I thought I should properly introduce the newest member of my family, and the one who is the basis of most of my inspiration and reviews… my “Little” Monkey
Monkey was born last July. My pregnancy was pretty normal up to 32 weeks. A little nausea, some smell aversions but nothing out of the ordinary. I was working out at the gym once a week and walking about 2.5 km a day as part of my commute. May, June and the beginning of July were packed with all sorts of family events, weddings and gatherings with friends. I was going to use the end of July and August to prepare for the baby… so I thought.
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| Monkey 2 hours after birth – on CPAP |
When I was 32 weeks pregnant I was at work on a Thursday, went out for dinner with coworkers after work, and Monkey was born less than 12 hours later!!! Everything happened very quickly, when I got home on the Thursday night I noticed I was losing some fluid. After a call to the midwife we headed to the hospital to check things out, it turns out that I had Premature Rupture of Membranes (PROM) = my water broke. My labour was a little slow to start, but once it did Monkey did not want to wait to meet the world.
All of a sudden the way we *thought* everything was going to happen – Having a baby in September, delivering with a midwife – changed and it was SCARY. Our care was transferred to the OB on call, I received a steroid shot to try to help Monkey’s lungs mature faster. This was the most terrifying time of my life, I remember saying to JAM “It is too soon, it is too soon…”. We spoke to a pediatrician before I delivered who helped outline what to expect for a baby born at 32 weeks, not that I was really listening as I was in active labour at that point! Normally I am very good a asking lots of questions, but in this instance I could not think of a single one.
I arrived at the hospital around 2am, was not officially admitted to the hospital until 8am and Monkey was born at 10:01am, not a lot of time to process the fact that we were about to be the parents of a preemie, or a “32 weeker” as he would soon be known.
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| Monkey 12 hours after birth – on the ventilator |
Monkey was 4lbs 12 oz and for being 2 months early was a great size by all accounts. Little did I know then that the labour and delivery were the “easy” parts of our journey, as our NICU adventure was just beginning. As any NICU parents will tell you the whole experience is a roller coaster, two steps forward one step back… repeat. We did get to see Monkey for a quick minute after he was born before they took him to the NICU, he looked so tiny, but so perfect at the same time. Monkey was initially placed on CPAP to help him breath, and then on a ventilator so that he could get a dose of surfactant. After about 18 hours he was off all of the machines and was breathing on his own, which was amazing.
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| Getting to hold Monkey for the first time |
I was able to stay in the hospital for 1 night, and then was discharged. They have rooms in the NICU where parents can stay, but they are reserved for mothers who are nursing, and at 32 weeks Monkey was not able to nurse (generally babies do not develop the sucking reflex until they are about 34 weeks gestation). Leaving Monkey in the hospital was the hardest thing I have ever done, you are leaving a part of yourself behind and it HURTS like nothing else I have ever experienced. I spent many car rides crying all the way home during our NICU stay.
Eeek I didn’t think this would be so long… so I will continue on Part 2 tomorrow!
What a precious baby! Thanks for
sharing your story….
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Mika
OMG!!!! It reminds me of my son's story :0) My water broke but my doctor's thought I was so heavy my bladder was leaking LOL My son had a heart/lung bypass called “ECMO” we lived in that hospital for nearly 3 months…..at 9 months old they said he was brain dead…..Now he is my walk gift from God. He walks, talks, plays, smart, plays 3 musical instuments, and won't clean his room to save his life LOL God Bless you!!!
following you back from The Baby Bottom Line… story sounds a little familiar to me too! Here's my post on Oh Baby! Magazine…
http://www.ohbabymagazine.com/blog/the-day-i-almost-died-2/
My experience with our daughter is very similar to yours. She was born at 32 weeks, 4 lbs 10 oz. I had placental abruption – my placenta basically started detaching from my uterus prematurely. She only stayed at the NICU for 2 weeks. Our daughter turned 2 last June and she is doing great!
I can totally relate to this. My 2nd son was born at 33 weeks, and he was 4lbs 12oz. I remember them telling me in the NICU that he was the only preemie that had ever seen who had a double chin. He was so tiny though, so lean. The couldn’t get the hospital bracelets small enough to stay on, and they would slid off his little thighs.
They never figured out why he was born early. My water broke, I wasn’t doing anything strenuous ( I was sitting up on the sofa from a lying position so I could get up to change the channel to watch a show on TV).
I was lucky, he only spent 8 days in NICU and then came home. The first couple years were spent back and forth to the hospital, mostly for breathing issues. He presented like he had asthma, but it was just because his lungs were not ready yet. He eventually outgrew it by the time he was 3, and hasn’t needed an inhaler or anything now for over 12 years. He will be 16 this summer, and will be starting grade 10 and is healthy healthy healthy. And so smart. This kid can take a computer apart and put it back together like its lego. He knows more about computers than his computer teacher at school lol.
You would never know NOW that at one time he was the size of a football. Oh, and I managed to successfully breastfeed him for 14 months. They did the tube feeding for the first few days, and I refused to allow them to give him a bottle. I remained in hospital and he breastfed like a trooper. I was very lucky.
Glad all turned out well for you as well 🙂
I just read your NICU stories, brings back many memories. Our first son was born at 25 wks weighing 754 gms. He did really well, had a few of those rollercoaster dips, but with Gods mercy my son came home 2 wks before his due date!!! It was the scariest thing I have ever faced and pray to never have to experience anything like it again!!! My son is a very healthy 10 yr old today. I have had two other children since, both to term….my last was 9 lbs 8 ozs, I had to laugh when she was born because of the difference in her and her oldest brother.
I enjoy your blog very much and happy your little Monkey is such a strong fighter.
What’s gut wrenching story, but so filled with love and such a great ending 🙂 what an adorable little monkey. My gf had her baby around 30 weeks, I stayed by her side and my heart broke a million times for her (I was nine months pregnant at the time). Life is so so special.
I can’t even imagine how you were able to function, when your son was taken to the NICU. You are very strong woman.
My preemie at 33 weeks was 3lbs 6oz. He’s now 37, 6’2″ and has his own son (normal weight – thank heavens). My daughter went thru the same things as you. Our problem was the local hospital with a NICU is 2 hours away…….they wanted her to drive down. I said NO and she delivered in another hospital on the way down when the ambulance stopped. Our local OB nurse was along in the ambulance and she delivered my now 4 year old grandson. It’s no easier being the grandmother than the mom.
What an inspiring story.My daughter had to go on bed rest and just yesterday gave birth to a healthy,full term little girl yesterday.
Thank you for sharing such a precious difficult time in your life.