease. The other thing I would like to share is something a nurse said to me when I took him to his 2 month checkup. She asked me how things were going at home, in which I told her I felt overwhelmed and like I didn't know a thing. She said to me "you know much more than most first time parents because of your experience". That really stuck with me and made me much more confident. You do learn so much from the NICU nurses by talking with them and even just watching them. So you'll be much more prepared than you think you are. Make sure you have all of your 'at home' care questions ready for when they discharge your daughter and our NICU said we could call anytime with any questions, which made us feel better. Also, as others mentioned, make sure you get a pediatrician that is experienced with preemies and find out where there is an emergency room with a pediatrician on or on call if ever needed. Most urgent cares and some ERs don't have one. It's so wonderful to finally get them home! Good luck!

Welcome to Share and congratulations on Aiyanna's arrival!! Having a newborn is always stressful, but having a preemie sometimes adds to that stress.

Pediatricians, friends, and the NICU are great options for "helplines"!! Just trust your instincts!! It'll all come a lot easier than you ever thought it would. Best wishes to you and I hope to hear more about this beautiful little girl as she grows!!

Tracy