What happens in the NICU…stays in the NICU?

The NICU is a scary place at first…or maybe it’s frightening all the time, dealing with all the uncertainties. 

One of the first things most medical professional told me in the beginning is that it will be “a rollercoaster”. At first it doesn’t really make sense. But this saying stuck with me all throughout the four month my daughter was there. Let me tell you that it does make a lot of sense. The first 72hours were crucial for us but it was also our “honeymoon phase”. 

Everything was going according to the plan. She was intubated shortly after birth to help her breathe since she could not do it on her own yet…

In my previous post, I had quickly touched on the NICU being overwhelming. That was exactly what I felt when we got there.  ALL the machines, ALL the tubes she was hooked up on were very scary. Especially since she was “beeping” ALL the time. At the slightest noise I was essentially up on my feet wondering what was happening. 

For parents or caregivers trying to navigate the NICU, don’t hesitate to ask questions, even the ones you think may not be the brightest. There is no such thing as this, you are not a specialist. The more you ask, the more knowledge you acquire. The nurses are a great resource. I can truly say that after that experience, I have another level of respect for nurses. We encountered more then 50 I would say who cared for my daughter and the vast majority of the encountered were positives. We met some great womens (there was only one male nurse in the unit at the time we were there).  

Some babies go through a  smooth ride; however, this was not our case. My princess went through a lot of ups and down. She had to fight two infections, one of them being more severe. This specific infection required her to be on antibiotic administered through a PICC line (peripherally inserted central catheter) for six weeks.  She went through withdrawal from painkillers she received to help her. This was probably one of the most difficult things to watch for me. Especially since she was still intubated at that time, meaning we could not hear her voice, I could just see the pain with no sound coming from her. 

As a parent I felt helpless, my daughter was so tiny, fighting so hard for her life every day in a box (really an incubator). What could I do? How could I help her? 

In the coming posts, I will elaborate more on what you can do to help your babies and ultimately yourself while they are in this place.