intro. and birth/NICU story

Johnson (kmj@frugal.com)
Fri, 01 Mar 1996 14:21:36 +0000 

Hi!  I've been lurking about on the various preemie pages and was =

thinking the other day about how nice it'd be if there was a list =

for parents of preemies -- and here it is!!! =3D)  What a pleasant =

suprise!

We are the proud parents of two children:  Kyle, age 2 y.o. (born at =

40 weeks, 9# 8 oz.) and Melissa, age 3 mos. (born at 32 weeks, 3# 8 =

oz.).  When I was pregnant with Kyle, my blood pressure began to =

creep up in the last month.  My OB had me quit working and placed me =

on modified bed-rest during that final month.  She then induced =

labor at 40 weeks.  =


With Melissa, my blood pressure began rising slightly in the fifth =

month.  Because of my history with Kyle and the slight rise this =

time, I began having my b.p. monitored twice a week at the fire =

station.  In early November, it jumped up significantly and I was =

immediately placed on strict bed-rest at home.  Following a visit to =

my OB and some extensive lab work, I was admitted to the hospital in =

mid-November with severe pre-eclampsia and told that I probably =

would not leave the hospital pregnant and that they may need to take =

the baby at anytime, depending on her condition and/or my condition.

I was given two series of steroid treatments, several ultrasounds =

and biophysical profiles and monitored closely for two-and-a-half =

weeks.  On Nov. 29, my OB, working with a perinatologist, decided to =

do an amniocentesis to check on her lungs.  It was determined that =

they were developed enough to go ahead with an induction, scheduled =

for early the next morning.  The doctor treated me with cervical gel =

that night.  It was just enough to trigger light contractions.  =

Melissa Ann surprised all of us and arrived on the scene very =

quickly and relatively effortlessly in my room (which was NOT in the =

labor and delivery unit) at 1:45 a.m.  My husband had spent the =

night and we managed to get the nurse to the room in time to catch =

the baby.  Needless to say, within seconds the room filled with =

doctors and nurses and they quickly cleaned her up, checked her =

over, showed her to me, and rushed her to the NICU.  Immediately =

after delivery, I was hooked up to Mag. Sulfate for 24 hours and =

discharged two days later.  =


Fortunately for us, Melissa had a fairly uneventful 22-day =

hospitalization.  She was screaming when she was born, reassuring us =

that her lungs were okay -- she was never on a respirator.  She was =

treated with antibiotics immediately because of her unsanitary entry =

into the world.  I was able to see her and hold her at 9:30 the same =

morning she was born.  She seemed so tiny to me!!!  She had some =

trouble with her I.V.=B9s.  I think she had it moved a total of five =

times (that was hard on us!).  She had the normal bout with jaundice =

and was under the bili-lights for nearly a week.  When she was a =

week old, she started having bradys and was on a nasal canula for =

five days.  By a week-and-a-half, Melissa was doing well maintaining =

her own body temperature and was moved from her isolette into a =

basinette.  At two-and-a-half weeks old, her gavage tube was removed =

and she was placed on demand feeding.  She breastfed when I was at =

the hospital and cup fed when I wasn=B9t.  The only thing keeping her =

in the hospital now was feeding and weight gain.  Much to our =

excitement, Melissa was discharged when she was three weeks old, =

coming home just a few days before Christmas at 4 pounds even.  She =

is gaining well, now weighing in at 8# 8 oz. (she still doesn=B9t =

weigh as much as my son did at birth!).

I have many questions about development, but I=B9ll wait until a later =

date.

Blessings, =

Kevin, Marci, Kyle and Melissa