B came at 36 weeks as well. At the time it felt like the worst thing in the world, but in the end it was such a blessing. We got the best training from the nurses. We called it mommy and daddy boot camp. I wanted write this post because I remember feeling like a failure and all alone. My best friend who I was lucky enough to get pregnant with was in the room next to us with her full term daughter. I reached out to an acquaintance who I knew had twins who were in the NICU. She provided me with the best support and advice. We learned great tips.
- Celebrate every milestone - Feeding tubes out, moving into a new crib.
- Take lots of pictures - At first when seeing all the tubes taking photos was the last thing on my mind, but I am so happy we did. I love looking back at the photos to see just how far she has come.
- Embrace the schedule - Bailey was on a schedule when we got home and can sleep through anything.
- Ask lots of questions
- Leave the hospital and don't feel like you need to be in the NICU all day and night - we were so fortunate to have a hospital that let us stay there for the two weeks that Bailey was in the NICU. It was easy to want to stay in the hospital 24/7. We were allowed to see Bailey every 3 hours and the first day I thought we will go everytime even in the middle of the night. Your son/daughter are in the best care possible use this time to get some sleep because when you get home you will most likely not have a team of professionals helping you.
- Breast feeding/pumping - B and I were not very successful with bfing so I pumped like it was my job. I know it is not for everyone, but it provided me with sanity. It was one thing I could do that the nurses could not. I highly recommend a hands free pumping bra. You can get them in amazon. Gives you the opportunity to be hands free while pumping. And a nursing bra. If you continue pumping after I would also recommend an AC adaptor so you can plug you pump in while in the car. I wear a hooter hider while my husband drives. It got to the point where I felt trapped in the house because I was exclusively pumping and had to be home to pump every 3 hours.
Howe To says
Yes, yes, yes! Take pictures! For a while I couldn't look at the pictures of my daughter with the tubes sticking out of her and the IV in her head. Her head! But she is 4 now and I love looking at those pix, not only because they were here first baby pix but because I realize what a tough girl I gave birth to.
HappyFamily says
So true. Both fighters.
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