New here!

[momx3]

So glad I found you!
I had my baby girl, Lorelei on May 8th, I was 27 weeks 5 days.. she was 1 pound 14 oz.. today she is 2 pounds 7.1ozs. This was unexpected.. I started swelling on a Thursday morning, Thursday night my BP was 184/112 and my potein on a 24 hour test was 20+.. I had her Saturday.
I too was on Magnesium Sulfate for 24 hours after I had her, I had panic attacks, shortness of breath, and irrational thoughts and feelings for a week after, so much so that my Dh and mom had talked about putting me back in the hospital. NO ONE told me or my DH what this stuff could do and it was not until I decided to learn more about preemies and googled To you guys that I found out that I had not been going NUTS!
My other 2 children were considered full term, my son (7lb11oz) was 2 weeks late when I got preeclampsia and my daughter (7lbs2oz) was 3 weeks early when I did. So the NICU is a fairly new place for us. We are lucky in several ways, she came out breathing on her own with a apgar of 7 and has been on and off a canula, with only being on a CPAP for 3 days, she is not sick in anyway, only meds she is on is <sp>aminofilaen the drug that acts like caffeein. Still it is so hard having her there and waiting for her to come home. I guess I am just looking for others who have made it through this and came out the other side.

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           -:¦:-  ((¸¸.·´* Leah
                           Mom to 3
Nicholas Aleczander 10-27-94
Mary "Rhiannon" 4-15-98
Lorelei Celeste 5-8-04

[deerhart]

Hello Leah
Welcome to the group.

You will find a variety of parents here, from those with micro preemies, to those of us (like me) who barely have preemies (and you would never know it if you saw them)

NICU's are hard places, though we were lucky and my oldest son missed having to be in one and my youngest was only there for a few days. Hopefully Loreli will do well and you'll have her home soon!

Erin

Moderator - Parents of Preemies
Missouri State Coordinator
Mommy to Alex (4)and Mason (1 1/2)
Law Student - 1 year done, 2 to go

[sarab]

Hi Leah,

I just wanted to say hi, and welcome you to our unfortunate "club". I'm so sorry for the circumstances that brought you here, but so glad that you found us!

It sounds like Lorelei is doing very well for how early she was -- that is wonderful news! There are quite a few of us around here who are NICU veterans, so please feel free to ask any questions, or just talk if you need to. Having a scary, early delivery due to pree (or anything else for that matter) is nothing that I would wish on anyone, and then having your child baby in the NICU for weeks on top of it only adds to the trauma. The NICU can really be a roller coaster experience, and can be isolating sometimes, so please let us know if you ever need to talk. For me personally, having Maggie in the NICU was the hardest thing my marriage has ever faced.

I know it may seem impossible to comprehend right now, but I promise that there will come a time when you will look back and all of this won't seem so bad. Don't get me wrong, it will still hurt sometimes, but things will seem better. Once again, please feel free to ask any questions or just vent if you need to. That's what we're here for. [:)]

I know that you won't have much time to post in the next little while, but please update us when you get a chance. We tend to worry around here if we don't get an occasional update. [:)]

Sara, 23
Local Coordinator, Utah

DH, Scott, 26
Maggie Lylas, 6/9/03, 29 weeks, severe pre-e
http://www.babiesonline.com/babies/m/maggielylas/

[angelical]

Welcome to the board! While no one wants to be a part of this group, we really are a fortunate group... we have little miracles and the ability to share our experiences and questions with others that Understand!

My little guy was a 28-weeker, born at 2lbs 5oz... he always did really well, but it sounds like Lorelei is even ahead of how well he did! Congratuations.

Keep in mind that the NICU is a rollercoaster... often there is 2 steps forward and 3 steps back. But hang in there... before long, she will be home!

Please stop in often and update us on her progress, and feel free to ask any questions. We will do our best to help you. (And before long, you will be giving advice to new moms!)

Be sure to look through some of our old posts, too... there's a lot of wisdom out there from those of us who have been there before.

I wish you all the best!
Sharel

PS: Have you been able to hold her, and/or do kangaroo care yet?

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Sharel O'Connell
Local coordinator for Pittsburgh area
'Parents of Preemies' co-moderator
Survivor of Preeclampsia, HELLP Syndome, & preemie parenting
Future adoptive mom

Aaron (28 weeker, 5/2/02) -- my tiny guy is TWO!
Kevin - DH

[momx3]

Thanks for the welcome!
Yes I have gotten to hold her several times... I have learned that they will not ask me if I want to hold her I have to ask.. so everyday I ask to hold her, most of the time I get to, even if it is for 10 min. Last night was the 1st time doing kangaroo care.. I got to hold her for over an hour and her stats were awesome the whole time! IT WAS WONDERFUL!
I was terrified that this whole thing would tear my husband and I apart, even though we have a great marriage, because I know this kind of thing can be very hard on a marriage. So far it has brought us closer (knock on wood[:o)]) He took a week off from work after I came home from the hospital to be with me, and it helped alot.. esp since I was still reeling from the Magnesium. However this is the hardest thing we have ever faced as well..
I had to have a C-section, and my incision has split, so my hubby is having to pack it everyday until it heals from the inside out, which I think makes this whole thing even worse... but it has allowed my husband to "take care" of me, and I think it is something that he needs to do.
We have had very little time in NICU together, since my other kids cannot come in, one of us has to sit in the waiting room while the other one goes in to see her. We have a routine down, Dh goes in 1st and always reads her chart, to make sure he is "being told everything", then he spends a few min with her and then we switch and I go in and stay for at least an hour. (we can only go after 7:30 at night due to my husband works)

           .· ´¨¨)) -:¦:-
             ¸.·´  .·´¨¨))
           ((¸¸.·´  .·´ -:¦:-
           -:¦:-  ((¸¸.·´* Leah
                           Mom to 3
Nicholas Aleczander 10-27-94
Mary "Rhiannon" 4-15-98
Lorelei Celeste 5-8-04

[annes]

Welcome, and congratulations on the birth of your daughter! As the others have said, the NICU is a hard place, and you have to be proactive, it sounds like you already are! The NICU that my son was in became like a second home to me, and eventually I found it fairly peaceful. It sounds like you have your hands full already with other kids, but make sure to take it easy! Good luck!

Anne
DH Richard
Parker 7/6/03(severe pe)33wks

[angelical]

That's great that so-far-so-good with your husband. I can tell you that the NICU & preemie parenting IS hard on the marriage. My husband & I have gone thru a hard time over the past 2 years. Luckily we were committed to working out our problems and have survived.

I'm glad that you've had such good luck with holding her. It is a wonderful gift, isn't it? to hold a little miracle!

Sharel

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Sharel O'Connell
Local coordinator for Pittsburgh area
'Parents of Preemies' co-moderator
Survivor of Preeclampsia, HELLP Syndome, & preemie parenting
Future adoptive mom

Aaron (28 weeker, 5/2/02) -- my tiny guy is TWO!
Kevin - DH