Browsing all posts in March, 2009.

NICU Nurses

There are many part-time and full-time nurses who rotate through the NICU.  In my 94 days in the NICU with my preemie girl I probably saw 40-50 different nurses who cared for my baby, or more;  it seemed like more.  You must remember that full-time for a nurse is three or four 12-hour shifts, and [...]

NICU – The Layout

I am going to briefly describe the layout of the NICU which will give you some idea of what to expect when you visit the NICU and will help you parents understand what resources may be available to you in the unit. First of all, there will be a series of small to large rooms [...]

Trauma of Delivering a Preemie

There are a lot of thoughts and emotions that run through a person’s mind when something unexpected, and especially tragic, happens.  Shock, confusion, fear, anger, humility, doubt, shame, and disbelief are just a few of the things I felt during the frenzy of pain, rushing to the hospital, shaky phone calls, and being hooked up [...]

You’re Pregnant – Read All About It!

Okay, this is not just a shout out, but a plea to all of you women who are pregnant, maybe for the first time, to read books about pregnancy and educate yourself on what’s happening to your body and your growing baby.  Why?  Because if you don’t understand what’s happening to your body then you [...]

Finding Preemie Clothing

Here’s the thing about preemie clothing. You want your baby to be adorable when she can finally wear clothes, but cute preemie clothing and micro preemie clothes are hard to find and it’s a bit risky to bring your own clothing to the NICU. First of all, until your baby is close to 4 lbs [...]

First Look at Your Preemie

When your preemie baby is born you probably won’t have the opportunity to hold him right away, and possibly for quite some time.  Your baby will likely be whisked away after delivery so the pediatrician can get your baby hooked up on life support:  mainly oxygen and probably an I.V., heart monitors, and a feeding [...]