A Sedated MRI sounds scary. For a NICU mom, it really is. After breathing tubes and ventilators as a newborn, putting my child to sleep for any procedure is hard. So, when the doctors told me that he needed a sedated MRI, I freaked out a bit. In all reality, this is a routine procedure. However, there are always risks with any type of medical intervention, and especially, … [Read more...]
Happy Place: Making the NICU a Safe Haven
Happy Place When most people think about the NICU, they don't think about a happy place. It can be scary and unknown. However, it is also the place where babies' lives are saved, and where families spend a great deal of time. I'll admit, when my twins were first born, I didn't even want to go to the NICU. I was so afraid of everything about it. The tubes, the wires, the … [Read more...]
Not OK, but Perfect: Luna and Amelia’s Story
Perfect To every parent, their own child is perfect. It doesn't matter what their hair color, their size, or their abilities, when you lock eyes on your baby, all you can see is love. There is also hope. Hope for a bright future, happiness, and everything that they dream of. The NICU can sometimes make you question that future, but it can never take away your sweet … [Read more...]
NICU Survivors: Life at Home
NICU Survivors NICU Survivors are amazing. No matter how long or how short your stay, getting to go home is a momentous occasion. That homecoming day is one you will always remember. But, what comes next? How do you go back to "normal" life with NICU survivors? Is it possible? Perhaps, not right away. When we got home from the NICU, we had a nurse visit our house … [Read more...]
A Different NICU: A Different Experience
A Different NICU From layout to policies to staff, every NICU, or Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, is different. What may happen in one hospital, may not happen in another. In each different NICU, each family can have a very unique experience. Some hospitals have private rooms, some are organized in pods of a few beds, while others are entire rooms filled with … [Read more...]
