October 15, 2013
My tiny decided to come 4 weeks early. I was terrified. The nurses warned me early on that he'd most likely need help breathing when he was born since his lungs were going to be under developed.
I wasn't prepared for this. My entire pregnancy I had been dreaming of this perfectly healthy, full term baby boy.
As soon as he was born he was rushed to the nursery. He was having a hard time keeping his lungs open so he was put on a c pap.
Austin was with him and I was dying to see him. I talked the nurses into wheeling my bed in the nursery just to see him.
Seeing your brand new baby hooked up to tubes and wires that you have no idea what they're doing is heart breaking and terrifying.
I touched my baby's leg and just cried. I couldn't quite focus on all the details the nurses were giving us, I just wanted to be in that moment with him.
After such an exhausting labor, we both needed rest.
I slept for a couple hours, but I was so worried I couldn't really rest.
They had tried taking him off the c pap 3 times and he would only last 20 minutes before tiring out.
Austin went home to shower and get a few things from the house around 4 and in came a nurse to tell me they had to transfer Zeeland to Utah Valley Regional Medical Center in Provo. I was running on no sleep...physically and emotionally exhausted, I couldn't process what was happening. I called Austin and told him he needed to get back right now and I lost my mind. It had started to sink in that I was going to be separated from my baby who I had only seen for a total of about 10 minutes.
The life flight team showed up to transfer him. They got him all ready and brought him into my room before taking him and that was the hardest thing I've ever done.
The only thing that kept me sane was knowing he was in the best hands and they were only transferring him to ensure they'd have all the equipment needed to get him better.
Zeeland's stay in the NICU:
Day One:
-transferred to UVRMC around 5:30 pm
-cpap removed
-on high flow oxygen
-given antibiotics as precaution to lung infection
-started IV for calories, protein, sugars, water, fat etc
Day Two:
-taken off high flow oxygen and breathing room air!
-Got first gavage (tube) feeding at 11 am: 6 mils=1 tsp & added fats
-met Grandpa Rick for the first time and received a blessing
Day Three:
-Mommy was released from American Fork Hospital and came straight to the NICU...got to hold me for the first time
-received 12 feedings via gavage... 2.5 tsps every 3 hours
-placed under the bili light for jaundice...jaundice number was 16
-all tests for infection came back negative, stopped antibiotics
-first attempt at breast feeding, latched for about 5 minutes
-dad gave 1st sponge bath!
-loves sleeping with mouth open like daddy
Austin was with him and I was dying to see him. I talked the nurses into wheeling my bed in the nursery just to see him.
Seeing your brand new baby hooked up to tubes and wires that you have no idea what they're doing is heart breaking and terrifying.
I touched my baby's leg and just cried. I couldn't quite focus on all the details the nurses were giving us, I just wanted to be in that moment with him.
After such an exhausting labor, we both needed rest.
I slept for a couple hours, but I was so worried I couldn't really rest.
They had tried taking him off the c pap 3 times and he would only last 20 minutes before tiring out.
Austin went home to shower and get a few things from the house around 4 and in came a nurse to tell me they had to transfer Zeeland to Utah Valley Regional Medical Center in Provo. I was running on no sleep...physically and emotionally exhausted, I couldn't process what was happening. I called Austin and told him he needed to get back right now and I lost my mind. It had started to sink in that I was going to be separated from my baby who I had only seen for a total of about 10 minutes.
The life flight team showed up to transfer him. They got him all ready and brought him into my room before taking him and that was the hardest thing I've ever done.
The only thing that kept me sane was knowing he was in the best hands and they were only transferring him to ensure they'd have all the equipment needed to get him better.
Zeeland's stay in the NICU:
Day One:
-transferred to UVRMC around 5:30 pm
-cpap removed
-on high flow oxygen
-given antibiotics as precaution to lung infection
-started IV for calories, protein, sugars, water, fat etc
Day Two:
-taken off high flow oxygen and breathing room air!
-Got first gavage (tube) feeding at 11 am: 6 mils=1 tsp & added fats
-met Grandpa Rick for the first time and received a blessing
Day Three:
-Mommy was released from American Fork Hospital and came straight to the NICU...got to hold me for the first time
-received 12 feedings via gavage... 2.5 tsps every 3 hours
-placed under the bili light for jaundice...jaundice number was 16
-all tests for infection came back negative, stopped antibiotics
-first attempt at breast feeding, latched for about 5 minutes
-dad gave 1st sponge bath!
-loves sleeping with mouth open like daddy
Day Four:
-Feeding amount increased to 3.5 tsps at 11am and to 5 tsps at 8pm
-latched for 10 minutes!
-Daddy held and had skin to skin for the first time
Day Five:
-given bili blanket instead of bili light...which he liked MUCH better because he loves to be snuggled as tight as possible
-feedings increased twice.. to 6tsp and 7tsps
-stopped IV
-got to start using utes hat instead of bili goggles!
-awake for an hour and a half
-Mom read 1st book: "Wherever you are my love will find you"
-1st test weight (determines how much he's actually consuming during breastfeeding)
-1st test weight was 4grams=4mils
-2nd test weight 10grams
-Mom gave sponge bath
-Blood sugar test given and passed
Day Six:
-Breastfed a full feeding! 40 mils!
-graduated to a smaller bed since he didn't need help managing heat
-mom got to hold for almost 2 hours
-nurse said he could be ready to go home in 2 days if keeps up feeding!
-Grandma Lisa was the first person to get to hold besides mom and dad
-had to pass car seat test: be in there for an hour and a half with stats staying up... passed!
Day Seven:
-got moved out of the 'sick kids' area to the overflow area. The NICU is being remodeled so we were moved to a labor and delivery room set up for NICU. We shared it with 2 other babies...it was crowded.
-Mom and dad checked into the sleep room... sleeping over nights to do every feeding orally and no tube. YAY!!!
-jaundice level down to 11
-got first tub/swaddle bath and LOVED it! Slept through the whole thing
Day Eight:
-Passed hearing screening
-Brought thank you treats to all our wonderful nurses and doctors
-Pulled out his own feeding tube... I guess he was ready to go home!
-Got discharge papers!! YAY!
Day Nine:
-Got to wear clothes for the first time!
-Biliruben was at 11
-We were discharged at 11 am... best feeling in the world!!!
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