Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

 

Since Cora's birth was so fast, was born with the cord around her neck, and the fact that I didn't get IV antibiotics Cora ended up being admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit otherwise known as the "NICU".  When Cora was born she was not breathing, limp or lumpy as they called it, and very, very blue.  They worked on her for four minutes.  They shook her, warmed her, put an oxygen mask on her but thankfully never had to intubate her.  It was the scariest time of my life watching her but being completely helpless and having to be completely trusting of others.  She breathed on her own in the delivery room finally and than they swaddled her, and let me briefly hold her before whisking her away to the NICU.  She did not cry until I got to hold her.  Now I am completely grateful that there is a NICU with so many advances in technology and medicine but I never thought a full-term 9 lb 11 oz baby would end up there for seven days!

I have a wonderful husband that never let Cora out of his sight.  He went with her and stayed with her in the NICU until I could come and see her.  That was the longest time of my life.  Having to stay down in the delivery room being monitored and such and not being able to hold my daughter.  I do not do well with that.  I am like an overprotective bear when my children are born (still am) and God help anyone who stands in my way!  The nurses came in and took my blood saying they needed to do this for the baby.  Meanwhile, I was freaking out because I was not provided any updates as to what was happening to Cora, how she was doing, etc.  I was going to be so upset if something terrible happened as they really didn't let or want Dave to take pictures of her in the delivery room.  All I wanted to do was hold her, kiss her, love up on her and here I was only floors away but it could have been thousands of miles because I couldn't see her and didn't know what was happening.

When they finally let me see her I didn't know what to expect.  I didn't know if she was going to be on oxygen or if she would be breathing on her own, or what tubes/wires, etc. she would be hooked up too.  Cora was never on oxygen as she was breathing just fine with room air ever since I first held her and she cried.  That was a good thing I thought but I must admit my mind wandered to the other side thinking that supplemental oxygen couldn't help her and maybe there was nothing they could do for her.  Remember, I was told nothing about her condition, how she was doing, etc. 

She had IV fluids to perk her up and antibiotics.  Since her delivery was fast she was called stunned at birth so it took a little bit for her to wake up so to speak.  They started her on antibiotics as a precaution because I didn't receive any before she was born.  Also, with the cord being wrapped around her neck and not breathing for four minutes they suspected that the blood flow to her gut may have been cut off so the poor girl could not eat anything by mouth only IV fluids.  She was rooting around and crying as she was so hungry and wanted to eat!  They also monitored her pulse, heartbeat, and oxygen saturation level.  Everywhere you turned this poor girl had cords/wires running to her.  She was tethered to those monitoring machines for the entire 7 days.  It was so hard trying to hold her as those rooms are not very big (near the incubators and cribs) and moving around in them was very hard, especially if you wanted to pace or walk back and forth holding her.

It seemed like each day brought something new.  Her body was still fighting an infection so she had to undergo a lumbar puncture (spinal tap) not once but twice!  The fear was that she had meningitis which she luckily did not.  They attempted the lumbar puncture a total of four times at each try before they actually got it in the right place.  She is a very, very strong little girl and did not like being held down in that position. She also didn't like having needles stuck in her back.  When they finally decided to use lidocaine to numb the area she did much better.  Cora also has tough skin so they had trouble finding her veins.  If they did find them, than usually the vein would blow before they could get the IV to take.  She was poked for an IV 21 times for a total of 3 IVs.  My poor baby!  Cora was born with some type of infection which required her seven day stay in the NICU.  It could have been longer but luckily the antibiotics did the trick for her infection.

Just when we thought things were going ok, antibiotics working, blood sugars were great from the very first one, they thought she had something wrong with her heart.  So she had an EKG and an ECHO.  It was found that she had a valve that had not closed yet but was suspected to close as this was a common newborn issue but follow up was required just in case.  A follow-up ECHO was preformed the day before we were to depart and was determined to have closed.  Thank Heavens! 

We were then told that Cora was having extra heartbeats and depending on where they were occurring in her heart she may have to be treated for that.  God was on her side as the monitoring and follow-up showed a normal reading so her extra heartbeat problem corrected itself to a normal rhythm/range/ratio whatever you want to call it.  I call it no longer having to be worried about a lifetime of medication or surgery, etc!  God Bless Him and our precious, miracle baby!

I spent alot of that first two weeks blaming myself for not going to the hospital sooner, the fast delivery, not getting the IV antibiotics, etc.  I realize that even if I would have had a C-section she still could have been born with the cord wrapped around her neck and an infection but as mothers we always blame ourselves for things that happen even if they are not in our control and want to take the hurt away from our children.

The NICU was a very long, lonely, emotional roller coaster for the seven days we spent there.  I was lucky enough to have a husband that supported and encouraged me to stay with Cora so she wouldn't have to go through her stay alone. Thank you honey for taking care of the other 3 kids while I was with Cora. It was rough as you had to be in First Grade to enter the NICU so none of our other 3 children could come and see Cora. I think that was the hardest thing for us all. They just wanted to come and see their new sister and Dave and I just wanted to be together as a family. I can only imagine the turmoil and emotions that others were riding in the NICU because Cora was deemed a very healthy NICU patient.  When you came from outside the hospital you had to do a 3 minute scrub down.  You learn the importance of patience and attention to this very important preventive step.  Some of the nurses made the sign that hung above Cora's isolette in the NICU.  It was nice to see some extra color in there.  One of the most frustrating aspects of being in the NICU is the lack of communication that occurs or at least occurred for us.  I was always having to ask questions and seek out the answers and than would be told the doctor is going to come and speak with you and than he would not.  I felt like we were spinning our wheels from time to time.  Also, we would be told one thing and than they would do another.  I don't know what would have happened if I was not there to stand up for Cora and question things because you never really got the whole story from anyone.  I will never forget being in Cora's room, hearing the doctors and nurses do rounds.  I learned more from behind that curtain than I ever did face to face from any of the staff and that really bothered me and still bothers me about our NICU experience.     

Cora we are so lucky to have you and are entirely grateful that you were such a stronger fighter!  We love you so much honey and we are so happy to have you home with us!!