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...]
Family Traditions: Starting, Continuing, and Letting Go
Family Traditions I've been thinking a lot about our family traditions lately. We just celebrated the twins' seventh birthday, and with that, tons of emotions come to the surface. It reminds me of the things we did to create a new normal in our lives when they were born. I've also been thinking a lot about memories. Things that made me happy, things that made the boys … [Read more...]
Unexpected Discoveries: From Pregnancy to NICU
Unexpected Discoveries From finding out you are pregnant to complications that arise, unexpected discoveries can happen during any part of the pregnancy. The NICU is also a place where you never know exactly what to expect. Throughout my twin pregnancy, I discovered that doctors don't know everything and unexpected discoveries happen more often than we make think. They can … [Read more...]
Strong, Yet Fragile: Julieta’s Story
Strong, yet Fragile Preemies are amazing. They are so tiny, yet so mighty. So tough, vulnerable.They are so strong, yet so fragile at the same time. Premature babies must fight to do things that full-term babies do automatically. Their systems aren't fully developed yet, including their immune system. So, even though they beat the odds that are stacked against them, they … [Read more...]
